Wise hopes settlement puts students before politics

Districts settles lawsuit for $800K

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Douglas County School District will pay former superintendent Corey Wise more than $800,000 to settle claims that Wise’s ring amounted to discrimination.

Wise led a complaint with the Colorado O ce of Civil Rights against the school district and four school board members — Becky Myers, Mike Peterson, Christy Williams and Kaylee Winegar — in April 2022 after he was red without cause, claiming he was dismissed for ad- vocating for marginalized students by favoring a mask policy in schools and working to implement an equity policy.

Under the settlement, the school district will pay Wise $270,733 for the remainder of his superintendent contract, as well as $562,000 to resolve the lawsuit. According to a news release from Wise’s attor-