Friday, November 20, 2009 East Central Illinois

Jon White victim reaches tentative settlement with Urbana school district

By: Mary Schenk

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Wednesday, November 19, 2008

URBANA – Another of the victims of former Urbana school teacher Jon White has reached a tentative settlement with the Urbana school district.

The child will receive $390,000 in present value money, according to the terms of an agreement filed in Champaign County Circuit Court on Tuesday.

Of that amount, 30 percent – $117,000 – will go to her attorney, Ellyn Bullock of Champaign, to cover her fees. The girl will receive the rest in the form of a structured settlement beginning when she is 18 and concluding in 2059.

Mark Netter, president of the Urbana school board, declined to comment on the settlement, as did Bullock and the child's mother, who is also her legal guardian and primary caretaker.

The school district's lawyers, Rachel Lutner of Chicago and Dennis Weedman of Collinsville – both of the law firm Robbins, Schwartz, Nicholas, Lifton & Taylor – did not return messages.

Judge Brian McPheters approved the settlement, agreeing that the amount but not the child's identity should be made public. She is identified in court documents as Jane Doe-2.

The girl was a student of White, now 28, when he taught school at Thomas Paine Elementary School in Urbana from August 2005 through January 2007.

In February, White pleaded guilty to 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, eight in Champaign County and two in McLean County, where White taught prior to coming to Urbana. He is serving a 60-year prison sentence.

Lawsuits have been filed on behalf of eight of the girls in state and federal courts, against White, the Urbana school district and McLean County Unit 5 school district.

The settlement on behalf of Jane Doe-2 releases the Urbana school district and the defendants who were its employees from further litigation, but not White or the Normal school district.

Those Urbana employees include former Superintendent Gene Amberg, former human resources Director Carmelita Thomas, former Thomas Paine Principal Janice Bradley, Thomas Paine teacher Kay Grabow, lunchroom and afterschool supervisor Lamar Walker and former afterschool supervisor Rhiannon Ross.

Bullock filed the suit in federal court in July on behalf of the girl and her mother.

At least one other Champaign County victim has agreed to settle any claims against the Urbana school district for $300,000. That was done without her attorney filing a lawsuit.

And Urbana attorney Michael McClellan said he is also negotiating with the Urbana school district on behalf of one of the girls who has not filed a lawsuit.

"We believe we have a settlement, an agreement in principle," he said, adding that the paperwork and documents have not been signed.

As the settlement negotiations in the civil arena continue, so does White's criminal case. Judge Harry Clem will hear a motion by White's criminal defense attorney, Brett Olmstead of Urbana, to reduce White's sentence early next month.

Also due back in court next month are Amberg, Bradley and Thomas, who are charged with misdemeanor failure to report suspected child abuse.

News-Gazette staff writer Amy F. Reiter contributed to this report.

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