Washington school district settles lawsuit after being accused of mishandling sexual harassment case

A school district in Washington has settled a lawsuit from parents alleging negligence and violations of Title IX concerning sexual harassment of their daughter, a former student.

“Out of respect for the privacy and dignity of those involved, we decline to comment further on the settlement,” Bellingham Public Schools spokesperson Dana Smith told the Bellingham Herald. “We remain deeply invested in improving our proactive approaches and responses toward any type of harassment, intimidation, or bullying.”

The district, which serves approximately 11,000 students, settled a different federal lawsuit in October from another former student “who alleged that three district administrators failed to protect her from repeated sexual assaults,” the newspaper noted.

“The settlement stipulated that ‘neither party admits fault or liability for the claims in the lawsuit,’ according to previous reporting by The Bellingham Herald.”

‘Made to question her own sanity’

While attending Options High School in the fall of 2022, a 10th grader faced another student’s “unwanted sexual advances over text, intimidating her and physically assaulting her,” the most recent lawsuit alleged. 

“The two students signed a no-contact agreement, the lawsuit states, but the boy continued to harass the plaintiff,” the Bellingham Herald explained, noting the report was filed Oct. 4, 2022. 

The school’s assistant principal at the time, Kevin Terpstra, was accused in the lawsuit of not informing the student of her right to file a formal complaint or explaining the district’s sexual harassment policies and procedures. 

“He also did not notify the district’s designated Title IX coordinator, according to court records.” 

Even after a second complaint one week later, “Terpstra was dismissive each time the plaintiff reported an incident,” according to the lawsuit, creating an environment “so hostile for [the plaintiff] that she could no longer attend.” 

In late January 2023, the superintendent’s office determined the district had outdated sexual harassment policies and procedures. 

“As the investigative — and, later, appeals process — proceeded, the student was ‘retraumatized and made to question her own sanity repeatedly,’ according to legal documents,” the article reported. 

The lawsuit had demanded monetary damages from the district concerning its “botched administrative response,” but no details regarding the settlement amount were provided, according to the article.