The Grayson County Board of Education, Grayson County Schools Superintendent Doug Robinson, and Grayson County High School Principal Todd Johnston have been sued in Grayson Circuit Court for a lack of action regarding a sexual relationship between a 17-year-old female student and former Grayson County High School teacher and head baseball coach Gavin Logsdon, who is also a defendant in the suit.
The suit, originally filed in November 2017 by the alleged victim’s parents, and amended earlier this month to include the victim, who is no longer a juvenile, claims Robinson and Johnston knew of the relationship between Logsdon and the female juvenile and took no action to halt the relationship, and or report the illegal relationship to law enforcement.
The then 30-year-old Logsdon was arrested on November 22, 2016 and charged by Kentucky State Police with third-degree rape (aka statutory rape) because of his sexual relationship with the juvenile student. Logsdon admitted to the sexual relationship while being questioned by Kentucky State Police Detective Bryan Washer.
The lawsuit, which seeks a jury trial and compensatory and punitive damages, claims that, “(Victim’s name redacted) was a 17-year-old student at Grayson County High School, as well as in the spring 2016, when Grayson County High School teacher Gavin Logsdon began pursuing the minor plaintiff to have a sexual relationship with him. Defendant Logsdon and the minor plaintiff had a sexual relationship throughout the summer of 2016. When rumors of his illegal relationship spread throughout the school system and local community – and after defendant Logsdon was seen alone with the minor plaintiff – defendant Todd Johnston, the principal at Grayson County High School, privately approached defendant Logsdon to inform him that Johnston had heard of Logsdon’s relationship with the girl and warned him to ‘be careful.’”
The lawsuit claims that Johnston took “no other action at this time to address defendant Logsdon’s illegal behavior with a minor.”
The plaintiff’s claim in the suit that Logsdon continued his relationship with the minor, with “… rumors of the relationship continuing and more sightings of Logsdon and the minor plaintiff alone together during the summer of 2016.”
This, according to the suit, led Johnston to again approach Logsdon and tell him “not only about the rumors of the relationship, but that Johnston was receiving reports that Logsdon and minor plaintiff were seen behind a specific elementary school in Grayson County.”
The suit then claims that Johnston “failed to take statutorily required action to alert law enforcement. Rather, defendant Johnston again warned Logsdon not to get caught in a relationship with a student, and then, Johnston allowed this girl to transfer into Logsdon’s class, thereby allowing Logsdon and the young woman more time together.”
During a preliminary hearing in December 2016 after Logsdon’s arrest, KSP Det. Washer “testified that Johnston had said the minor plaintiff was removed from Logsdon’s class because of ‘suspicions.’”
The lawsuit then states that Robinson “knew of the concerns regarding the illicit relationship between the minor plaintiff and defendant Logsdon at least during the summer and fall of 2016. In August 2016, defendant Robinson also approached defendant Logsdon to discuss the rumors and reports regarding Logsdon’s relationship with the young woman, including reports of the two being seen alone together. Defendant Robinson merely warned defendant Logsdon to ‘be careful’ regarding the relationship to avoid any potential criminal trouble as it was clear this was an inappropriate relationship.”
Because of this, the lawsuit says that Robinson “failed to follow his statutory requirement to contact law enforcement … and thereby is alleged to have fostered the illegal relationship … ”
In answering the allegations that Johnston and Robinson only warned Logsdon to “be careful” after hearing rumors of the illegal relationship, the defendant’s response in the lawsuit states that, “ … upon hearing a report of Logsdon and (the then minor plaintiff) being seen together in a parking lot, both defendants Johnston and Robinson questioned Logsdon about the report. Logsdon stated that he and (the then minor plaintiff) only met briefly in the Kentucky National Guard parking lot near Grayson County High School immediately after a baseball game because (the then minor plaintiff), who was a baseball team student manager, had forgotten to give Logsdon his staff book and ear buds before leaving the game. Logsdon told Johnston and Robinson that he and (the then minor plaintiff) merely pulled into the parking lot so that (the then minor plaintiff) could quickly return these items to Logsdon. Logsdon vehemently denied any impropriety with (the then minor plaintiff) or other students.”
The lawsuit continues its claims by stating that after Logsdon’s arrest, “Johnston contacted the plaintiffs … and recommended the minor plaintiff either leave school for the remainder of the semester or enroll in the Homebound Program. Defendant Johnston commented to the plaintiffs that this was necessary because of how dearly persons at the school ‘loved’ Logsdon.”
The lawsuit additionally states that, “After defendant Logsdon’s confession and arrest, the minor plaintiff was ridiculed and subjected to repeated harassment at the school, with the knowledge and indifference of school officials, to the point that the minor plaintiff had to leave school and enroll in the Homebound Program. School officials further acted to harass the minor plaintiff with indifference to vandalism committed on school property to the minor plaintiff’s ‘senior block.’”
Grayson County Schools has issued a statement regarding the allegations contained in the lawsuit:
We have been asked to comment regarding the allegations in the lawsuit filed by the parents of (alleged victim’s name redacted) against the Grayson County Board of Education, Todd Johnston, Doug Robinson, and Gavin Logsdon presently pending in the Grayson Circuit Court.
As soon as this matter came to the attention of school district officials, Mr. Logsdon was suspended pending an investigation. He resigned six days later. Based on our investigation, the administration did everything reasonably possible to protect students in the district.
The school district considers the safety of our students to be our highest priority and will continue to take any steps necessary to protect our students.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
