The Central Bucks School board is nearing a decision on a proposed settlement involving a middle school teacher in the district. The teacher claims to have faced suspension twice, alleging that it was in retaliation for advocating on behalf of LGBTQ students.
A motion to approve the settlement for social studies teacher Andrew Burgess is listed on the board's Tuesday meeting agenda, but doesn't provide any specifics about the agreement reached.
Next month will mark one year since Burgess was indefinitely suspended and accused of violating a district policy. District officials claim he failed to report supposed bullying to his school principal and, instead, lodged a discrimination complaint on behalf of the student with the U.S. Department of Education, according to Philly Burbs.
Since last April, Burgess and the district have been locked in a legal battle. Burgess filed a lawsuit against the district and former Superintendent Abram Lucabaugh for allegedly infringing upon his civil rights during his 2022 suspension.
He lodged his lawsuit in the U.S. Eastern District Court a week before the district announced its contentious $1.75 million internal investigation, which ultimately found no evidence to support claims of a hostile environment or discrimination against students and staff in the LGBTQ+ community.
The report, prepared by Duane Morris LLP, placed blame for the ongoing U.S. Education's Office of Civil Rights investigations into LGBTQ discrimination within the district on the actions of Burgess, current board President Karen Smith, and other individuals termed as "Democrat activists," the publication revealed.
Notably, Smith was one of three minority party members on the board at that time.
Despite the recommendations suggesting a second suspension for Burgess without pay, the board did proceed with a second suspension, however, implementing pay this time after the presentation of the April 20, 2023 report.
Burgess was suspended with pay for three months in 2022 after he claims the district learned of a complaint he helped a bullied student file with the OCR.
He argued that the initial and subsequent suspensions, along with other measures taken under the previous GOP-majority board, were targeted at him.
