Scott Broden

USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

Middle Tennessee Christian School faces a jury trial after parents contend MTCS falsely accused them of child abuse and took photographs of their children for what turned out to be genetic skin markings.

U.S. District Court Judge Aleta Trauger set the trial for 9 a.m. July 17 at the federal court building in Nashville.

The case revolves around what happened during an Early Learning Center summer camp day at MTCS on July 15, 2016.

"On that day, an employee of MTCS observed son's genetic skin markings, commonly known as Mongolian spots, and incorrectly determined them to be bruises," states the lawsuit filed by attorney Robert Tom with the Memphis law firm, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC. "Without any knowledge or evidence and directly contrary to medical records previously supplied to the school on several occasions, MTCS and its employees concluded that son's Mongolian spots were bruises caused by his father and, contrary to applicable Tennessee rules and regulations, took it upon themselves to segregate, interrogate, unclothe, and photograph the Children."

MTCS has denied the charges in an answer to the complaint filed by attorney Michael Johnson.

"There was no negligent, intentional or unlawful conduct at MTCS," states the response filed by Johnson, who works for the Nashville law firm, Howard, Tate, Sowell, Wilson, Leathers & Johnson PLLC.

The parents' lawsuit further asserts that the school "reported these false allegations of child abuse to the Tennessee Department of Children's Services."

"MTCS and its employees and agents have acted tortuously and in violation of multiple state and federal laws, resulting in injury to the ... family," the lawsuit states. The Daily News Journal is not identifying the parents' names to protect the privacy of the children.

"Worse still, after discovering that its report was in fact baseless, MTCS denied making the report, did nothing to further contact DCS to stop the investigation of the (parents), and continued, through ts staff and employees, to defame the (parents) through false rumors of child abuse," the lawsuit adds.

The parents enrolled their son and daughter at MTSC August 2015 based on the school representing itself as a nurturing, Christian environment with well-trained teachers, according to the lawsuit. On the first day of school, the child's mother also hand-delivered a letter to a school employee from a physician with Middle Tennessee Family Medicine about how the Mongolian spots can be confused with bruises. The goal was to avoid confusion and misunderstanding about the spots, and the employee assured the mother that the information would be shared with the MTCS staff.

The mother provided the letter to the school again November 2015, the lawsuit states. The parents also repeated the information about their son's Mongolian spots on his application for the Early Learning Center summer camp.

The lawsuit also accuses the school of asking the children leading questions about the spots.

"During the course of the interrogation, multiple members of MTCS staff berated and intimidated the Children, repeatedly telling them that their father hit them," the lawsuit states. "The staff lacked any knowledge or evidence to support these statements."

The parents soon afterward spoke to MTCS President Matthew Tiller about what happened.

"Mr. Tiller denied any knowledge of the DCS visit," the lawsuit states.

The parents then asked family physiican, Dr. Warren Langworthy, to examine their son and obtained another letter about the spots.

"Dr. Langworthy then wrote a letter to the school stating that Son has had Mongolian spots since birth on his body, buttock, sides and arm, and that such markings could be confused with bruising," the lawsuit states.

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