The Jefferson City School District will pay more than $1 million to settle a legal dispute with former instructional technology coordinator Tammy Ferry.
A general mutual release signed in August marked the end of more than five years of litigation between Ferry and the district. The News Tribune obtained the document after requesting it from the district records manager.
Ferry filed an initial lawsuit against the district, its former supervisor Joe Martin, and former superintendent Larry Linthacum in 2017. The lawsuit alleged retaliation, gender discrimination and a hostile work environment.
She sued the district again after being fired in July 2019, alleging the district was acting in retaliation against her. The district said Ferry violated privacy laws by uploading work files to his personal Google account.
The The Missouri Supreme Court upheld Ferry’s dismissal, contrary to two previous lower court rulings. In April, the court denied a motion for rehearing that Ferry had filed.
The ferry had supported the misinterpreted FERPA noticeignored previous cases and ignored his right to preserve evidence for his trial.
But Ferry’s 2017 lawsuit alleging gender discrimination continued until Ferry and the district reached a settlement last month.
Under the terms of the agreement, neither party has admitted liability.
According to the document, the district will pay or direct the payment of a total of $1,225,000 to Ferry within 10 days of Ferry signing the release.
A total of $540,000 will go to the Popham Law Firm to cover Ferry’s attorney’s fees and expenses. Ferry will receive $30,000 for “compensation for economic damages” and $155,000 for “non-economic damages.” Any portion paid as salary will be deducted from taxes.
The district also agreed to provide $500,000 to the MetLife Assignment Company to fund periodic payments to Ferry of $6,372.34 per month for seven years, beginning in January 2023 and ending in December 2029.
As part of the deal, Ferry had to destroy all district files transferred to her personal Google account and sign a document certifying that she had done so. Ferry also cannot look for a job in the district again.
The district said in a statement that the matter has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties. Ferry’s attorneys did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.