Beaverton School District reaches agreement with Seth Stembaugh over dismissal

Seth Stambaugh

It was one of the biggest local LGBT stories of the year when student teacher Seth Stambaugh was let go from a position at a Beaverton elementary school for admitting to being gay. He was eventually reinstated to his position but it was unclear whether Stambaugh would pursue a lawsuit.

This week we got the answer when he reached a resolution with the Beaverton School District for $75,ooo. Stambaugh has said a significant portion of this award will go to Portland nonprofits p:ear, and Outside In.

A press release issued Friday said:

…the parties acknowledge that litigation is not in the best interests of either party; the District will make a payment to Mr. Stambaugh of $75,000 to resolve all claims; the District will provide leadership training concerning issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression; and the parties agree that the District has made and will continue to make efforts to ensure its policies and procedures are inclusive in scope and that all members of the Beaverton School District community have safe and open environments for learning.

This follows a decision last month to change the wording in several policies that refer to equal rights for all employees and students. Basic Rights Oregon helped craft the language and Stambuagh has voiced his approval for these changes. These included phrases that have been added to several sections are “gender identity” and “gender expression.”