Kilgore ISD pays $77K in outing lawsuit of lesbian athlete

[TexasTowelie]

KILGORE, TEXAS--Kilgore ISD officials agreed Friday to pay $77,500 to settle a lawsuit filed by a lesbian student who said her coaches outed her to her mother.

The decision came less than two weeks before a scheduled trial and one week after the district’s board of trustees met to discuss the litigation but made no formal decision.

“The great thing that Skye did in bringing this lawsuit was that it was not just for her, it was for others,” said Jennifer Doan of Texarkana-based Haltom and Doan, the attorney who represented former Kilgore ISD student Skye Wyatt.

Wyatt, now 21, claimed in her lawsuit that the district violated her right to privacy under the U.S. Constitution, the Texas Constitution and Texas Common Law.

More at http://www.news-journal.com/news/local/kilgore-isd-pays-k-in-outing-lawsuit/article_90cb2e49-b37d-54bc-954f-d32dcda53079.html . (Longview News-Journal)

Cross-posted in the LGBT Group.

[font color=green]Two other important excerpts from the article:[/font]

In addition to the financial pay-out, the district agreed to schedule “a live 30 minute training session for all of its employees ... including discrimination policies, including but not limited to sexual orientation and privacy” and to “record the training and present it annually to its employees as part of the in-service training prior to the school year,” according to the settlement agreement.

The district also will ensure the policies are in the student/parent and employee handbooks as well as on the district’s website, the agreement shows.

[font color=green]^^^Okay, that's great and those policies should be implemented at all school districts.^^^[/font]

In an statement released Friday, Kilgore’s board stood by its employees and claimed the settlement was a business decision of the district’s insurance.

“The Kilgore ISD board believes that the actions of its employees were in all things lawful. The Kilgore ISD board believes that the pre-existing policies of the district were much more than adequate, and the board policies in existence at the time will continue to remain in full force and effect. No policies are going to be withdrawn, changed or modified. No new policies are going to be adopted. The plaintiff’s counsel in this case attempted to bully the board into changing its policies by threatening long, expensive and protracted litigation. The Kilgore ISD Board refused,” the statement said.

“The Kilgore ISD Board of Trustees has no power to oppose the payment of settlement funds in this case, that matter being solely within the discretion of the insurance carrier. It is a business decision of the insurance company, and the settlement is much less expensive than what the insurance carrier would spend in this case in attorney fees and costs through trial, appeal by the plaintiff to the Fifth Circuit and appeal by the Plaintiff to the United States Supreme Court,” the district said.

[TxDemChem]

1. I wonder how many payouts it would take

For them to change their policies. Maybe when no one will insure them, they'll get the message.