Former Des Moines teacher sentenced for sex abuse settles lawsuit by victim's family

The family of a former Harding Middle School student has settled its lawsuit against a teacher convicted in a criminal case of sexually abusing the boy.

Makenzie Johnson, then a special-needs teacher for the district, was charged with multiple sex offenses in 2019 involving the then-14-year-old student, including for sending him nude pictures, asking to have sex with him and inappropriately touching him over his clothes. She ultimately pleaded guilty to lascivious conduct with a minor and was sentenced to a year in jail.

Johnson, who also was required to register as a sex offender, was placed on leave by the district when it learned of the investigation. She resigned shortly afterward.

The student's mother sued Johnson and the school district, alleging that the teen, formerly an excellent student, had suffered both academically and socially as a result of the abuse, and that the district had failed to protect him from Johnson. A judge in 2021 dismissed the district from the suit, finding that the plaintiffs failed to point to evidence that should have alerted the district to Makenzie Johnson's inappropriate relationship with the student.

Now the family has dismissed its remaining claims against Johnson after an undisclosed settlement. The plaintiffs first notified the court of the pending settlement in April, and on Aug. 9, the suit was formally dismissed. The school district is not involved at all in the settlement, a spokesperson confirmed.

Makenzie Johnson's attorney declined to comment, and an attorney for the boy's mother, Tashawnda Johnson, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

'I feel like I failed to protect my son'

Tashawnda Johnson and Nick Logan, the student's father, had previously criticized the district and law enforcement officials for what they said they viewed as a "slap on the wrist" for the teacher.

"To be completely honest, I think the whole situation has been swept under the rug and silenced," Johnson told the Des Moines Register in a 2020 interview.

"If (my son) were to be white and she was Black, it would be an uproar," Johnson, who is Black, said of Makenzie Johnson, who is white. "People would be offering support and resources, things that we haven't received."

From April: Dowling English teacher arrested for alleged sexual exploitation of 17-year-old student

She said the family at that time had not received any support or apologies from the school district, and that the impact on her son was severe and long-lasting.

"I feel like I failed to protect my son. As a mother that is a hard pill to swallow," she said.

William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com, 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ex-Des Moines teacher's sex abuse lawsuit ends in settlement