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Education

Judge dismissed lawsuit against AJUSD, district says

Posted 9/14/21

A lawsuit filed by a former superintendent with the Apache Junction Unified School District over breach of contract, seeking $250,000 in compensation, was dismissed by a judge, district officials …

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Education

Judge dismissed lawsuit against AJUSD, district says

Posted

A lawsuit filed by a former superintendent with the Apache Junction Unified School District over breach of contract, seeking $250,000 in compensation, was dismissed by a judge, district officials said in a statement.

On July 19 Judge Holmberg issued his ruling, granting the district’s request for dismissal of the lawsuit, AJUSD wrote in the statement.

“On March 20, 2021, former Superintendent Dr. Chad Wilson filed a lawsuit against the district in Pinal County Superior Court, and the case was assigned to the Honorable Jason Holmberg (S1100CV202100652). Dr. Wilson filed this lawsuit as a result of statements published by former district governing board member Christa Rizzi in a September 2019 article regarding details behind Dr. Wilson’s resignation from the district in 2017. The statements made by Ms. Rizzi were made at her sole discretion and not on behalf of any other school board members,” AJUSD officials said in the statement.

The complaint had sought:

  • $250,000 and attorney’s fees and costs for breach of contract — not to disparage, defame or besmirch the reputation, good character, image or services of Wilson; or
  • $250,000 and attorney’s fees and costs for breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing from repeated disparaging comments from a board member; or
  • An undeclared amount as the district was enriched at the expense of Wilson, including him forgoing the final year of his superintendent salary.

Wilson spent 17 years with AJUSD, the last eight — 2009 to 2017 — as superintendent.