Jackson Jambalaya

 The plaintiffs name has been changed to GW as she was a minor when the alleged incidents occurred.  Her parents are referred to as W. 

What should have been a senior year of fun turned into a nightmare for a member of the Newton County High School girls soccer team after a coach allegedly pressured her to strip to her bra and panties to run around the soccer field in front of her teammates - and their smartphones.   

GW made the allegations in a lawsuit she filed against the Newton County School District in U.S. District Court on August 29, 2025.  The lawsuit describes a culture of sexual jokes, crude behavior, and bullying at Newton County High School. 

A senior, GW was a starting member of the Newton County High women's soccer team.  

Problems (allegedly) began during GWs junior year at Newton.  The complaint claims a picture was drawn on Coach Sarah Thompson's classroom chalkboard that portrayed five girls.  One girl had big breasts and a big butt.  Three other girls were drawn with big butts.  The plaintiff was drawn with big breasts and no butt as well with her name placed by the drawing.  Coach Thompson left the drawings on the board for "an extended period of time."  

It is not too hard to figure out what happened next since it is 2026.  A student took a picture of the drain and posted it to social media.  She did it again a year later as well.  Doing so violated NCSD policy and the Ws reported the incident however no punitive action was taken.  

Assistant Coach Jerry Bird allegedly took it upon himself to bestow the nickname of "Butch" upon young GW.  The complaint states the coach gave her the nickname because GW "was going to grow up to drink a six-pack, smoke two packs of cigarettes a day, and have her belly hanging out."  He called her Butch throughout her senior year.  

More shenanigans allegedly took place: 

14. On one occasion during GW’s senior year, it rained a lot before one of the girls’ soccer games. Coach Sara instructed several younger girls on the team to roll around in the mud in order to “mop up” the water. These girls told Coach Sara that they did not want to get their bra and panties wet because they did not have any others to wear. Coach Sara instructed the girls to go and remove their undergarments. Pursuant to Coach Sara’s instructions the girls went to the locker room and removed their bras and panties, and returned to the field. Coach Sara then told the girls she was just kidding and to go put their undergarments back on. One of the older players asked Coach Sara if the younger girls really just went and did that, and Coach Sara responded “yeah, I saw their titties jiggling.” Coach Sara also admitted that she did this in interviews with NCSD personnel. Again, no disciplinary action was taken by NCSD.

Unfortunately for GW, Coach Sarah's little stunt was just a warm-up to what happened next. 

Newton County played its last girl's soccer team at home on February 9, 2024.  After the game was over, Coach Will told the senior players to return to the field where Coach Sara awaited. The young women did so.   Coach Sara allegedly told the parents to wait for their children in the parking lot.  It became quickly clear why the coach did not want the parents around: 

16. Then, Coach Sara returned to the soccer field and told the girls that she needed a volunteer for a “senior tradition.” One of the senior players volunteered without knowing what she was volunteering for. Coach Sara instructed the volunteer that she must strip down naked and streak the field. The volunteer responded that she was not going to do that. All of the senior girls said they were not doing it, and several stated that this was not a “real tradition.” Coach Sara responded that she would prove to them that it was an established tradition. Coach Sara then called over a former male student who graduated the prior year, TB, and instructed him to show the girls a specific photograph on his phone. Pursuant to Coach Sara’s instruction, TB showed Coach Sara’s team a photo of the 2022-2023 NCHS boys’ varsity soccer team in their jerseys with one student, CC, completely nude, covering his genitals with his hands. When TB showed the varsity girls players the picture, Coach Sara told the girls on her team that she “saw [that boy’s] white butt cheeks run off in the dark” the previous year.

18. At this point, Coach Byrd joined the conversation and instructed the senior girls that if no one volunteered, he would flip a coin to see which girl would have to strip. Coach Byrd said “Butch” was “heads” and that another girl (B) would be “tails”. Coach Byrd flipped the coin, and after looking at it Coach Byrd told GW(“Butch”) that said she had to be the one to strip and streak. GW and the other student (B) said they were not doing it. Coach Byrd flipped the coin again, and this time assigned heads to GW (again) and tails to a different girl. (M). Again, both girls said they were not doing it. Coach Sara and Coach Byrd both insisted that someone had to strip and streak.

19. As they were all refusing to strip and streak, Coach Will walked up and told Coach Sara (his wife) “we are not doing this,” to which Coach Sara replied, “Oh yes we are.” Coach Will then walked away. Coach Will later admitted in interviews with NCSD personnel that he knew at that point what the girls were about to do. 20. One of the senior girls, (B), told GW that if GW would streak then she would do it with her. GW did not want to streak the field at all, but felt like everyone, including Coach Sara, was expecting her to do it.

One girl tried to leave but Coach Sara ordered her to stay.  Another girl told the plaintiff she would streak with her if Wade did it. The coach tried to accommodate her students (sarcasm): 

Coach Sara said that she would tell everyone to leave and turn the lights off. Coach Sara told the girls that doing this senior tradition would help them “get out of their feelings” and make them “feel better”. Coach Sara later admitted saying this during a subsequent interview. Coach Sara told the girls to sit and wait while she called Coach Will and asked him to turn the lights off.

