LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville mother is suing Jefferson County Public Schools and her son's former principal, Duan Wright, claiming he threatened to kill her then 7-year-old and another second grader in 2019 while pointing a gun at them.

Wright, who has a history of abuse complaints against him, was principal of Harstern Elementary School at the time. Some investigative documents say the gun was a toy, while Wright has denied the incident. 

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Jefferson Circuit Court, claims Wright had a 10-year history of violence that went unaddressed by JCPS, including punching, grabbing and dragging students and threatening both children and teachers with violence.

He was never punished and, in fact, after threatening the two second graders, Wright was promoted, according to the lawsuit, filed on behalf of Kamae Dixon.

A spokeswoman for JCPS declined to comment on the lawsuit.

A different parent filed a lawsuit against Wright in 2022, claiming her son was abused by Wright at Harstern Elementary.

On Sept. 1, 2022, that complaint said the woman's child began, "unconsolably crying in his library class." Wright then, "went to the library, grabbed the child forcibly around the arm, and dragged him by the arm from the library to the office."

The mother then drove herself to the school to get her son, but Wright allegedly told her "no" and "aggressively jabbed his finger into Plaintiff's forehead," according to that lawsuit, which is still pending in Jefferson Circuit Court. 

In the latest lawsuit, Dixon claims her son and another second grader were sent to Wright's office for being disruptive. Wright told the boys they would have to remain in his office for the rest of the day, and then he became angry with them, according to the lawsuit.

"Wright opened his desk drawer and removed a gun," the suit claims. "Wright slammed the gun on the desk in front of the two children and threatened to kill them." He said, "if you don't get it together, I'm going to feed you to the wolves," according to the lawsuit.

Dixon alleges her son immediately became fearful for his life, "believing the threat to be genuine and danger imminent."

Following the incident, the child's behavior changed, and he began to suffer from frequent bedwetting, stomach aches, headaches, and uncharacteristic outbursts at home, according to the lawsuit. He also allegedly suffers from PTSD. 

After the incident was reported, both children and Wright were interviewed by the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Wright denied the allegations and JCPS determined the claim was "unsubstantiated" and "inconclusive."

But in January 2020, Dixon alleges Wright called her and admitted he had threatened her child with a gun, but that it was a "toy gun confiscated from another student," according to the lawsuit.

After the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board began investigating the incident, Wright essentially entered into an agreement, similar to a plea bargain, accepting a two-month suspension of his license and probation.

In the records of the investigation was a letter written by Superintendent Marty Pollio in 2019 acknowledging to the Jefferson County Board of Education that Wright displayed a toy firearm and used inappropriate language to gain student compliance, the suit claims.

"This admission from Dr. (Pollio) is shocking," according to the lawsuit. "Despite admitting that Wright used a gun and inappropriate language, (Pollio) and JCPS did nothing to stop Wright or to protect his current and future victims."

Wright was forced to step down as principal in 2022 after additional incidents. He was relocated to a JCPS administrative office building where Dixon worked and would approach her and ask that she drop the investigation into what happened to her child, according to the suit.

Dixon eventually resigned. Wright was fired in March 2024, four months before he was to be deposed, or questioned under oath, in the other lawsuit.

"Sadly, this long overdue termination was too little, too late," according to the suit. "The damage was already done."

The lawsuit is seeking unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.

A 2022 WDRB investigation revealed JCPS had investigated abuse complaints alleged towards Wright six times between 2009-19.

WDRB's investigation revealed, in documents obtained by the Kentucky Open Records Act, each of JCPS' investigations concluded the allegations were "unsubstantiated" or "inconclusive."

Another document revealed a JCPS performance evaluation from 2020 for Wright "advised Wright to have another adult present during disciplinary issues."

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