Civil suit will cost parents of dead Georgia teen in gym mat

VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) — A judge says the parents of a Georgia teenager found dead inside a rolled-up high school gym mat will have to pay attorney fees for people accused of wrongdoing in a civil lawsuit.

News outlets report Superior Court Judge Richard Porter scheduled a hearing Monday to determine how much 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson's parents must pay. Defendants named in their lawsuit have asked for more than $850,000.

Johnson of Valdosta was found dead at Lowndes High School in 2013. Local investigators ruled the death accidental, but Johnson's parents insist he was killed. They filed suit last year, accusing two brothers of killing Johnson and saying school officials and law enforcement covered up the crime. They dropped the suit in March.

A Justice Department investigation found insufficient evidence to charge anyone.

http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/news/state_news/civil-suit-will-cost-parents-of-dead-georgia-teen-in/article_fb80774c-8b5f-54a3-b475-a3d0e761f05d.html (short article)