Editor’s note: the story was revised after the district put out new information on March 15.
Coronado Unified School District is being held responsible for paying $4.5 million in damages to a former basketball student athlete.
Following a civil trial regarding a former school employee who admitted to a felony sex crime involving an underage student in the district, a recent verdict by San Diego jury found the district at fault for negligent hiring and supervision of a former assistant girls basketball coach, Jordan Tyler Bucklew, who pleaded guilty in 2020.
The verdict has left the district at fault for 90% of the total $5 million in damages, meaning a $4.5 million share of the damages, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
“Coronado Unified School District values every child in our care,” she said in a written statement released by Simon. “The safety and well-being of students is our top priority.”
Members of the governing board said Simon was handling all communications regarding the civil case.
On March 15, CUSD announced that they will “file post-trial motions with the court to challenge the verdict issued on March 11 … in the case Jane Doe v Coronado USD.”
Simon did not share what steps, if any, the district has taken to prevent similar events in the future, and what impact a $4.5 million judgment may have on Coronado’s education system.
Notice of appeal considerations
The Union-Tribune reported that the sexual contact occurred in 2019-20, and Bucklew subsequently was sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a felony in San Diego Superior Court.
Randall Winet, a lawyer representing the School District, did not respond to inquiries from The Coronado News. He told the Union-Tribune that damages were excessive. He also said the verdict was “highly unusual” and did “not comport with the evidence.”
According to the County’s Superior Court, timelines for filing an appeal range from 30 to 60 days depending on the case type.
Brandon Smith, attorney for the then underage plaintiff, who was 17 at the time of the sexual misconduct, told The Coronado News on Tuesday that if the school district chooses to pursue an appeal, it is a calculated risk on their part considering interest of 10% accruing each year.
“This time next year if they have not paid, then they will owe the $4.5 million and they will also owe an additional $450,000 just for the interest” Smith said.
Smith also told the Union-Tribune that Bucklew “was not party to the proceedings” in this case.
“We all know what the other guy did and he already pled guilty to it,” added Smith. “The point of the trial was to establish whether or not the school district themselves were responsible.”
Records indicate Coronado Unified is a member of San Diego County Schools Risk Management, a joint powers authority (JPA) that administers a self-insurance plan covering liability and other aspects of district operations.
The district said that the $4.5 million will come from the JPA insurance.
Simon did not answer questions on deadline about the impact a $4.5 million judgment has on the district’s insurance rates.
