Lawsuit Alleges Asheville Christian Academy Failed to Stop Bullying and Hazing of 13-Year-Old Boy

A lawsuit filed Sept. 9 in Buncombe County Superior Court alleges that Asheville Christian Academy, a private Christian school, failed to stop other students from bullying and hazing a 13-year-old boy. The boy, who is identified in the filing only as “John Doe,” started at the school in August 2023, when he was 11. The lawsuit’s claims have not been proven in court.

The lawsuit alleges that students subjected the boy to repeated sexually abusive and exploitative hazing after gym class, and that he came home with torn clothing and missing shoes. It also alleges that other students created AI-generated, sexually explicit images and videos of him and circulated them among the student body. According to the filing, the boy’s medical condition left him too weak to respond when he was targeted after gym class, and some students allegedly took his emergency medication away from him. The lawsuit further alleges that one student contacted a man described as a convicted pedophile in an attempt to set up a relationship in the boy’s name, and sent that man the boy’s home address.

The lawsuit states that administrators did nothing to discipline the students involved after learning of the behavior. It also alleges that the school tried to minimize and cover up the abuse, and that staff told the boy’s mother that “boys will be boys.” The suit accuses the academy of negligence and seeks an unspecified amount of damages. These are allegations from the complaint, not findings by a court.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Oct. 27, Asheville Christian Academy said it was aware of the civil complaint and denied the claims. “Based upon our investigation, we believe the claims are without merit and we intend to defend ourselves vigorously through the legal process,” the statement read. The school said it would not comment further “out of respect for the students and families involved.”

Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Matt Marshall told the Citizen Times on Oct. 27 that the office had received a report of hazing at the academy. He said that report did not concern AI-generated sexually explicit images. Marshall said an investigation into possible hazing at the school is ongoing.

Attorney Bobby Jenkins, who represents the plaintiff, told the Citizen Times on Oct. 27 that most of his office’s litigation involves people who have been sexually abused or exploited. He said the child described in the lawsuit no longer attends the academy. “In my view, this is not a ‘boys will be boys’ situation. This is much more serious than that,” Jenkins said. He added that his office would like to hear from anyone who might be a witness with information related to the complaint’s allegations.

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