ATLANTA — A Georgia appeals court ruled that a lawsuit filed by Kendrick Johnson’s family should be reviewed again after a judge dismissed it.
In January 2013, Johnson was found dead in a rolled-up wrestling mat at Lowndes County High School. Investigators ruled his death an accident. Johnson’s family has maintained the belief that he was killed.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office reopened the case in 2021 after the Johnson family said they had new evidence to bring forward. The sheriff’s office investigation concluded again that the wrestler’s death was an accident.
Jacquelyn and Kenneth Johnson filed a lawsuit in 2023 alleging a “conspiracy to violate their civil rights,” saying public records were kept from them.
The Johnsons filed two amended complaints, one of which was dismissed by U.S. District Court Judge Leigh Martin May. The family asked the judge to recuse herself from the case for bias, but the request was denied.
In a ruling issued on Feb. 21, the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit stated that May was in the right to not recuse herself. However, the three-judge panel also ruled that the amended complaint should not have been dismissed.
The lawsuit will now go back to the lower court.
RELATED STORIES:
- Family of Kendrick Johnson suing GBI, Lowndes County Sheriff
- Family of Kendrick Johnson continues to seek answers to questions that surround his death
- Sheriff says case closed after his investigation finds Kendrick Johnson’s death was no crime
- Chief medical examiner stands by accidental death ruling in Kendrick Johnson case
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
