A jury in the United States District Court in Bangor rendered a defense verdict in favor of Drummond Woodsum clients Regional School Unit 50 and John Doe in the case of Putnam v. RSU 50, et al, on December 3, 2015, one day after District Court Judge John Woodcock had entered judgment in favor of Larry Malone, the third defendant in the case, who was also represented by Drummond Woodsum.
The case involved claims by a successful and very popular high school baseball coach that his employment with the school district had been terminated after 44 years because he spoke out against school consolidation. By its verdict, the jury rejected this claim, agreeing instead with the defendants’ assertion that the plaintiff’s employment was terminated because of his failure to address a pattern of hazing that had occurred on his team over a number of years.
“I was truly privileged to be able to represent the dedicated educators involved in this case, all of whom had the courage to stand up for what was right for kids in the face of almost overwhelming public pressure to side with the popular and influential coach,” said Melissa Hewey, trial counsel for the school defendants in the case. “What is particularly important about this case is that it shows the change in attitude that our society has had toward hazing. No longer will a ‘boys will be boys’ attitude be tolerated in our schools and that is good for all Maine kids.”
Drummond Woodsum Obtains Federal Court Jury Verdict For Maine School Client
December 3, 2015
