A former superintendent of the Des Moines (Iowa) district will receive $350,000 to settle a lawsuit brought after sexually explicit emails she wrote were released to the public.
WHO-TV says the payment, which will come from the school district's insurance company, will conclude a lawsuit brought in 2013 by Nancy Sebring. In 2012, she had announced plans to leave the Des Moines job and become superintendent of the Omaha (Neb.) district when explicit messages that Sebring sent to a male lover on her Des Moines district email account were disclosed after reporters made a public records request.
Following release of the emails, Omaha decided not to hire Sebring and she was forced to resign in Des Moines.
The district contended that because the emails were written on a district account, they were public records that had to be provided to the news media. Sebring argued in her suit that district officials tipped off members of the media about the explicit emails so that reporters would request their release.
The suit accused the district of invasion of privacy, emotional distress, and interference with a contract. the settlement agreement calls for half of the $350,000 to go to Sebring and half to her attorneys.
Video from WHO-TV:
