- SCREENSHOT
- Travis and Blake Allen in a promotional video for Alliance Defending Freedom
Blake Allen will receive $5,000, while her father, middle school soccer coach Travis Allen, will get $35,000. The remaining $85,000 will go to their lawyers at Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group best known for representing a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. That case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which narrowly ruled in favor of the baker in 2018.
The Orange Southwest School District's insurance company will pay the $125,000 settlement.
The Allens sued the district in October 2022. They contended that Blake was suspended for two days and made to take part in a "restorative circle" after making comments that the transgender student, a member of the volleyball team, did not belong in the girls' locker room. The suit also stated that Travis was suspended from his coaching position for misgendering the student. The suit claimed that the district violated the Allens' First Amendment rights.
The mother of the transgender student gave a different account of the situation to Seven Days last October. She said her daughter had been verbally harassed in the locker room by several girls on her volleyball team, including Blake. The school district launched an investigation into the incident following several complaints from students who said they witnessed the bullying.
The Vermont Agency of Education dictates that all public and independent schools are required to investigate claims of harassment, hazing and bullying and take "prompt and appropriate disciplinary and/or remedial action" to stop the behavior and prevent it from reoccurring.
Related Mother of Transgender Student in Randolph Says Her Daughter Was Bullied
Mother of Transgender Student in Randolph Says Her Daughter Was Bullied
Education
The settlement calls for Travis to be reinstated as the middle school girls' soccer coach in the fall of 2023 and to have any references to his suspension removed from his personnel file. Additionally, Blake's school records will not include any mention of the harassment, hazing and bullying investigations against her.
Soon after filing their lawsuit last year, Travis and Blake Allen appeared on the now-canceled Fox News' program, "Tucker Carlson Tonight," where Carlson hailed the Allens as heroes. The father and daughter were also interviewed on conservative cable network Newsmax and featured in a promotional video for Alliance Defending Freedom.
In written statements on Monday, both sides expressed satisfaction with the settlement.
Alliance Defending Freedom senior counsel Phil Sechler described it as "a resounding victory for freedom of speech."
"We are glad to see this case resolve favorably," Sechler wrote, "not only for Blake and Travis, but for all students and coaches to be able to speak freely and without fear of retaliation."
Related Conservative Legal Group Sues After Randolph Student Suspended
Conservative Legal Group Sues After Randolph Student Suspended
Education
Alliance Defending Freedom senior counsel Phil Sechler described it as "a resounding victory for freedom of speech."
"We are glad to see this case resolve favorably," Sechler wrote, "not only for Blake and Travis, but for all students and coaches to be able to speak freely and without fear of retaliation."
Orange Southwest superintendent Layne Millington wrote in an email that "the payment by the District’s insurance company was far less than the anticipated costs of defending the case."
"Our District is pleased to eliminate the distraction so that we can solely focus on student learning," Millington continued. "Furthermore, the district's rules and regulations [in regard to coaching] have not changed and Mr. Allen as part of the settlement has agreed to follow them."
"Our District is pleased to eliminate the distraction so that we can solely focus on student learning," Millington continued. "Furthermore, the district's rules and regulations [in regard to coaching] have not changed and Mr. Allen as part of the settlement has agreed to follow them."
It's not the first time the Alliance Defending Freedom has settled a contentious, education-related case in Vermont. The group represented several families in a 2021 lawsuit against then-education secretary Dan French and several school districts in an effort to compel them to pay for their children to attend Catholic schools. That lawsuit was eventually settled, with the students permitted to attend the religious schools on the state's dime.
Comments
Comments are closed.
From 2014-2020, Seven Days allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we've appreciated the suggestions and insights, right now Seven Days is prioritizing our core mission — producing high-quality, responsible local journalism — over moderating online debates between readers.
To criticize, correct or praise our reporting, please send us a letter to the editor or send us a tip. We’ll check it out and report the results.
Online comments may return when we have better tech tools for managing them. Thanks for reading.