Rogers student suspended for tweet about teacher wins $425K settlement
A former Rogers High School student suspended for an online comment last year has settled his lawsuit against the Elk River school district and other plaintiffs for $425,000.
Reid Sagehorn jokingly said he'd made out with a teacher. Sagehorn had to finish his senior year at another school after he was suspended for two months.
He sued on free speech grounds following his suspension.
Sagehorn's attorney Paul Dworak said the district was unable to defend the lengthy suspension.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
"They made every First Amendment argument they could think of, every First Amendment defense to the judge, and in a 45-page opinion, the judge rejected those," he said.
Sagehorn also sued Rogers police Chief Jeffrey Beahen for saying publicly that Sagehorn could be charged with a felony.
Beahen could not be reached for comment.
The school district said in a statement that it does not admit wrongdoing and it settled the case because of practical financial realities.
The district will pay $325,000 toward the settlement. The rest will come from the Rogers Police Department.