​Judge won't halt civil suit in case of Georgia teen found in gym mat

VALDOSTA, Ga. -- A federal judge has denied the Justice Department's request to temporarily halt evidence-gathering in a civil lawsuit by the parents of a Georgia teenager found dead at school in a rolled-up gym mat.

Federal prosecutors have been investigating the January 2013 death of 16-year-old Kendrick Johnson for two years. Sheriff's investigators concluded Johnson died in a freak accident, but his parents say he was killed by classmates and have sued them in civil court.

Justice Department attorney James Bennett told a Superior Court judge Wednesday that an "active grand jury investigation" could be jeopardized by civil attorneys questioning witnesses in the case, a local station reports.

Judge J. Richard Porter refused to halt the civil proceedings, the Valdosta Daily Times reports. He noted no criminal charges have been filed.