Mom claims Northwest High School ignored bullying before teen’s death: lawsuit
GERMANTOWN, Md. - The mother of a Northwest High School student has filed a lawsuit against the school district alleging the school system failed to protect her son, whose body was found in early 2022.
Jailyn Jones, 17, was a junior at Northwest High School at the time of his death in January 2022. Jones endured bullying from classmates, which eventually led to a deadly assault that his mother, Alexis Jones McDaniel, said could have been prevented.
Jones’ body was found with multiple stab wounds in January 2022, days after he was reported missing.
He was found in a shallow creek in Germantown.
Featured
Northwest High School student reported missing, found dead
A 17-year-old Northwest High School student, who was reported missing, was found dead Monday.
Attorney Tonya Sweat is representing his mother.
"She is struggling tremendously. When I say struggling, I mean in every way you can think of. Right before losing Jailyn, she lost her grandmother and godson. Since losing Jailyn, she lost her father. She just recently lost her only brother," Sweat said Friday. "Unfortunately, Ms. Jones McDaniel … the only way I know how to say it … is going through hell."
The lawsuit filed this week said Jones was repeatedly bullied, and the school did little to resolve the matter.
According to Sweat, Jones’ entire academic career with MCPS included an Individualized Education Plan and Behavioral Improvement Plan.
"In simple terms, Jailin was a special education student. MCPS was well aware of his issues. He was diagnosed with ADHD," she said. "There were plans on how to ensure Jailen under federal law got a free, appropriate public education.
None of that was followed. The system failed him completely. Jailyn also had medical issues and while he was larger in size, the children … I think…picked up on the fact because of his medical issues, he was not the aggressive young boy people are accustomed to seeing."
Days before his body was found, the lawsuit said Jones was involved in an altercation with some classmates after he "attempted to retrieve his personal electronic device". As a result, he was suspended for two days.
"You ask, what does the school system have to do with that? They suspended him without having an IEP meeting. Federal law clearly says a special education child cannot be suspended from school without a meeting of the parents and the educational team responsible for the IEP. That didn’t happen," Sweat said.
Months after Jones’ body was found, a fellow Northwest High School classmate was arrested for murder. Sweat said that the suspect, who was 17 years old at the time, was acquitted of the murder charge.
"I have explained to her [Jones’ mother] that unfortunately, when you can’t get justice through the criminal courts, the only justice you can get through the civil courts is money," she said. "Money is not going to bring Jailyn back. Money is not going to heal her broken heart. Money is not going to help his older sister from the trauma of losing her brother, but unfortunately, in the American system, that’s the only justice we can get her at this point."
A spokesperson for MCPS said because the lawsuit is pending litigation, a comment could not be shared at the time.