A 16-year-old former Squalicum High School student was sentenced to 18–20 weeks in juvenile custody Wednesday, July 19 after accepting a plea deal in May in a sexual assault case, according to the Whatcom County prosecutor and the Public Defender’s Office.
The teen pleaded guilty May 17 in Whatcom County Juvenile Court to two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation. The boy was originally charged with indecent liberties, a felony, for what police said was sexual contact between the boy and a female student in November and December 2021.
“I am grateful for my client that this matter has concluded and he can move forward with his life,” said Shoshana Paige, the public defender who represented the boy.
“I remain troubled by the way the investigation was handled and by the judgments that were made by the detective and the prosecutor who initially arrested and charged my client, which were far out of proportion to the way other youth accused of similar conduct are treated,” Paige added.
“The evidence warranted filing charges of indecent liberties,” Prosecutor Eric Richey said, noting the 18-to-20-week sentence was “above the standard range” for a sentence for the crime of fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation. Prosecutors and public defenders had agreed to the sentence, Richey said.
The boy will get credit for time already served, 17 weeks and five days, while awaiting resolution of his case.
“It is common for prosecution and defense to work plea agreements to resolve cases that take into account youth and life circumstances,” Richey said. “We believe the resolution was appropriate given the facts and circumstances.”
The female victim in the case sued Bellingham Public Schools in December 2022, claiming three Squalicum High School administrators failed to report the sexual assault to authorities. The three defendants in the lawsuit — assistant principals Meghan Dunham, Jeremy Louzao and Maude Chimere Hackney — were mandatory reporters of sexual assault and were cited in December 2022 for failure to report. Their cases are pending in Whatcom County District Court.
