The Cowlitz County Youth Services Center in Longview, Wash., on March 3., 2026.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
Two members of the Mark Morris High School basketball team who are accused of sexually assaulting several of their teammates are expected to stand trial this summer.
The two teens appeared with their defense attorneys for a pre-trial hearing in Cowlitz County Juvenile Court on Tuesday. They sat quietly alongside their attorneys in the small, crowded courtroom.
OPB is not identifying the students or their alleged victims by name because all are minors.
During the hearing, Superior Court Judge Gary Bashor said a trial could last as long as a week because of the potential for numerous witnesses being called.
Attorneys for the teens and a lawyer for Washington state agreed that during an upcoming April hearing, they would set a specific trial date in July.
The two teens are facing charges of 2nd degree rape, unlawful imprisonment with sexual motivation, indecent liberties with forcible compulsion, and indecent exposure.
The four charges relate to a series of alleged incidents from late 2025, where the teens are accused of forcing mostly younger teammates into an enclosed, windowless locker room at Mark Morris High School.
There, according to police reports, one alleged victim said he was sexually assaulted by the older players who physically restrained him, stripped off his underwear, and put their genitalia on the younger teen’s face, despite his attempts to get away. Other accusations are more serious.
The alleged assaults occurred five to six times, according to the victim, who is identified as John Doe 1 in a Longview Police Department probable cause statement.
The two teens pleaded not guilty to all charges, according to court documents filed March 16.
The accusations have led to scathing criticism of the Longview School District since they first came to light in early February.
Some parents have accused administrators and board members of not doing enough to investigate the assault allegations when they were first reported.
During a Feb. 23 school board meeting, community members also accused the district of not responding sufficiently to past incidents ranging from bullying to assault.
Longview School District Superintendent Karen Cloninger offered an update about a third-party investigation the district is coordinating during a March 23 board meeting.
Cloninger said investigator Kathleen Haggard is assessing the district’s policies and practices related to supervision of student athletes, staff training and reporting systems.
“We are moving forward with these investigations and doing this in a thorough way that has an outside party doing this,” Cloninger said. “Although we can’t give answers to our stakeholders, and I know that’s frustrating, we are doing this correctly.”
An official at the Longview Police Department could not be reached for updates about its investigation.
