Sept. 12, 2019 10p
(WGTD)---A federal lawsuit that had been filed by a former Kenosha Unified student who claimed administrators and staff had failed to protect him from harassment because he was gay has been settled out of court.
According to an attorney who represents Kenosha Unified and its insurance company, Guadalupe Paredes received a $5,000 payment plus attorney's fees.
Paredes' attorney didn't return a phone message Thursday seeking comment.
Ron Stadler, the attorney representing the school district and its insurance company, said: "We never beleived there was any discrimination here."
Stadler said the settlement was between the plaintiff and the insurance company, and did not go to the School Board for approval.
In the suit, Paredes said the harassment began when he was a third grader at the Edward Bain School of Language and Art, and continued through his years at Harborside Academy and Reuther. In the suit, Paredes said by the time he got to Tremper the harassment had taken a toll and he was hospitalized for psychiatric treatment.
Parades dropped out of school as an 11th grader.
The lawsuit cited specific allegations of inappropriate responses by administrators, including times when he was told to simply avoid his harassers.
In the suit, Paredes asked for compensatory damage from the district and five either current or former administrators. He did not request a specific amount.
In the settlement, the district admitted no wrong doing, according to Stadler.
-0-
