Manatee County School Board settles Gulash, Pumphrey lawsuits

Now that the Manatee County School Board signed off on a settlement agreement with former parent liaison Steve Gulash, lawyers representing the Manatee County School District will ask a judge to enforce the deal.

A $25,000 settlement for Gulash was approved unanimously, one of two lawsuits settled by the board Tuesday. Although a lawyer for Gulash initially recommended his client sign the settlement offer, Gulash has refused.

Now the board has signed the settlement, lawyers for the district will ask a judge to force Gulash to accept the settlement his lawyers agreed to on his behalf.

“Whatever the court decides is binding on him,” school board attorney Jim Dye said.

Although the settlement was approved, board Chairwoman Karen Carpenter said she wasn’t happy with the process and the need to take the settlement before a judge to enforce it.

“I’m troubled by the handling of this,” she said.

Typically, settlements before the school board are already signed by the other party.

On the same day the board signed the settlement, Gulash and his lawyer, Craig Berman, filed a motion with the U.S. District Court Middle Court of Florida to reopen the case. As of Tuesday, the district had not been made aware of the motion filed to reopen the case, staff attorney Mitchell Teitelbaum confirmed.

Gulash previously told the Bradenton Herald he took issue with a stipulation in the settlement saying he could no longer apply to work or coach within the district.

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 board also signed off on a $27,500 settlement for former district professional standards investigator Troy Pumphrey.

Board member Dave Miner, who was named in the suit, refrained from voting on the settlement, but said he doesn’t believe Pumphrey earned or deserved the settlement money.

“My position has always been to not pay Pumphrey one penny,” he said.

This story was originally published May 24, 2016 at 9:26 PM with the headline "Manatee County School Board settles Gulash, Pumphrey lawsuits."