IPS, Former Teacher Face New Lawsuit

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Public Schools and one of their former teachers are facing a new lawsuit relating to the teacher’s “fight club-style” discipline.

The latest lawsuit claims Julious Johnican allowed a 6-year-old special needs student in his care to endure multiple instances of physical abuse and bullying. Attorneys representing the student argue Johnican and other IPS staff allowed the abuse to go on for months, even after the parents of the student made attempts to better protect the student.

According to the lawsuit, the child required surgery after being seriously injured after being shoved off a set of monkey bars in September 2023. The lawsuit also states that school staff failed to contact emergency personnel or inform the child’s family of the injury.

The child was eventually taken out of the school district last year after the family said the student was stabbed in the hand with a pencil.

A previous lawsuit was settled in April with IPS agreeing to pay out a $1,208,500 settlement. Attorney Catherine Michael represented the victim in the previous lawsuit, as well as the 6-year-old and her family.

“The harm suffered was not random,” said Michael. “It is the foreseeable consequence when there is a school culture that ignores repeated warnings, dismisses concerns raised by families, and allows a dangerous environment to persist.”

The most recent lawsuit also claims that the bullying within IPS involved substitute teachers and other staff. Johnican was removed from his role with IPS in November 2022.

IPS gave the following statement in response to the lawsuit:

“Indianapolis Public Schools strongly disagrees with the claims put forward in this lawsuit. The safety and security of our students and staff has been and will continue to be our top priority. Because this is an active lawsuit, we will not comment further.”