Orange School District Settles Two Lawsuits

The Orange Unified School District has settled lawsuits with a local land developer and with two fired employees who had alleged they were terminated as political payback.

Earlier this month, the board voted unanimously, with one member absent, to pay $263,852 to Judith Frutig, the district’s former spokeswoman, and $190,897 to Barbara Bowen, a risk manager who was reinstated. The district agreed also to pay the women’s attorneys’ fees of $64,000.

The pair sued the district, its superintendent and trustees last May, alleging their bosses had targeted them for speaking out against alleged improper practices by the district, such as political mailers and changes to employee benefits.

The district maintained that the women were let go as cost-saving measures. It admits no wrongdoing under the settlement.

The case had become political fodder in the pitched battle last year for control of the board between the teachers union, which took Frutig and Bowen’s side, and the old guard in the board.

The old board majority has since been ousted. Board President Robert Viviano said he hopes the settlement will turn a new chapter in the district.

“Litigation takes serious money from the general fund,” he said.

Bowen, who returned to her job Feb. 19, said, “It is just wonderful to be back. The whole atmosphere has a different feel to it.”

But not everyone was happy.

Linda Davis, a trustee ousted in the recall and a defendant in the case, said, “The district squandered hundreds of thousands of dollars that should have gone to classrooms and teachers’ salaries.”

The board also voted at its Feb. 14 meeting to settle a two-decades-old financial dispute with the developer of the Serrano Heights project, SunCal Cos.

SunCal and the district had battled over the amount of developer fees to compensate the district for the expected growth in school enrollment in the Anaheim Hills area.

SunCal sued the district in 1999 claiming it was being overcharged. Under the settlement, approved by five trustees with one member abstaining and another absent, SunCal agreed to pay $1 million in fees and another possible $2.4 million in the next 18 months, depending on further development on remaining parcels. District officials said the money will be used to provide additional classroom facilities.

The developer also agreed to build a playing field and parking lot at Anaheim Hills Elementary.