Bigham Settlement Agreement

June 26, 2015
To: MESD Community
From: MESD Board
Re: Bigham Settlement Agreement

Over the past year, the agency has been embroiled in a heavily scrutinized controversy with Mr. Bigham. This situation was deeply disturbing for many reasons, the greatest of which was the accusation of discrimination.
We abhor discrimination as antithetical to our values of diversity and creating a welcoming and inclusive working and learning environment. We demonstrate this value of inclusion, in part, through our work serving the community’s most vulnerable children. We ensure that they are included and have the opportunity to learn and succeed.

The agency nominated Mr. Bigham for 2014 Teacher of the Year and supported him during his tenure in that position. We looked forward to his return to the classroom at the start of the 2014 school year and were disappointed when that did not occur. We took steps to resolve our and Mr. Bigham's concerns through conversation and correspondence, and then by requesting mediation, and then by placing him on paid administrative leave. Mr. Bigham responded to each of these steps with rebuffs, additional accusations, and attacks. Our attempts to resolve this situation culminated today when we authorized a settlement agreement with him.

Our willingness to enter into this agreement comes after lengthy deliberation. We could continue this course and enter into an ultimately successful yet protracted and arduous litigation process. Our mission, however, is not to win lawsuits. Rather, it is to serve students.

We choose today to bring closure to a situation that has distracted our employees from their primary responsibility of serving students. We will do this by entering into a settlement agreement with Mr. Bigham. The agreement includes the payment of $140, 000 to Mr. Bigham. This sum is equal to the agency’s estimated cost of litigation with Mr. Bigham. In exchange, Mr. Bigham will release any and all current and future claims against the agency. We believe that settling this matter fiscally responsible and will allow the agency to fully focus its attention and resources on serving students.

Bernie Giusto Nels Johnson
Chair Vice Chair