Marin school district chief arrested in child molestation probe
The superintendent of the Shoreline Unified School District, a 40-year education veteran in Marin and Sonoma counties, has been arrested on suspicion of child molestation.
Robert Patrick Raines, 67, was booked into Marin County Jail on a count of lewd and lascivious acts against a child younger than 14.
His bail amount was $50,000.
Raines, who is just weeks away from his retirement, was released on bail pending a review by the district attorney’s office.
The investigation started on June 1 after the school district learned of the alleged conduct and reported it to authorities.
“The health, safety and well-being of all of our students is our most important priority,” said Mary Jane Burke, the Marin County superintendent of schools. “It is the mandate of all schools to follow all relevant laws with regard to any allegations of child abuse. The district took swift and immediate action notifying the Marin County Sheriff’s Office and placed Mr. Raines on leave.”
Sheriff’s detectives took Raines into custody at his residence on Sonoma Avenue in Petaluma. The sheriff’s department said it would not release more information about the case, and did not say whether the alleged victim is a student in the district.
Julie Cassel, president of the Shoreline Education Association, the teachers’ union, said, “We do not take these matters lightly.”
https://www.marinij.com/2021/06/08/marin-school-district-chief-arrested-in-child-molestation-probe/