Lawsuit Claims Sexual Discrimination in Bibb Schools’ Handling of Rape Case

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Northeast High School student who claimed she was raped by 7 boys, and then recanted the allegations, is filing a lawsuit against the Bibb County School District for the way they handled the situation, citing sexual discrimination.

The girl–who was a special needs student at the school–and her mother, both referred to in the suit as Jane Doe I and Jane Doe II, filed the suit in the U.S. District Court of Middle Georgia. Court documents say the girl suffers from schizophrenia, anxiety, and “intellectual delay.” It says at the time of the alleged sexual encounter at Northeast High School on January 19th, 2012, she was 16, but her mental age was 9.

The document also says a teacher at Northeast named Oslynn Brown allowed Jane Doe II to leave the classroom with a male student who claimed another teacher needed her for something. It goes on to say that male student led her to a boys bathroom, where he and “at least five (5) other males brutally raped and sodomized Jane Doe II.”

The suit alleges that the boys involved were members of a gang known as “MOB” and acronym for “Money Over B*tches.”

The School District’s Individual Education Program Team investigated the incident, and determined the charges against the girl were complied with federal law. The suit says as a result of the incident, Jane Doe has been “denied equal access to the School District’s resources and opportunities” and is “now being educated at her home.”

The IEP did determine, however, that the sexual conduct in the boys bathroom at Northeast was directly related to Jane Doe II’s disability.

Bibb County Schools attempted to expel Jane Doe II, according to the lawsuit, because she “engaged in/or had knowledge of sexual misconduct on campus.” The boys involved, the lawsuit claims, were not disciplined at all. The suit claims that Jane Doe II was excluded from school on the basis of sex, a violation of Title IX. It seeks damages, including compensation for medical bills and other expenses.

The boys involved were initially arrested, but the charges were dropped once the girl admitted to lying about it. She was charged with as a juvenile with false report of a crime and false statements to law enforcement. Investigators determined that there was in fact a sexual encounter on January 19th, but not in the way Jane Doe II described. They would not, at that time, elaborate on what they called “inconsistencies” in the girl’s story.

41NBC reached out to the Bibb County School District for comment. Spokesperson Donald Porter writes “It is the long-standing policy of the Bibb County School District to refrain from publicly commenting on pending litigation. The District reaffirms its commitment to doing everything within its power to keep our schools safe places for learning.”

To read the official court documents, click here.