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The defense attorney for a Bellingham Public Schools administrator charged with failing to report a student’s sexual assaults has asked the court to dismiss the administrator’s case because the state law requiring child abuse and neglect to be reported does not include conduct between two juveniles.

Meghan V. Dunham, Jeremy Gilbert Louzao and Maude Chimere Hackney were each criminally cited in early December in Whatcom County District Court with one count of failure to report, which is a gross misdemeanor.

All three of the administrators have entered not guilty pleas. Gross misdemeanors are punishable by up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Dunham’s criminal defense attorney, Stephen Jackson, filed a motion Wednesday, Feb. 22, asking the court to dismiss Dunham’s case, according to court records.

A hearing on the motion to dismiss is tentatively scheduled for March 2, court records state.

“I am looking forward to presenting this case in court and appreciate the members of our community who have reserved judgment until all the facts come out,” Jackson said in a prepared statement sent to The Bellingham Herald.

The Herald has asked Bellingham Public Schools, the attorneys for Louzao and Hackney, and the prosecuting attorney’s office for comment.

Background

Dunham, Louzao and Hackney are accused of failing to report to either law enforcement or a state child welfare agency the alleged sexual assaults of a former Squalicum High School female student that she brought to their attention roughly a year ago, The Herald previously reported.

All three administrators are mandatory reporters and are required by state law to report any suspected abuse or neglect of a child to law enforcement or the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families.

At the time the criminal citations were issued, Louzao and Dunham were serving as assistant principals at Squalicum High School, while Hackney was serving as an assistant principal at Bellingham High School.

As of Jan. 3, all three have been reassigned to the school district’s Department of Teaching and Learning, where they will support district-level administrative work, The Herald previously reported.

The male student accused of sexually assaulting the female student has been charged with one count of indecent liberties by forcible compulsion, a felony, in Whatcom County Juvenile Court, which is a division of Whatcom County Superior Court. He is also facing two other criminal court cases for unrelated conduct. All three of his cases are currently pending, according to court records.

The former Squalicum High School female student who has accused the school district of mishandling her sexual assault reports filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Dec. 7, 2022, against Bellingham Public Schools. The student, who has since withdrawn from the high school and is now attending a separate school, accused the district in her lawsuit of violating her federal Title IX rights, failing its duty to protect and care for her and of neglecting its duties to report the sexual assaults to law enforcement.

She previously sought $1 million in damages from the district before filing the federal lawsuit.

In its January response to the lawsuit, Bellingham Public Schools denied that it mishandled the student’s sexual assault reports. The district said it took reasonable steps to stop the reported harassment, that the assault allegations contained in the student’s lawsuit were not reported to the administrators and that the conduct that was reported to them was not considered abuse or neglect under state law.

The federal lawsuit is currently pending, according to court records.

Resources

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, you can contact the following local resources for free, confidential support:

Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services: 24-hour Help Line: 360-715-1563, Email: info@dvsas.org.

Lummi Victims of Crime: 360-312-2015.

Tl’ils Ta’á’altha Victims of Crime: 360-325-3310 or nooksacktribe.org/departments/youth-family-services/tlils-taaaltha-victims-of-crime-program/

Bellingham Police: You can call anonymously at 360-778-8611, or go online at cob.org/tips.

WWU Survivor Advocacy Services at the Counseling & Wellness Center: 360-650-7982 or https://cwc.wwu.edu/survivorservices.

Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.org.