A federal civil lawsuit filed against the Appling County School District could soon head to trial. Following a motion for summary judgment, Federal Southern District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood wrote that the motion for summary judgment was denied based on the plaintiffsâ Title IX case against the school district. Wood issued the judgment on March 31.
This lawsuit was filed in 2018 against the school system and other parties by two former students who were victims of former Appling County High School teacher Michael Glenn Waters. Students came forward in 2015 with allegations that Waters had committed several acts of sexual misconduct against them. Waters was arrested and the former teacher was convicted of five counts of child molestation and one count of sexual exploitation of children. He later pled guilty to the charges, was sentenced and is currently serving 25-year sentence for the charges.