NEW ALBANY — One day after a jury convicted 16-year-old Landon Doty for the repeated rape of a nonverbal classmate, the victim’s family filed a sweeping federal lawsuit against the Jennings County School Corp. and its staff.
The civil complaint, filed in U.S. District Court, seeks $10.5 million in damages, alleging that the school district, bus driver Scott Alcorn, and monitor Tanya Perry failed to protect the 7-year-old boy with autism during 14 documented instances of assault. Wagner Reese LLP of Indianapolis is representing the family.
The lawsuit provides a chilling timeline of events captured on bus surveillance cameras between February and April 2025. According to the filing, Doty was assigned to sit next to the victim in the back of the bus specifically because he had “previously picked on another student” in the front.
- Trapped in Seat: The school reportedly required the 7-year-old to sit in the window seat, effectively trapping him while Doty assaulted him.
- Ignored Pleas for Help: On one occasion, the victim attempted to stand up to get the attention of staff. Instead of investigating, the bus driver allegedly yelled at the child to sit down.
- Negligence: The suit claims the monitor was frequently looking forward or distracted while the assaults occurred, even when the victim was visibly struggling or had his feet against the window in resistance.
A central question in the civil case is why Doty was permitted on the special needs bus at all. Court records indicate that Doty is not a special needs student, yet he was placed in a high-risk environment with a much younger, vulnerable child who lacked the communication skills to self-advocate.
“The school corporation knew or should have known that Student 2 [Doty] posed a danger based on known behavioral problems and the significant age difference,” the complaint states.
The family is seeking $700,000 for each of the 14 instances of assault, totaling $9.8 million, plus an additional $700,000 for the mother’s emotional distress.
Landon Doty was convicted on 12 charges, including four felony counts of rape. His sentencing is scheduled for April 27, 2026.
Both Alcorn and Perry were fired in April 2025 following the initial investigation.
While the criminal conviction has been secured, the civil trial will focus on systemic failures within the school district’s transportation and safety protocols. Jennings County School Corp. has not yet issued a formal response to the federal filing.
