SALINA, Okla. — A lawsuit stemming from a lewd molestation case in Salina Public Schools is forcing taxpayers to foot the bill.
2 News spoke with one parent who said it feels like they’re being punished for the actions of one teacher and the school district.
"People can’t just come up with that money on a dime like that," said a parent who asked to stay anonymous.
In March of 2019, several students said teacher John Horner inappropriately touched them.
The students later sued the school district for negligence.
2 News reviewed the legal documents outlining the student's claims. They said the school failed to protect students from the teacher and provide them with a safe environment.
The students and district came to a settlement agreement of more than $2.6 million.
However, the district’s liability policy only protected them up to $1 million—leaving the rest to the taxpayers.
"A lot of people found out when they received their tax bill anywhere from 30% to 40% people can’t afford that," said the parent whose increase was 41.8% for her property tax.
She said the lawsuit was deserved and the victims earned the money. But she wished the school district found another way to pay the remaining amount.
"We just went through a devastating tornado in May and a lot of people haven’t rebuilt from that because they can’t afford that. Our poverty rate is like 35% which is huge. This community cannot bear the weight of this expense," she said.
She also said the town approved a recent school bond which continues the current one passed in 2018. She said the first raised property taxes.
She told 2 News if they had known about the increase that would come they may have voted differently.
When 2 News talked with her, she had a few questions for the district.
"Why are there no other options and why weren’t we informed? And 2 what are we doing to prevent this for the future?" she said.
So 2 News reached out to the superintendent with these questions from parents.
He said he couldn't go on camera because it was a legal issue but was able to answer questions through email.
Here is our Q&A:
Many residents say they weren’t financially prepared for an increase especially one that was so unexpected. What went into this decision and how did it end up going to the taxpayers to foot the bill?
On March 26, 2024, the Salina School Board, in open session, approved the settlement of a lawsuit which involved the actions of a former teacher more than six years earlier. This settlement amount was approximately $2.6 million. The district’s liability policy at the time of the incident was limited to $1 million. This left $1.6 million plus interest to be paid by the property owners of the district through the district’s sinking fund over a three-year period. The approximate amount of additional taxes to be paid by district property owners is $253 per $100 thousand of assessed property value for the next three years.
Were there any other ways this remaining amount could have been paid without involving the taxpayers?
No. This is how such settlements are paid under the applicable laws.
Why were residents, many who have kids in Salina Public Schools not informed about the decisions being made to increase property taxes?
All board agendas and minutes are properly posted and are also on our website. An article is written in The Paper (Pryor newspaper) after each board meeting. Several of these articles included information about the lawsuit. The most recent included noting that the settlement amount would be paid through the district’s sinking fund. The lawsuit has been the subject of several news stories.
There’s been confusion about the bond on how it relates or doesn’t relate to this situation. Can you provide some clarity?
The increase in property taxes is 100% due to the settlement and not related to the new bonds. The confusion may be over the fact the sinking fund includes bonds and the settlement. The new bonds are designed to follow the old bonds in a manner that should not increase taxes.
After speaking with residents many say they feel punished for the actions of one teacher and school district. While they tell me they agree with the outcome of the lawsuit, they believe the school and teacher should be the ones to pay. What is your response to this?
To expect the teacher to pay is very reasonable. Afterall, he is the person who pleaded guilty to serious crimes and ought to be held accountable in several ways more than he was. A public school district’s revenue comes from taxpayers.
What relief is there for taxpayers who may not have the funds to pay for the increased amount?
Our Board made the correct decision in settling this lawsuit based on the advice of many including a team of attorneys. It is very unfortunate that the property owners of the district must now pay for the actions of a former teacher many years ago. Since this incident, the district has taken many actions focused on preventing such a tragedy from happening again. Our liability policy is now sufficient to cover such a settlement. We have counselors in every school. We house an outside counseling agency as well. The safety and wellbeing of our students is our first priority.
Parents are still saying there's a lack of accountability.
"None of those teachers or administrators are there anymore which is great. But that also means that they’re not even paying for their mistake. They are not even being held accountable for the damage that they caused," the parent said.
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