Family sues southern Indiana school district after teen found guilty of raping 7-year-old on bus

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The family of a 7-year-old who was raped by a southern Indiana teenager on a school bus is now suing the bus driver, monitor and the school district.

Landon Doty, 16, of North Vernon, was found guilty Wednesday of raping an autistic, non-verbal 7-year-old student on a Jennings County school bus over the course of several weeks in April 2025.

A jury found Doty — who was tried as an adult in the case — guilty on charges of rape, attempted rape, child molesting, attempted child molesting, sexual battery, attempted sexual battery, criminal confinement and public indecency.

Jennings County school bus video reportedly captured several of the incidents. Records show a school bus monitor noticed Doty pushing the 7-year-old off his lap the morning of April 17, 2025. The monitor had the bus driver stop and confront Doty. The two were separated, and the monitor requested a review of the bus surveillance video.

The behavior allegedly occurred repeatedly over several weeks, according to court documents.

During Doty's two-day trial, the jury exclusively watched the surveillance video as the public and media were asked to step out of the courtroom.

The family of the 7-year-old said he was left with permanent injuries.

According to court documents filed Thursday, a federal lawsuit alleges the incident was preventable and "a result of a complete failure to properly supervise and protect a vulnerable, non-verbal child who depended entirely on the adults charged with his care."

"While the verdict brings accountability to the assailant, it does not address how these brutal assaults were allowed to occur repeatedly — not just on April 16, 2025, but on at least 13 prior occasions — while the child was entrusted to the care of the school and the employees," lawyers for the 7-year-old's family said in a statement.

The family is asking for $10.5 million in damages.

"The family of the victim expresses deep relief following the jury's verdict and extends sincere appreciation to the prosecutor and jurors for their time, attention and commitment to justice," the lawyers' statement continued. "While no verdict can undo the profound harm to the victim, the family believes that some measure of justice was served, at least when it comes to accountability on the part of the assailant."

The family previously filed a tort claim during the initial investigation, alleging the Jennings County School Corporation acted with gross negligence, violated the child's civil rights and caused permanent harm, FOX59 News reported.

A long-time court officer is quoted in the Probable Cause Affidavit as saying Doty's alleged actions are considered so heinous that he is beyond rehabilitation under the juvenile justice system. That officer described Doty "as a predator" who knew what he was doing was wrong, according to previous WDRB reporting.

Doty's attorneys previously tried to get the case thrown out, claiming neither the bus monitor nor the bus driver saw any sexual acts happening. His attorneys argued video tapes from the school bus don't show the acts happening either. When Doty's legal team deposed the bus driver and bus monitor last September, they both testified they "saw nothing alarming" and that the alleged victim "was not acting 'funny' nor upset after the alleged acts."

Doty's attorneys accused the state of resting its case primarily on April 16 video tapes from the bus and the evidence is circumstantial, as the bus driver didn't see anything first hand and Doty's DNA wasn't found on the child.

On Wednesday, the prosecution rested its case a little before 11:30 a.m. Then, the defense called its only witness, Doty.

Doty testified on the stand he didn't touch the 7-year-old sexually but was using "calming techniques," like rubbing the child's hair while the child's head was in Doty's lap and bouncing the child on his knee. Doty said he and the child were "messing around" on the school bus, which was why there were separated.

"I was bouncing him on my knee like a kid," Doty testified.

Doty said this didn't happen often and he just wanted to calm the child down. Doty also testified he and the 7-year-old had been riding the bus together since December 2024.

"Sometimes, when I got on the bus, (the child) would lean out the seat and smile at me and say hello," Doty said in court.

The jury never heard from the 7-year-old, but the prosecution argued the bus video "speaks for itself."

"Landon’s conduct as you saw in the video was calculated, deliberate and intentional," Jennings County Prosecutor Brian Belding said.

Doty's Grandmother, Ethel Doty, was in disbelief about her grandson's verdict. She felt the video shown to the jury didn't represent what Doty was found guilty of doing. She said her grandson viewed himself as a caretaker to the 7-year-old.

"He was taking care of the kid," Ethel Doty said. "He would try to make him happy."

A sentencing hearing for Doty is scheduled for April 27 at 1:30 p.m. His grandmother said she plans to appeal the verdict.