Washington Teacher Agrees to $850K to Withdraw Discrimination Suit

The Sequim School District in Washington has agreed that a former middle school teacher and athletic director will receive $850,000 to withdraw her sexual orientation discrimination lawsuit.

The Peninsula Daily News reports the settlement agreement and a school district investigative report critical of district staff were made public under public records requests by Peninsula Daily News and the Sequim Gazette.

As part of the settlement, Autumn St. George agreed to drop any further claims for damages from the district and three employees.

The employees were middle school student counselor Catherine Shea, Principal Vincent Riccobene and Assistant Principal Rhonda Kromm, all of whom remain employed by the district.

St. George resigned Monday.

Her suit says an official inserted a personnel document accusing her of “pedophilic behavior” and that she suffered harassment including lewd remarks and “bullying and intimidating” by staff members regarding her sexual orientation.