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A judge denied several requests by New Hanover County Schools to dismiss allegations, allowing Michael Kelly's victims to proceed with their lawsuit.
A high-profile civil case against New Hanover County Schools is on hold after a slew of rulings by Superior Court Judge Phyllis Gorham on June 29, 2022.
This coming Thursday, Superior Court Judge Phyllis Gorham will review the status of two civil lawsuits against New Hanover County Schools involving the child sexual abuse crimes of former district teachers Michael Earl Kelly and Peter Michael Frank.
Peter Frank's trial for alleged sexual abuse of students will begin May 9. He is charged with 29 sexual abuse counts.
Superior Court Judge Phyllis Gorham still has yet to rule on whether the John Doe 1-14 civil case can proceed against the New Hanover County Board of Education, former teacher Michael Earl Kelly, and former administrators including Rick Holliday and Tim Markley. However, in late March the judge did rule on an ‘Order on Defendant Board’s Rule 35 Motion’ — requesting that Kelly's victims and alleged victims submit to an independent psychological exam.