KALAMAZOO, MI — A Kalamazoo Public Schools employee has reached a settlement agreement with the district in a March 2023 whistleblower lawsuit.
Tabatha Coleman sued the district nearly two years ago, alleging an abuse of district funds and violations of Michigan’s Open Meetings Act, as well as retaliation against her for being a whistleblower.
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As the result of the settlement, Coleman will receive an undisclosed amount, according to court documents.
All claims filed against the district and two named officials in the lawsuit will also be dismissed.
Coleman had served as secretary to the KPS superintendent and Board of Education, but was involuntarily transferred to a lower-level job after filing a complaint about how the board spent money and about public notices of meetings, her attorney Eric Delaporte told the Kalamazoo Gazette/MLive at the time.
She is currently employed by the district as supervisor of special projects for elementary education, according to the district website.
The change in job status resulted in her losing about $7,500 per year, Delaporte said at the time of the suit.
Former interim Superintendent Cindy Green — who was named in the suit — said in 2023 that Coleman’s job transfer actually came with a raise that covered the initial $7,500 loss in income.
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