Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >> Mark Mulligan/ The Herald  (click to enlarge) Highland Christian School principal Mark Evan Brown sits in the Snohomish County Superior Courthouse Wednesday. Photo taken 072308   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 Arlington private school principal charged with child rape Herald Staff The principal at a private Christian school in Arlington was ordered jailed on $100,000 bail today after being charged with third-degree child rape. Mark Evan Brown, 37, has been engaging in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl who attends Brown's school, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Mark Roe said in Snohomish County Superior Court papers. Brown has been principal at Highland Christian School in Arlington for three years. Over the past three months, "the two have exchanged hundreds of text messages and phone calls. Some of these encouraged (the girl) to run away from home, and promised that the defendant would provide her a place to stay if she did," Roe wrote. In June, Brown allegedly encouraged the girl to run away from home and gave her a room inside the high school, complete with a bed and television, Roe said. Detectives tracked down the girl by tracing her cell phone. She initially denied sexual contact, but later allegedly told her mother that Brown had touched her sexually while she was hiding out at the high school, according to court papers. Brown was arrested July 9 for investigation of harboring a runaway. He was released on bail, and subject to a no-contact order with the girl. The man allegedly has called the girl anyway and told her not to talk about the alleged sexual contact between them. That's why prosecutors sought Brown's immediate arraignment on today's charge. Brown's family was in the courtroom for this afternoon's hearing. Kristin Sande, a mother of three students at Highland Christian and a secretary of the school's board, read a brief statement: "The board and staff of Highland Christian School stand behind our principal Mark Brown. Mr. Brown is now on administrative leave while this investigation continues. We will continue to support him and his wife and his son through this ordeal he is going through. We continue to plan for the upcoming school year." The school has 238 students, kindergarten through grade 12.

1. Recycling a house: Everett home goes to make new memories 2. A year after plane crash, pain still fresh for families 3. McDonalds' deep fryer flares flames in Lynnwood 4. Pumped, preened and primed for the public 5. Driver runs but can't escape trooper 6. Speaking of Paris Hilton ... 7. Everett man's legacy will live on in Lynden 8. Bart knows his fight is tough 9. Cold Case: 'There was no reason' for death 10. Crews respond to power outages 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Cedarcrest's running game, defense stop King's • Shorewood beats Glacier Peak in conference opener • Fernandez named Archbishop boys soccer coach • Team Peggy comes out in force at ALS walk • King's girls poised for threepeat in Pasco • A lifetime together in Lynnwood • The battle over Cascade's student paper • Mill Creek celebrates 25th anniversary • Public hearings scheduled on school closures • Paine Field airline service strongly supported by 71 percent of web surv ... • Verizon launches FiOS TV in Washington State • Leisure Time Events - September 2008 • September 2008 • State needs to establish north county campus to meet growing technology ... • Future software programs may be based online • Visit two unusual Paine Field aviation museums for historic and futurist ... • Mothers launch Kids ‘N’ Clay pottery studio to provide children with cre ...