ARLINGTON, Texas – A Texas elementary school teacher who was placed on administrative leave for showing a photo of her fiancée to her students will receive $100,000 in a settlement.
Stacy Bailey was suspended in 2017 after she introduced herself to her fourth-grade class with a slide show of her loved ones, including Julie Vasquez, who she explained at the time was her future wife, The New York Times reports.
Afterwards, the Mansfield Independent School District received a complaint from a parent who claimed Bailey was “promoting the homosexual agenda,” The Times reports.
Soon after, Bailey was suspended for eight months from Charlotte Anderson Elementary School, where she had worked for 10 years.
The next year, Bailey filed her lawsuit against the district, claiming officials discriminated against her because of her sexual orientation.
In a statement sent to NBC News, the district said the two parties agreed to settle in an amicable manner and that it denied “any wrongdoing or liability.” The district also said it wanted to “avoid the time, expense, stress and other impacts of continuing litigation, which would interfere with the mission of educating the students.”
In addition to the $100,000, the district also agreed to provide mandatory training on LGBTQ issues for its human resources and counseling staff members.
Bailey’s suspension will also be expunged from her record and the district will provide her with a letter of recommendation for any future employers.
