Two teenage boys from Longview will be arraigned March 3 on rape-related charges after a judge found probable cause for their juvenile court case to proceed.
The Mark Morris High School basketball players, ages 16 and 17, are accused of repeatedly assaulting multiple victims over the course of the basketball season. The case has prompted student walkouts and protests and raised questions about whether the school did enough to respond to the accusations.
As first reported by Lower Columbia Currents, Cowlitz County Court Judge Patricia Fassett on Friday determined that the basketball players can be released from juvenile detention in exchange for $15,000 in bail, on the condition that they remain under full-time adult supervision, attend school online and follow a 7 p.m. curfew.
Court and police officials are withholding the names of the boys and their accusers because all parties are minors.
The two boys were arrested Thursday morning by Longview police on charges of rape in the second degree, unlawful imprisonment with sexual motivation, indecent liberties with forcible compulsion and indecent exposure – more than a week after Mark Morris High School students walked out of class to call attention to the rape allegations.
The exact charges the boys will face may change at the time of their arraignment.
That delay has led to questions from parents and students about whether Longview Public Schools staff reported the suspected sex abuse as required by law. Longview police on Thursday said they are looking into why the district did not file a report.
When asked to comment on the investigation Friday, the school district responded with a written statement.
“The allegations are deeply troubling and inconsistent with our district’s values,” the statement said. “We remain committed to cooperating with the law enforcement investigation. Once the law enforcement investigation is complete, and so the findings can inform our next steps, the district will engage an independent third-party investigator to review district practices. This step reflects our commitment to accountability and to examining our practices carefully and thoroughly.”
