Blaine student arraigned on rape charges in two cases
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By The Northern Light Staff
A 16-year-old Blaine High School student was arraigned Wednesday in Whatcom County Superior Court on four criminal charges stemming from two separate allegations of sexual assault on campus in 2025. The juvenile faces two counts each of third-degree rape, a Class C felony, and fourth-degree assault, a gross misdemeanor. Trial was set for Dec. 21. The Northern Light does not identify juvenile defendants.
The arraignment comes 15 months after the incidents were reported and a day after Blaine School District filed its response to a federal lawsuit challenging its handling of one case. Although an outside Title IX investigator found the alleged victims’ accounts credible, district administrators determined there was insufficient evidence of sexual assault.
At Wednesday's hearing, prosecutors obtained criminal no-contact orders barring the defendant from school property and extracurricular activities and requiring supervision by an adult 25 or older. Previously, the district had allowed the boy to remain on campus under protective agreements despite civil sexual assault protection orders obtained by the girls.
In its Oct. 20 federal court filing, the district denied allegations of discrimination and retaliation, defended its actions and requested dismissal of the lawsuit.
