Manatee School Board to settle with Troy Pumphrey, Steve Gulash

Two contentious lawsuits are expected to be settled Tuesday, as long as the Manatee County School Board signs off on the settlement amounts during its meeting.

A lawsuit filed by former professional standards investigator Troy Pumphrey, who claims he faced racial discrimination in the workplace, will be settled for $27,500, according to the agreement on the board agenda. Pumphrey has already signed the agreement.

The agreement is not an admission on guilt on the school board’s part, according to the agreement. The agreement stipulates Pumphrey will not apply to work in the school district again.

A lawsuit filed by Steve Gulash, a district employee and former parent liaison, will be settled for $25,000, according to the agreement on the board agenda.

Gulash was one of three employees who sued the Manatee County School District claiming retaliation Aug. 21, 2014. The other two cases were settled for $40,000 and $75,000, respectively.

The Gulash settlement has hit a snag, according to district lawyers, because Gulash refused to sign the settlement even though a lawyer representing him urged him to accept the settlement that was offered

If the board signs the settlement, lawyers can then go to a judge to ask the judge force Gulash to sign the settlement his lawyers agreed to on his behalf.

On Wednesday, Gulash said he doesn't want to sign the settlement because of stipulations that say he can’t file any lawsuits against the district in the future and can't work in the district ever again.

"I will not sign it as long as it says I can never work at the school district again," he said.

This story was originally published May 18, 2016 at 3:58 PM with the headline "Manatee School Board to settle with Troy Pumphrey, Steve Gulash."