GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — The parents of an alleged victim of a former Gwinnett County band director charged with rape is now suing the district.
The student's parents allege the district was negligent and should have known about the educator's history.
In 2017, authorities arrested 42-year-old Villie Jones Sr. on four charges of sexual assault, after a student came forward saying she had been sexually assaulted by Jones multiple times. He resigned from his job at South Gwinnett High School.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court last week, names the Gwinnett County school district and several other administrators.
The family, whom 11Alive is not naming as it would identify the alleged victim, is being represented by Melvin Hewitt.
According to the lawsuit, the district was negligent when they hired Jones. The suit claims prior to his employment with the district as a band director at South Gwinnett High School, he had impregnated a sophomore student in North Carolina where he had been employed in a similar position.
11Alive reached out to the Gwinnett County school system for a response, asking whether they knew about Jones' previous history, but they declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation. However, they did say Jones passed a background check.
So why didn't parents know about Jones' previous history?
According to the state Department of Education, parents are only allowed to know the teacher's qualifications and their education. But there is no mention about the teacher's personal or work history, or any run-ins they've had with the law.
