May 11, 2015 | by Krista Brick

Sexual Abuse Victim Suing MCPS for Negligence

In a civil suit filed last month in Montgomery County Court, Towson Attorney Joseph Williams, on behalf of the New Hampshire Estates Elementary School student and her family, named the former teacher, Lawrence Joynes and the Montgomery County School Board in the suit.

The suit claims the school system did not react appropriately or acted with deliberate indifference to Joynes’ abuse and ignored allegations of sexual abuse violating the student’s constitutional right to education. The damages requests are in excess of $75,000 for each occurrence, according to the suit. The definition of occurrence is unclear.

“More importantly [the family] would like to have this activity prevented in the future,” Williams told MyMCMedia. “They understand if this has happened to the extent it appears there is very little or no effort being made by the Montgomery County Board of Education to anticipate and prevent this kind of activity by teachers.”

Joynes pleaded guilty on Monday to abusing 14 different victims. A spokesman from MCPS could not immediately be reached for comment.

Williams is only representing one of Joynes’ victims.

“[The school board] did not monitor the situation,” Williams said. “They allowed a teacher to take children alone lock the door and spend time with them. To me it absolutely should not have happened.”

Williams said he is not sure how the child is doing, but said she is getting “care.”

The suit includes two counts against Joynes. The first count, intentional acts, claims Joynes took her into his classroom, closed and locked the door and engaged in more than one pornographic, unlawful, sexual act. The second count alleges intentional infliction of emotional distress. Each of those accounts has damage requests in excess of $75,000 per occurrence.

Williams said the funds awarded if the suit is successful would help the pay for psychological, social and any other treatment she may require.

“Those things involve money,” Williams said.

A date has not yet been set in this civil case.

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