Mom of killed student files wrongful death suit against Montgomery County Public Schools

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The mother of an 11th-grader who was killed in 2022 filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Montgomery County Public Schools on Wednesday, arguing the school system failed to protect her son from bullying.

Alexis Jones-McDaniel, the mother of Jailyn Jones, sued MCPS, the Montgomery County Board of Education and the county itself in federal court.

“Not only did Northwest High School fail to protect Jailyn Lawrence Jones in any way, MCPS made informed decisions and took steps which actively increased the danger to and created new dangers Jailyn could not abate,” the complaint states.

“As a result of MCPS’s conduct, Jailyn Lawrence Jones was bludgeoned to death by fellow students on or about January 24, 2022. MCPS could have prevented this tragedy.”

A spokesperson for MCPS did not respond to a request for comment.

Jones had physical and emotional disabilities, PTSD, ADHD and severe anxiety, causing him to be placed on behavioral improvement plans and individualized education programs. According to the complaint, he was bullied at Clarksburg High School, and was beaten and robbed by classmates; on one occasion, the complaint states, he suffered a torn retina.

In early 2020, he took a gun to school and was suspended for 10 days. He was later expelled. His mother wanted him to attend virtual school because she believed it would allow him to improve his behavioral issues and perform better academically, but an MCPS official allegedly threatened truancy charges if he did not attend Northwest High School in person, the complaint says.

At the new school, the complaint states, Jones “was placed in classes with the same students by whom he had been bullied and had conflict at Clarksburg High School.”

After another conflict, Jones was suspended in January 2022. He was found a few days later near a creek two miles from Northwest High School. One of Jones’s classmates was charged with murdering him, but a jury found him not guilty last year, the complaint states. His records are sealed because he was a minor, even though he was tried as an adult, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office confirmed.

Tonya Sweat, Jones-McDaniel’s lawyer, said other students “saw him as the weak one, so they picked on him.” She said he had trouble self-regulating when provoked, and was therefore often disciplined.

“Jailyn was treated like an aggressor instead of being treated like a victim,” Sweat, a Prince George’s County-based attorney who ran in the Democratic primary for county executive in 2022, said in an interview.

The complaint brings nine counts against the defendants, including wrongful death, negligence and violations of their federal and state civil rights. Jones-McDaniel is seeking monetary relief and a jury trial.

The complaint also names unspecified “Jane/John Does” as defendants. Sweat said that was included so that she could bring claims against Jones’s bullies or school personnel if they collect evidence in the discovery process that indicates liability.