Southern Pines Pilot: Settlement reached in STARS lawsuit

Members of the STARS board have reached an agreement to settle a lawsuit.

Though mediation Tuesday came to an impasse, both parties reached an agreement during a hearing Thursday in Superior Court.

Effective immediately, Fred Walden, John Langley and Al Haltiwanger are no longer on the board, under the terms of the agreement. Steven George and Cathy Buchan will retain their seats on the board until June 2011, while Larry Graham will replace Walden as the president.

Bonnie McPeake and O’Linda Gillis will remain on the board until March 15, 2011.

The agreement also calls for appointing four new members to the board: Caroline Eddy, Peter Brownback, Rose Highland-Sharpe and Linda Tableman.

Though Walden and Langley will no longer be on the board, they will serve as consultants on an advisory board composed of former STARS board members. Both will help the STARS board address low end-of-grade test scores and remediation issues at the school over the next year.

The order also allows the STARS board to immediately address issues regarding the 2010-2011 year, including pending contracts of three teachers and Principal Sue Kemple.

On Aug. 6, Walden, George, Buchan and Amy Stonesifer, representing STARS PTO, filed the lawsuit against board members Langley, Haltiwanger, McPeake, Gillis and Graham.

Tom Van Camp, of Van Camp, Meacham and Newman, represented the defendants in the case. “The five members of the board that I represented are very pleased with the results because it addresses their concerns,” Van Camp said. “There’s not a wholesale change to the board, but there’s stability. They do have some new, fresh faces there to keep the school moving.”

Steven McCallister, of Shanahan Law Group, represented the plaintiffs during mediation and the hearing.

“Compromises were made on both sides, and I think everyone’s acted with the best interests of the school in mind,” McCallister said. “I’m hopeful that the collaborative spirit that was shown today is going to endure and the school’s best days are ahead of it.”