Highlands principal gets $135K in settlement, release agreement

A former Highlands School District principal who sued the district in federal court, alleging that administrators retaliated against her for taking unpaid leave, will receive $135,000 as part of a settlement and release agreement.

Highlands School Board approved the agreement with Heather Bigney on Monday. The district released the agreement Thursday in response to a Right-t0-Know request from the Tribune-Review.

Most of the money to Bigney, about $126,000, is coming from the district’s insurance carrier, the agreement states.

The school district is paying the balance, almost $9,000, to cover Bigney’s unused paid-leave days.

The district’s insurance carrier also will pay $30,000 in attorney’s fees to Steele Schneider, the law firm that represented Bigney in the litigation.

Bigney resigned as principal of Highlands Early Childhood Center on Oct. 21, 2019, the same day she filed her federal lawsuit.

Bigney alleged that Superintendent Monique Mawhinney retaliated against her for taking unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act and for being in a relationship with a teacher, Jason Smith.

Bigney claimed Mawhinney threatened to fire her, and she quit before that could happen.

Mawhinney declined to comment on the settlement earlier this week.

The settlement between Bigney and the district was reached after a mediation attempt failed, according to Bigney’s attorney, Charles Steele.

Under the agreement, the district and Bigney agreed to not disparage each other to any third party. The district agreed to give Bigney a “satisfactory” rating for the 2019-20 school year.

The district will give Bigney a reference letter “that cites her demonstrated skills as a school administrator and accomplishments or goals she attained while an administrator at the district,” the agreement states. “The contents of the letter of reference shall be accurate as Dr. Bigney is not requesting that the district make any statements in the reference letter that are untrue.”

Smith, a former Highlands fourth grade teacher who resigned in February 2019, is separately suing the district in federal court, alleging the district violated his leave rights. His case is in discovery after mediation was unsuccessful.