BLAINE, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The Blaine School District has denied most allegations in a pair of sexual assault lawsuits.

My Bellingham Now previously reported that the families of two minor students claim the district violated Title IX in their handling of the separate assault investigations.

Court documents state both of the alleged assaults, which took place last year, involved the same suspect.

The district said in their responses filed on Tuesday, Oct. 20, that any actions the families claimed to be discriminatory were done for legitimate reasons. They also stated that any injuries or damages done to the victims were caused by the alleged abuser and had no connection to the district.

One of the families claims the district refused to enforce a court-issued protection order against the suspect and instead came up with a mutual “safety plan” that threatened consequences against the alleged victim if they came in contact with the suspect, even by accident.

The district admitted to proposing safety plans for both cases, but claims they incorporated the court-ordered restrictions.

Both trials are scheduled to begin in early 2028, with settlement conferences set to take place in the preceding months.

The Bellingham Herald was first to report on the district’s response.