Lawsuit claims Brunswick school officials ignored sexual assault

A lawsuit alleging negligence of sexual assault and sexual abuse inside a Brunswick County middle school has been filed.

The complaint filed to Brunswick County Superior Court against Brunswick County Schools claims school officials did nothing after a Leland Middle School student physically and sexually assaulted another student multiple times.

According to the complaint filed by Lanier Law Group P.A. Attorney Robert O. Jenkins, the assaults occurred during the 2023-2024 school year, when the victim was just 12 years old at the time. The filing also states both students are special needs, the victim being wheelchair-bound, nonverbal and mentally disabled.

Claims in the case

The victim, who is unnamed and referred to as “Jane Doe” in the case, has been appointed a Guardian ad Litem by Brunswick’s clerk of superior court.

The first assault is believed to have taken place at Leland Middle School during school hours on Sept. 14, 2023, according to the complaint. Allegedly, a fellow student pushed the victim’s wheelchair into a wall and inappropriately touched the victim.

A former teaching assistant is believed to have witnessed the physical and sexual assaults and reported them to the teacher, school behavior support specialist, vice principal and the Brunswick County Schools director of exceptional children and student support services at the time.

Despite the incident allegedly being reported, staff continued to assign the student perpetrator the “job” of pushing the victim’s wheelchair, according to the complaint. It is believed the same student repeated the assault actions on the victim on approximately five more occasions.

The complaint claims teachers and administrators at the school witnessed and received numerous reports of the student perpetrator’s conduct and assaults. However, the conduct went unaddressed and unreported to the victim’s mother.

“Plaintiff’s mother was not informed of the ongoing physical and sexual assaults of plaintiff until Oct. 31, 2023, when another parent of a student at Leland Middle School told her,” the complaint states, noting the teacher confirmed the incidents.

Though the mother informed school and district administrators of the physical and sexual assaults, the complaint states school administration refused to separate the victim from the student perpetrator. The Leland Middle School Student Resource Officer was also informed but no action was taken and no criminal complaint filed.

In response to claims made in the case, Brunswick County Schools Communications Coordinator Ben Strauss said they are unable to comment.

“This is an active litigation matter and it involves confidential student information. Therefore, we are unable to provide further comment at this time,” Strauss said.

Jenkins has not responded to the StarNews’ multiple attempts for comment as of April 15.

Additional violent acts

The student perpetrator had a “well-known violent behavior,” according to the plaintiff’s claims.

“Upon information and belief, a week prior to physically and sexually assaulting on Sept. 14, 2023, the same student assaulted a sixth-grade student at Leland Middle School,” the complaint states.

In October 2023, the student perpetrator is said to have physically assaulted the former teaching assistant by cutting off chunks of their hair.

Relief requested

The victim’s academic performance fell and she has since suffered “severe” mental and emotional injuries as result of the repeated physical and sexual assaults, the complaint states.

“Specifically, the severe emotional distress that continuing to attend Leland Middle School following the assaults [to] plaintiff led her mother to begin homeschooling her,” the complaint states.

The victim was denied her right to a sound basic education as a result of the repeated physical and sexual assaults she endured while under the “purported trust, care and supervision” of the school system.

According to the complaint, the Brunswick County Board of Education was negligent and failed in its constitutional duty and obligation to provide a safe environment and prepare the plaintiff to participate in the society.

No financial amount for relief was specified. Instead, the victim has requested a just amount is to be determined by a jury.

Initial complaint filed and dropped

The complaint against the board of education was originally filed to county court in December 2024. Berman and Jenkins were also involved in the initial filing.

In Brunswick County Schools’ response to the first complaint, the board said claims against the board in tort or negligence are “barred by the doctrine of sovereign and governmental immunity unless waived.” The response also defended that the board’s alleged acts, omissions and conduct did not cause any harm suffered by the victim.

The school district even requested the court dismiss the initial case before a voluntary dismissal without prejudice was submitted May 8, 2025.

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Savanna Tenenoff covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Lawsuit claims Brunswick school officials ignored sexual assault

Reporting by Savanna Tenenoff, Wilmington StarNews / Wilmington StarNews

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