A United States judge has thrown out a $1 billion lawsuit filed by the family of Kendrick Johnson, a Black teenager whose death inside a high school gym more than a decade ago still raises many questions.
Kendrick Johnson was 17 years old when his body was discovered in January 2013 at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia. He was found head-down inside a rolled gym mat in the school’s gymnasium.
Investigators at the time ruled his death an accident. They said the teenager likely got stuck while trying to reach for a pair of shoes kept inside the mat and died after he could not breathe.
But Kendrick’s family has never accepted that explanation. For years they have argued that their son was killed and that officials failed to properly investigate the case.
The family later filed a lawsuit seeking $1 billion in damages from several agencies and organizations. The case accused law enforcement bodies, including the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and local officials, of hiding the truth about how the teenager died.
Part of the legal argument focused on video from cameras inside the school. A video expert hired by the family claimed that parts of the footage looked altered and that some clips appeared to be missing.
However, the court ruled that the lawsuit came too late. The judge said the family waited almost ten years after the video became public before filing the case. Under the law, such claims usually must be filed within two years.
Because of this, the judge said the claims could not continue in court.
The ruling also removed several defendants from the case. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was protected by sovereign immunity, Lowndes County was not properly served legal papers, and two media companies were dismissed based on legal procedures.
Questions about the early investigation were also raised during the legal fight. The local coroner previously said police did not cooperate well and that Kendrick’s body had already been moved and opened before he was able to examine it.
A sheriff’s report later said the opening of the gym mat was smaller than the teen’s shoulders, which officials said supported the accident theory.
But independent autopsies requested by the family suggested blunt force injuries. Recently found photographs were also said to show what might be a fracture in Kendrick’s skull.
Even though the lawsuit has been dismissed, the Johnson family says the fight is not over. They have already filed an appeal and plan to keep pushing for answers.
Kendrick’s father, Kenneth Johnson, warned people connected to the case in a strong message. He said, “Anyone, regardless of who you are, what position of power and influence you may hold, if you choose to join the murder cover-up scandal of my son Kendrick, you do so at your own peril.”
By: Paisley Rae Thompson