Two former Syracuse High School students have filed a federal lawsuit against the Davis School District and former principal Jed Johansen, alleging that school officials failed to properly address online harassment involving nude and doctored images of them during the 2023-2024 school year. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court, claims the district's response violated federal anti-discrimination law by allowing predatory behavior to continue.
The young women, identified by pseudonyms Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 in court documents, assert that boys at Syracuse High School used a private Snapchat group, named “Demon Time,” to share nude images of girls. They further allege that a public Instagram account, “Syracuse Barstool,” was used to post “sexually degrading, threatening, and dehumanizing content targeting female students by name.” The lawsuit names several former classmates responsible for circulating these images and the alleged harassment.
According to the former students, they reported the incidents to school administrators. However, they allege that officials did little more than instruct the boys to delete their social media accounts. The lawsuit states that the district failed “to discipline any perpetrator at any point during the entire period of the harassment.”
The plaintiffs contend that school administrators initially routed their reports to the principal instead of directing them through the proper channel: the school district’s Title IX investigator. This investigator is tasked with reviewing allegations of sex-based discrimination and harassment. The lawsuit further alleges that months later, when Jane Doe 1’s parents sought answers from the principal, he made statements about not wanting to “ruin these boys’ lives” and their ability to participate in religious missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
While the young women say the school district eventually investigated a complaint they made to its equal opportunity office, that complaint was dismissed. The dismissal was based in part on the district’s conclusion that the conduct occurred online and therefore outside of its jurisdiction. Attorneys for the former students dispute this, arguing that the boys also harassed them at school.
The former students report significant negative impacts from the alleged harassment. They state that their grades and attendance dropped, their mental health suffered, and they experienced suicidal ideation or thoughts of self-harm during the 2023-2024 school year.
In response to the lawsuit, the Davis School District provided a statement to Utah News Dispatch, asserting that it “strongly and unequivocally rejects the allegations against district staff and employees and the characterization of their conduct.” The district added that the legal process would allow for a fair and full evaluation of evidence that materially differs from the narrative presented in the lawsuit. Citing student privacy requirements, the district stated it is limited in the information it can disclose publicly. The district emphasized that “Protecting students remains our highest responsibility” and is foundational to its mission of student success. It added that even allegations it strongly disputes would not distract it from that purpose.
Former Syracuse High School principal Jed Johansen, who is named as a defendant, did not answer a call or text message at a publicly listed phone number.
The former students are seeking damages to be determined at trial. They also seek a finding that the school district violated Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education, as well as the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection. They are asking a judge to order the Davis School District to implement new policies and training programs to prevent future violations. This case comes amid broader scrutiny on the obligations of schools and universities in responding to student harassment and sexual assault, with a recent lawsuit against Cornell University in New York drawing national attention to similar issues.
