KIRKLAND, Wash. — The parents of a 7-year-old have filed a lawsuit against Kirkland’s Lake Washington School District, claiming the district didn’t prevent their daughter from allegedly being bullied and inappropriately touched by classmates.
The complaint claims that in October 2025, an unlicensed substitute teacher was put in charge of a second-grade classroom at Helen Keller Elementary. During that supervision, the 7-year-old was allowed to play in a cubby area with two students who allegedly had a history of bullying the girl.
According to the complaint, in the first grade, the two students bullied the victim “so extensively that the school considered implementing a separation plan.”
When the three students played in the cubby area, the two allegedly touched their classmate inappropriately despite the victim telling them “no,” according to the complaint.
The complaint alleges that the district failed to separate the children despite an alleged history of incidents.
According to the complaint, “Lake Washington School District had actual knowledge that students in the classroom had an established history of bullying [victim] and other students. These same students had also engaged in unwanted sexual contact with other students’ genitalia. Despite this knowledge, the District failed to take adequate measures to protect [victim] from the foreseeable harm posed by these students.”
The parents are seeking undisclosed damages, and are asking for a jury trial.
In an email to KIRO 7, the school district said:
“Lake Washington School District is committed to ensuring the safety of every student and staff member. We do not comment on pending legal matters.”