Jackson Free Press

Jackson Public Schools reached a settlement with Michael and Rachel Ellis in the Ellis' Title VII lawsuit filed in January against JPS Superintendent Dr. Earl Watkins for sexual harassment.

JPS has not revealed the terms of the settlement, although Ellis and his legal team are reportedly pleased. The payout, according to sources who wish to remain anonymous, is in the half-million dollar range. JPS has also not revealed whether Watkins—who has continued to maintain that he never harassed Ellis-—will face any consequences.

"The parties agreed that all legal proceedings are dismissed with prejudice, without any finding of wrongdoing by JPS or Watkins," read Delmer Stamps from a prepared statement after a JPS Board executive session on Friday. "There will be no more legal actions among the parties"
Watkins fired Ellis, former principal of Chastain Middle School, in December 2006, accusing Ellis of doctoring payroll records, mismanaging funds and failing to achieve significant progress at Chastain, among other things. Ellis alleged Watkins sexually harassed him and that his firing was an act of retaliation for bringing the harassment to the attention of JPS.

Ellis requested a termination hearing from JPS, which was his right. During the hearing, the state auditor's office investigated their own audit findings, which JPS cited among their reasons for Ellis' firing, to determine the possibility of criminal charges against Ellis. That investigation did not find evidence of payroll document tampering, which JPS presented as the key, most damning evidence for Watkins' actions.

Canton Public Schools hired Michael Ellis, in the meantime, as an assistant principal at Nichols Middle School.