T he Higley Unified School District Governing Board last week voted unanimously to approve a settlement of a lawsuit by a Texas educator it hired as its next superintendent in 2024 – then fired him before he even took the job.

Former superintendent prospect Dr. John “Nate” Carman filed a lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court last April seeking $826,500 in wages and other benefits he lost when the district terminated his three-year contract.

His suit accuses Higley of “unlawfully” terminating that contact.

The board met behind closed doors to discuss a settlement and emerged from the meeting to approve the agenda item – which did not disclose how much the district is paying Carman.

Districts often rely on the Arizona School Trust Retention Fund, a kind of insurance policy for p

See Full Page