Schools, Former Principal Sued – Parents Say Sexual Assault Was Not Handled Properly

Published 12:00 am Monday, September 16, 2013

Enterprise Record

The Davie County Board of Education and a former principal are being sued by the parents of a child allegedly the victim of a violent sexual assault on school property almost three years ago.
According to a civil lawsuit filed last week by the child’s guardian ad litem, Daniel J. Umlauf, and the child’s mother, the child, who was not identified by name or gender but by the initial J., was left unsupervised in a bathroom at William Ellis Middle School Sept. 14, 2010 and was the victim of an assault by another student.
Both students were identified as being in a special needs class. The alleged victim is autistic and has “difficulty with basic skills, communication and social interaction. Due to that, Minor Plaintiff (J.) has difficulty trusting people, including teachers, doctors, and evena other classmates. As such, Minor Plaintiff requires close supervision at all times,” according to the lawsuit.
The assailant, identified as John Doe, was 14 at the time, and, according to the document, “had been identified or diagnosed with behavioral problems, in …