Brentwood Academy filed a response to a lawsuit alleging that the school allowed teenage boys to repeatedly sexually assault a 12-year-old, saying no allegations were made against it until plaintiffs filed a lawsuit more than two years later seeking monetary damages.
The school issued a statement Saturday announcing the filing of its legal response to the suit. A Nashville parent identified only as Jane Doe, along with her son John Doe, made the filing in Williamson County Circuit Court. It accuses four eighth-grade students at Brentwood of repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting the sixth-grade student during the 2014-15 academic year.
Brentwood's statement said the lawsuit is apparently "designed to harm the reputation of the school and its employees."
Brentwood police Assistant Chief Tommy Walsh says an investigation opened in April 2015 remains active.
Below is the full statement:
On Friday, Brentwood Academy filed its Answer in the civil lawsuit recently brought against it and several employees. Brentwood Academy denies the allegations in the complaint. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously against these accusations, and we will pursue all relief available to protect all parties involved in this case. We are committed to addressing any allegation of sexual harassment and bullying, and it’s important for you to know that at no time before or during our investigation into misconduct did anyone report that a rape occurred. In fact, no such accusation was ever made to us by the plaintiffs until this lawsuit seeking monetary damages was filed more than two years later.
The facts will show that Brentwood Academy took appropriate actions based on the information available to us. Nothing is more important than the safety and wellbeing of our students and campus community. We are heartbroken for everyone involved in this case.