Coach Will turned off the lights.  Most of the families were still waiting in the parking lot but Coach Sara was determined to continue her "tradition":

Feeling like she had to do it so they could leave, GW told (B) that she would do it, but that she was not doing it naked. Coach Sara told the girls everyone was gone and to “go, go, go.” GW and another student (B) stripped down to their bra and panties and started running. As the girls were running a vehicle’s headlights came on, and GW started screaming and turned around. The girls thought Coach Sara (who they saw running) was coming to help them when the headlights came on, but Coach Sara ran off the field. The other senior girls had flashlights on their phones, and some students recorded the incident.

25. The girls put their clothes back on and went to the parking lot. GW felt she had been coerced to streak the field. While GW giggled when she was running, this was an expression of nerves, not mirth. GW felt so uncomfortable she did not know how to act.

Most of the girls reported the incident to their parents.  Wade's teammates had "looks of horror" on their faces as they walked to the parking lot.   The plaintiff's mother began receiving texts about it from other parents the next day.  

GW's father was the boys basketball coach.  He called Athletic Director Bobby Bass to report what took place after the game.  Bass was reportedly "outraged" and said it was hazing.  The family met with Principal Nick Smith and his assistant principal the following Saturday. 

Smith investigated but did not disclose his findings to the Ws.  The complaint claims the Ws heard the principal wanted to fire the Thompsons and suspend Coach Byrd. 

Small towns are small towns and the high schools are even smaller.  Translation: everyone knows everyone's business at Newton County High School.  Rumors spread that young GW tried to get the coaches fired.  Numerous kids told the plaintiff they saw a video of the hazing and repeatedly made comments to her..  Some comments accurately stated the color of her panties.  A girl asked GW if she would take off her clothes for her. One can only imagine the young woman's shame as she relived a Newton County version of The Scarlett Letter every day at school. 

The complaint alleges the school took no disciplinary actions against the Thompsons.  GW's parents questioned Smith but the principal said he could no longer discuss the case nor any decisions about discipline with them.  

The parents met with Newton County School District Superintendent Tyler Hansford (PhD) but the Superintendent told them their daughter "had a willingness to participate."  Mrs. W said the boys soccer team did something similar a year earlier and the teachers knew about it but her complaints continued to fall on deaf ears. 

Has it been mentioned Coach Will's father is on the School Board? 

The W's filed a Title IX complaint against the school. The complaint charges 

NCSD failed to comply with the requirements of Title IX, because it failed to document a grievance procedure for complaints of sexual discrimination / harassment  

42. Mangum purportedly began a Title IX investigation, however no reasonable or thorough or meaningful investigation was conducted. The Ws' Complaint asserted hazing, bullying, and sexual harassment. Shortly after meeting with the NCSD Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent, GW’s father had a meeting with Mangum, who promptly suggested (before interviewing any witnesses) that it was possible that GW “embellished or misunderstood” what happened. Mr. W asked if he were suggesting that GW was lying. Mangum replied that he doesn’t like to use the word “lying”, but suggested that GW’s “perspective” maybe “is not what really happened.” Mangum stated he had talked to (not interviewed) several parents who said it was “not a big deal,” that Coach Sara was “joking”, and that GW must have “misunderstood.”

43. Mr. W advised Mangum that Coach Sara participated in a prior streaking incident the previous year. In reply, Mangum, the School Board’s Attorney and Title IX investigator, admitted that he knew there was a streaking incident the year before because his son was there last year and came home and told him about it. Mangum’s son is in the picture of the boys soccer players with one player nude... ". Mangum relayed to Mr. W a story about when Mangum was a kid in ninth grade; that an older boy stripped him, sent him outside a locked door, and made him run around to another door. Mangum explained that he was nervous at first, but that it became “fun”." 

 

Mangum allegedly did not question Coach Will,  a student who had the picture of the boys soccer team with a naked um, member,  and a junior who was present when GW was allegedly pressured to strip by her own coach.  

The complaint alleges Mangum discouraged the Ws for pursuing a complaint, arguing since GW was now 18, she would have to file the complaint.  Mangum began his investigation in February but did not complete it until July, after the students graduated and "moved on." 

GW continued to be ostracized at school.  She did not attend her awards banquet since Coach Sara was there. 

The Title IX complaint died with a whimper as Assistant Principal Whitney Alexander allegedly ruled the coaches were at fault for nothing more than a lack of supervision for allowing the students to streak.  The coaches actions appear to have been in jest and GW voluntarily participated without pressure. The Ws appealed but were denied. 

The lawsuit charges the District and the Does with Title IX Sexual Harassment, Title IX Conflict of Interest, violations of due process,  Equal Protection against Sexual Harassment under the 14th Amendment, and negligence.  The Ws seeks damages and attorney's fees.  

The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Tom Lee.  

Attorneys Manion Anderson and Christopher Van Cleave represent the plaintiff. Attorneys Bobby Allen, Jacoby Gilmore, and Kevin White of Lord Snow represent the school district.   

One of our favorite TikTokers had a few things to say about the case as only she can.  The comments provide more information that will not be published here due to the lack of verification.  Some of them allege the plaintiff's parents were coaches at the school and were feuding with the Thompsons.