Order Denying Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment, Deborah Nash-Utterback vs. School Board of Palm Beach County, June 8, 2012

This June 8, 2012, order of U.S. Magistrate Judge James M. Hopkins provides an overview of the key developments and legal issues in the case of a Palm Beach County public school district staff member, Deborah Nash-Utterback, who took a leave to start a charter school, publicly challenged district actions impacting the operation of the school and her employment, and  filed a lawsuit claiming she faced reprisals from the district that harmed her career and violated her free speech rights. The effect of the order is that the court finds sufficient issues in dispute exist to merit a trial. A jury verdict in the July 2012 trial in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida awarded $75,000 to Nash-Utterback.