Russell Kert Robinson, hired just months ago as Mukilteo School District's director of athletics and safety, was arrested on Oct. 29 and now faces third-degree child rape and child molestation charges stemming from allegations dating back to 2013, when he coached wrestling at Squalicum High School in Bellingham. Robinson was taken into custody at the Mukilteo School District office where he worked, and the district placed him on administrative leave immediately after.
According to The Bellingham Herald, the allegations involve a former student who was a freshman wrestler at Squalicum High School when Robinson was the team's head coach. Court documents cited by My Bellingham Now place the alleged incident in April 2013, describing the student as a freshman on the wrestling team at the time. Mukilteo School District confirmed it was notified of the arrest on Oct. 29, stating that district officials learned employee Russ Robinson had been arrested and charged with crimes against a minor, now an adult, in Whatcom County.
Per the Mukilteo district's statement, Robinson began working as director of athletics and safety on June 22, and he had completed required state and national FBI background checks on June 10 as part of the hiring process. The district said that, based on the information it had, the allegations do not involve a Mukilteo School District student, and that it is evaluating further employment action as additional information becomes available.
What the Court Records Allege
Court records described by the Bellingham Herald accuse Robinson of sexually assaulting the student after inviting him to watch a movie while Robinson was house-sitting. The same records reportedly describe a second episode: Robinson allegedly attempted to make sexual advances toward the teen during a wrestling tournament trip to Oregon, shortly after the teen had graduated. Robinson pleaded not guilty to third-degree child rape and third-degree child molestation, the Bellingham Herald reported.
A commissioner set Robinson's bond at $100,000, and he posted it, according to the same report. As conditions of his release, Robinson was ordered to surrender his firearms and to avoid contacting the alleged victim or approaching minor children. My Bellingham Now reported that Robinson is expected back in Whatcom County Superior Court on Nov. 17, ahead of a jury trial currently scheduled for Dec. 28.
Bellingham Schools' Response and Robinson's Long Tenure
Bellingham Public Schools said it received a report from the former student on Oct. 8 alleging the 2013 sexual assault involving Robinson, and that it immediately reported the matter to Bellingham Police and worked with investigators during the inquiry, according to the district's statement. The district said that before this report, it had not received any complaints about Robinson regarding sexual assault or misconduct.
Bellingham Public Schools laid out Robinson's long history within the district: he coached wrestling and football there between 2000 and 2024, worked as a campus monitor from 2009 to 2021, took on districtwide health and safety responsibilities in 2021, and was named director of safety and security in 2024. He left the district in June 2026 to take the Mukilteo position, according to the statement.
The Statute Behind the Charges
Under RCW 9A.44.079, Washington's third-degree rape of a child statute applies when a person has sexual intercourse with someone at least 14 but younger than 16, provided the offender is at least 48 months older than the victim. The statute describes the legal elements prosecutors must prove and does not by itself establish whether the allegations against Robinson are true; he has pleaded not guilty, and the case remains pending in Whatcom County Superior Court.
