Teen Suing Idaho School District for Civil Rights Violations Adds High-Powered Attorneys to Legal Team

HOUSTON, April 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lanier Law Firm has been named co-lead counsel of the trial team representing a mentally challenged student who was the alleged victim of sexual abuse, racial taunting, and physical violence by fellow football players at an Idaho high school.

The federal lawsuit, filed last year, claims that the individually named school board trustees, administrators, teachers and coaches of the Dietrich School District chose to ignore the ongoing physical and mental abuse being suffered by Antwon McDaniel, effectively depriving him of his constitutional rights. The racially-motivated violence inflicted on the now 19-year-old Mr. McDaniel, who is black, included anal rape with a coat hanger by several white football players in 2015.

Earlier this year three of the players who had been criminally charged in that case were granted probation by Judge Randy Stoker, and those plea bargains are now the subject of a state judicial investigation.

"The facts of this case represent some of the most sickening and shocking examples of race-based harassment, neglect and violence that I have ever seen," says Mark Lanier, a renowned attorney with a record of substantial verdicts in high-profile personal injury cases. "The district and those involved have been reluctant to acknowledge the seriousness of their inaction. They seem to be denying their responsibilities again, just like they denied their responsibilities to protect Mr. McDaniel. I'm pleased that the family and the other attorneys involved have asked for my assistance in seeking justice and support for this young man." 

Mr. Lanier has been recognized as one of the Most Influential Attorneys of the Decade by the National Law Journal and as one of the 25 Greatest Lawyers of the Past Quarter Century by Texas Lawyer. He was named 2016 Trial Lawyer of the Year by The National Trial Lawyers and in 2015, received the American Association of Justice's Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2016, the Lanier Law Firm recorded two high-profile verdicts in medical device litigation, with the awards totaling more than $1.5 billion. The firm was named as one of the nation's 25 Most Influential Law Firms for 2017 by the National Trial Lawyers Association. The firm was also recognized by U.S. News/Best Law Firms as a National Tier 1 practice in Mass Torts and Class Actions.

The case is McDaniel v. Dietrich School District et al., No. 1:16-cv-00202, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho.

With offices in Houston, Los Angeles, and New York, The Lanier Law Firm is committed to addressing client concerns with effective and innovative solutions in courtrooms across the country. The firm is composed of outstanding trial attorneys with decades of experience handling cases involving pharmaceutical liability, asbestos exposure, commercial litigation, product liability, maritime law, and serious personal injuries. To learn more about the firm, visit http://www.lanierlawfirm.com.

For more information, please contact J.D. Cargill at 713-659-5200 or [email protected].

SOURCE The Lanier Law Firm

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