Settlement Reached in Coughlin/Bouris Case

The Town of Arlington and Arlington Public Schools announced Tuesday afternoon that a settlement has been reached in the 2010 lawsuit brought by Charles Coughlin and Stavroula Bouris.

In the federal lawsuit, Coughlin, a former technology teacher at Ottoson Middle School, and Bouris, the school’s former principal, alleged that they were wrongfully dismissed in 2007 by then-superintendent Nathan Levenson on suspicion that they were having an affair. They have denied having the alleged affair.

The case was currently being heard in U.S. District Court.

The judgment was in favor of all Arlington defendants, according to a joint release Tuesday from the town and school district.

The plaintiffs, Coughlin and Bouris, will receive a settlement payment of $250,000, a fraction of the $7 million they sought and “less than the amount the defendants’ lawyers … estimated would [have been] required to defend [the] case moving forward to a final resolution,” according to the release.

More background on the case from a 2010 Boston Globe report >>

The joint release, from Arlington Superintendent Kathleen Bodie and Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine:

"The Town of Arlington/Arlington Public School System is pleased to report that as a result of a negotiated settlement the ongoing lawsuit brought by Charles Coughlin and Stavroula Bouris has been concluded with Judgment entering in favor of all Arlington Defendants.

A settlement payment in the amount of $250,000 will be delivered to the plaintiffs. This payment is a fraction of the $7 million sought by the plaintiffs and less than the amount the defendants’ lawyers have estimated would be required to defend this case moving forward to a final resolution.

More importantly, this settlement avoids what would likely have been years of appeals regardless of the outcome of the trial and resolves not only this lawsuit but all ongoing litigation involving Mr. Coughlin and Ms. Bouris. As a result, the Town and all parties involved will be able to move forward."

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