A Message from Superintendent Greg Baker

Dear students, families, staff and community,

As our winter break approaches, I want to share some information about recent student safety concerns.

Our focus every day in our schools and across our district is to support our students. The Promise calls out our collective commitment to Bellingham’s children, and we, as a district -- including all staff -- strive to support, care for, listen to, inspire, teach and learn from our students. Our families, as well as many agencies and organizations including the Department of Children, Youth and Families, law enforcement and Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services (DVSAS), are part of our collective commitment. They share this important responsibility and dedication to our children, and like us, they are focused on students’ safety and well-being. We deeply appreciate their support and partnership.

Bellingham Public Schools has three staff members facing allegations related to reporting processes, and we are receiving media and community inquiries. This matter is being litigated, and we cannot compromise these legal processes, so we are limited in what we can share. It is important to remember that anyone accused of a crime has rights, including a presumption of innocence and an opportunity to defend themselves through the justice system.

What we can tell you regarding an incident in January at Squalicum High School is that our staff received information and took good-faith actions to support and protect a student based on the information they received. The details regarding that information and the actions taken are intimately tied to the legal issues being considered by the courts. We understand in this incident the student has reported not feeling supported. We know the importance of believing victims and responding with compassion, and this is an area we will continue working on with our community partners.

I have received questions about mandated reports and how they work. All Bellingham Public Schools staff are mandatory reporters, and we all go through annual trainings on reporting any suspected child abuse or neglect to law enforcement and/or child protection services. We take our duty as mandatory reporters seriously.

We are hearing from some high school students that, in general, they need more from us when they come forward to report a sexual assault or concern. This is valuable feedback for us, and we are working on how to enhance our response. Our district is reviewing our training materials and processes regarding mandatory reporting. In partnership with police, DVSAS, mental health professionals and high school student representatives, we have staff working diligently to look for opportunities for improvements to these procedures.

Looking ahead to 2023, student safety continues to be at the top of our minds. We believe all students deserve to be safe and feel safe in our schools, and we are committed to doing this work with our community. We will continue to prioritize student voices and work with families and partners to work toward our goal of safe and inclusive schools.

I hope you enjoy the last few school days of the year and that you have a safe and restful break.

Greg Baker

Reply to greg.baker@bellinghamschools.org