February 26, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 FLOW Area Former counselor sues regional high school district by Frank J. McMahon A former guidance counselor who was employed by the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District from 2005 to 2009, when she was terminated, has filed a lawsuit charging the district broke the settlement agreement that was reached with her in January 2013. Elisabeth Walter has sued the district, the board of education, and up to five unnamed school district employees. In her lawsuit, she claims she was harmed because the portion of her agreement intended to keep her settlement agreement confidential was violated when the district published a notice of the agreement in the school board’s agenda. She also claims the school board made reference to her settle- ment in the minutes of the board’s meet- ing during which the settlement agreement was approved, and published it on the dis- trict’s website. As a result, Walter claims the district intentionally interfered with her ability to obtain other employment because pro- spective employers were able to see that prior litigation existed and they were even able to access the terms and conditions of the settlement, which were not to be dis- closed. Walter said she has not been able to obtain employment and was not hired by a number of prospective employers who became aware of the litigation and/or the settlement agreement. She also said her performance as an employee of the school district was dis- cussed without her consent or without any waiver from her, and her right to privacy was therefore violated and she was dam- aged. According to Walter, the school dis- trict had a duty to take reasonable precau- tions to protect her from harassment and discrimination after she and the district entered into the settlement agreement. She complains the district participated in actions to cause her physical, emotional, and economic harm from the retaliation, harassment, and/or abuse she received as a result of the district’s violation of her right to privacy. Under the January 2013 settlement, there was to be strict confidentiality with the intention of maintaining confidential- ity unless and until a member of the public made a request for it under the state’s Open Public Records Act. In addition, Walter claims the district’s superintendent at the time was to be the person all prospective employers would contact. However, she states that that superintendent was knowingly leaving the district, which left that part of the agree- ment without any force or effect. Walter claims that prospective employ- ers called the school district for references, but the superintendent had already left the district and several employees and/or supervisors provided negative references about her to those prospective employers. She demands a judgment against the school district for damages including com- pensatory damages, punitive damages, interest, attorney fees, and other costs of the lawsuit. The complaint has been assigned to Superior Court Judge Rachelle L. Hare and more than 450 days have been provided for discovery in this case. The school board’s resolution approving the settlement agreement in January 2013 named Walter as the plaintiff, but did not provide any details of the settlement. That settlement agreement, however, has been obtained by Villadom TIMES as a result of an OPRA request and it shows that the school district agreed to pay Walter a total of $275,000 in full and com- plete satisfaction of her claims against the district, of which the district was respon- sible for $25,000 and the balance was the responsibility of the school district’s insur- ance carrier. Under the terms of that agreement, Walter agreed to only disclose the terms of the agreement to her husband, family, accountant, and attorney. The agreement, however, recognizes that the school district is a public entity and, as such, the terms of the agreement are “discoverable” through appropriate legal avenues by any person. Each party agreed, however, to attempt to keep the terms confidential. In addition, Walter agreed not to dis- close any confidential information obtained during the course of her employment in the school district, and the school district agreed to issue a letter of recommendation consistent with the positive evaluations in Walter’s personnel file. Richard Keenan, CFO of Valley Health System, will discuss the Affordable Care Act at the Franklin Lakes Republican Club’s March 3 meeting. The club will meet at 7:45 p.m. in the ambulance corps build- ing on Bender Court. This program was rescheduled after having been canceled due to inclement weather. As CFO of Valley Hospital since 1974, Keenan has a unique perspective on this vital topic. He will discuss the evolving changes in the health care system based on the ACA’s impact on the medical system and projected patient health care services. A question and answer session will follow. Light refreshments will be served. The meeting is open to members and Franklin Lakes residents. RSVP by calling Pete Swist at (201) 337-5140 or Judi Ygle- sias at (201) 891-4384. Richard Keenan to address club