BELLINGHAM, Wash. – A former Squalicum High School student who says she was sexually assaulted while on the campus has filed a federal lawsuit against the Bellingham School District.
The student says a male student repeatedly assaulted her in private and in front of others beginning in October 2021.
The lawsuit claims she reported the assaults to Dean of Students Jeremy Louzao on January 14, 2022, and to the school’s other Dean of Students, Meghan Dunham, three days later.
The suit says they took no action, and the student then went to Vice Principal Chimere Hackney.
Hackney arranged a “restorative circle” with the accused perpetrator, and the girl says she was forced to be alone in a room and shake hands with him.
The girl reported the assaults to Bellingham Police on February 2nd, and the boy was arrested on a felony Indecent Liberties charge.
The lawsuit says the girl was forced to leave Squalicum and finish out the school year at a different school.
The lawsuit asks for damages to be determined at trial including all legal fees.
Louzao and Dunham are now vice principals at Squalicum and Hackney is a vice principal at Bellingham High School.
All three face misdemeanor charges for failing to properly report the assault allegations to police or child protective services.