Judge grants request for damages of $1, attorney fees in suit against school district

Federal Judge Douglas Harpool on Thursday ordered the Joplin School District to pay $1 in damages and to cover the attorney fees for the parent of two district students who won a lawsuit against the district over field trips to Victory Ministry and Sports Complex.

Harpool ruled on March 9 in favor of the parent, who is not identified in the lawsuit filed by the American Humanist Association. The parent had cited two field trips by North Middle School, which one of her children attended, in 2015 to Victory, as having violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Harpool agreed with that claim in his final order Thursday and also barred the district from conducting future school-sponsored activities at Victory or "any other religious venue."

Joplin School District administrators on Friday said they were still reviewing the decision and planned to discuss it with the Board of Education at its Tuesday meeting before making any comment. The district has not yet decided whether or not it will appeal the decision.

Read more: http://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/judge-grants-request-for-damages-attorney-fees-in-suit-against/article_2cae3faf-8ae5-52c7-9b85-b70f21b80abf.html