Judge decides sex abuse lawsuit

A circuit judge has awarded damages to a Simpsonville man for incidents of sex abuse when the man was a student at a Walhalla school.  Judge Cordell Maddox’s order in the Common Pleas Court awards $1.5 million in actual and punitive damages to the plaintiff, identified in court documents as “John Doe.”  Maddox said, “The facts are undisputed.”  The plaintiff had wanted a court proceeding to confront the defendant, former Walhalla Middle School faculty member Richard “Trey” Gardner III, but the judge said Gardner elected not to appear or contest the claims during a hearing April 13 in the Oconee Common Pleas Court.  The case alleged the abuse started when the plaintiff was in the 7th grade.  He told Maddox that what   Gardner did to him left him physically and emotionally damaged.   Three years ago, Gardner was sent to prison for 20 years for having sexually abused two Walhalla students. Three lawsuits were filed against Gardner.