After just 14 months, EC has again settled a lawsuit with a female employee who alleged she was sexually harassed by a former Dean and Vice President.
The woman, whose attorney asked that she not be identified, alleged that Dean James Schwartz continually harassed her from 2004 until 2010, according to court documents.
While the woman and her Attorney, David Myers, were unable to discuss the amount settled for, a Daily Breeze article said the woman was awarded $750,000 last February. The last settlement involving Schwartz was for $2.5 Million, Myers said.
While EC’s Community Relations Director Ann Garten could not be reached for comment on the situation, board of trustees President Bill Beverly offered several comments to the Daily Breeze.
“I’m disappointed in the whole thing,” Beverly was quoted as saying. “I’m disappointed in everybody who was anywhere near the problem, if there was one.” Beverly added.
Beverly went on to say that the school had agreed to the settlement at the urging of its insurance carrier, SWACC, regardless of the validity of any evidence.
“With the plaintiff saying `I want a piece of that, too,’ our insurance carrier wanted to settle it,” Beverly said.
Myers however, said that he was amazed and disappointed by Beverly’s comments.
“It’s careless statements like President Beverly’s that create an environment in which women are reluctant to come forward because they will be labeled as opportunist and problematic,” Myers said.
The news of the settlement came as a surprise to many students, such as Brian Lutz, 22, Anthropology major.
“This is the first I’ve ever even heard of allegations against the school,” Lutz said, adding, “It’s pretty shocking that it could happen and the students haven’t heard anything”.
Some students, like Fabiola Castaneda, 18, Cosmetology major, felt that the administration should have done more to inform the students of these events.
“There’s just a lack of communication. They really should have had an assembly about it, or had someone go from class to class and tell people about it” said Castaneda.