A former high school teacher from Boothbay Harbor, Portaland, USA has agreed to a $320,000 settlement with the town and school district over false allegations accusing him of having a sexual relationship with a student. Longtime shop teacher Fred Lewis won a jury verdict in Lincoln County Superior Court in July in his defamation lawsuit. The parties signed off on a settlement last week after the school district decided against an appeal.
Besides the payout, the settlement includes an apology from the school superintendent and high school principal who knew the allegations were false but failed to inform Lewis and allowed him to quit.
Lewis said he has spent much of the past six years trying to clear his name in court.