Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, September 11, 2009 Former principal admits to kidnapping Mark Evan Brown, former principal at Highland Christian School in Arlington, pleads guilty to second-degree kidnapping. By Diana Hefley Herald Writer EVERETT – The former principal of Highland Christian Schools in Arlington admitted today that he kidnapped a teenage student last year. Prosecutors dropped a third-degree child rape charge against Mark Evan Brown as part of a plea agreement reached with the Arlington man. Brown, 38, pleaded guilty this afternoon to second-degree kidnapping involving a 14-year-old girl. Brown is facing a year in jail. He also will have to register as a convicted kidnapper with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies first arrested Brown on July 9, 2008, for investigation of unlawfully harboring the girl. Her parents reported to police that she had run away from home. Police found the girl using a trace on her phone. Investigators alleged that Brown encouraged the girl to run away and had prepared a room for her in the school, complete with a rollaway bed and television. The girl told police she’d stayed at the school for three days but later left because Brown was worried the police would search the school, court papers said. Detectives discovered that the two had exchanged hundreds of text messages. Brown wrote to the girl: “Just line up a couple places to stay for the first couple of weeks. Let’s take this one day at a time ok. Then well (sic) find a permanent place. It will be ok.” Another message read: “We just have to keep moving u around.” The girl and her family obtained a no-contact order against the former principal on June 24, 2008, after the girl had reported that Brown had sexually assaulted her while she was in the room at the school. Brown denied the sex allegation. He has been free on bail since his initial arraignment on the rape charge. “I would never plea to something I didn’t do,” Brown said before today’s hearing. “I was there for about 10 minutes. By law what I should have done was call 911 or called her parents. I had a responsibility to report.” Brown was fired July 24, 2008, from his job at Highland, formerly known at Master’s Touch Christian School. The school board found out about the harboring allegation against the school's top administrator on July 14, the board’s attorney Brent Nagle told The Herald last year. It wasn't until he was charged with third-degree child rape July 23, 2008, that Brown was placed on administrative leave at Highland. Nagle said the board didn't take action sooner because it didn't have enough information. Brown came to the private Christian school after he lost his previous job as a wrestling coach at Concrete High School in Skagit County. He was investigated there after reports of an inappropriate relationship with a female student. That student denied she any sexual contact with Brown. She told Skagit County investigators they exchanged text messages, went to dinner together and Brown occasionally gave her a ride home. No charges were filed. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

1. City of Everett, neighbor sued over lost trees, mudslide 2. Three-car accident closes Highway 9 3. Kennedy’s assassination remains a puzzling memory 4. Ways to Give: How you can help in your community 5. Take a look under your seat 6. Novice real estate investors can lose their shirts 7. Kwan never golden, but sometimes transcendant 8. Lotto ticket worth $6.5 million sold in Lake Stevens 9. Canceled credit cards come as a shock for some 10. Count drags on long after the election's over 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Eat local this Thanksgiving • Mavericks moving on • Canada's Great Big Sea rolls into Edmonds • A. Murphy finishes 2nd in volleyball • Art Walk features music, demonstrations • EAT LOCAL: Getting the goods • Lynnwood HS history teacher Vic Bennet dies • Wildcats head to semis • CSO Chamber annual show slated Nov. 23 • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million