Blaine school board candidate arrested on suspicion of child rape

A candidate for Blaine school board has been booked into Whatcom County Jail on suspicion of child rape, assault and possession of a controlled substance.

Tana Perkins Reneau, 51, was arrested on June 2 on suspicion of child rape in the first, second and third degrees; four counts of assault of a child in the second degree; and possession of a controlled substance, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) spokesperson Deb Slater wrote in an email to The Northern Light.

Slater wrote that Child Protective Services reported the child abuse to WCSO on May 19. WCSO deputies found a vial of prescription pills that weren’t prescribed to her when she was arrested, Slater said. The pills were a Schedule V controlled substance, which the National Institutes of Health classifies as the least likely controlled substances to be abused.

Washington state law defines first-degree child rape as occurring when an adult has sexual intercourse with a child under 12 years old; second-degree child rape is when an adult has intercourse with a child who is between 12 and 14 years old; and third-degree child rape is when an adult has intercourse with a child who is between 14 and 16 years old. In Washington, second-degree child assault is when an adult assaults a child under 13 years old by intentionally causing substantial bodily harm.

As of June 5, Whatcom County Jail records show Reneau was being held on $500,000 bail. Her preliminary appearance in court was scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday, June 5.

Reneau filed to run against two other candidates in the August primary for the Blaine school board district 2 seat that represents east Blaine and south of downtown. She also ran for Blaine school board in 2019 but lost.

Reneau has been suspended without pay from her position as director of Lions Camp Horizon in Birch Bay and an interim camp director has been appointed.

“[Reneau] has been suspended without pay pending resolution of these matters in a court of law and has no engagement in camp matters during her suspension,” wrote Camp Horizon Foundation president Don Webster in an email.

In May 2021, Reneau founded the Better Buttermint Co., which employs people with developmental disabilities to make buttermints that are sold locally.

Reneau has worked at North Whatcom Young Life, a religious organization for students, according to previous reporting from The Northern Light. She worked as a principal in Kennewick before she moved to Blaine.

If you or someone you know is affected by domestic or sexual violence, the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services (DVSAS) 24-hour hotline is available at 360/715-1563 or 877/715-1563.

Brigid Collins Family Support Center, a Bellingham-based nonprofit working to end child abuse, can be reached at 360/734-4616 and brigidcollins.org.

Lummi Victims of Crime has a 24-hour helpline at 360/312-2015. The National Domestic Violence Helpline operates a chat line at thehotline.org/help.