Fired teachers drop lawsuit, settle with TPS

11/3/2006

Two former Toledo Public Schools teachers who were fired in 2002 said yesterday they have reached a settlement agreement to receive $65,000 each in exchange for dropping a discrimination lawsuit against the district.

If approved by the Toledo Board of Education, Nationwide insurance, which was the district's provider at the time, would pay Gloria Sturdivant and Mario Martinez the settlement money.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs and defendant were in Lucas County Common Pleas Court on Sept. 28 for a pretrial hearing when Judge Gary Cook vacated the Oct. 16 trial date.

Ms. Sturdivant, 55, said the district's intern review program, which evaluates new teachers, discriminated against her because of her age.

Daniel Mason, a lawyer with the Lorain County law firm Baumgartner & O'Toole, said the insurance company decided to settle the case and it is not an admission of any wrongdoing.