Rothman Gordon: Fired Montour School District Public Relations Director Settles Job Litigation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FIRED MONTOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR SETTLES JOB LITIGATION

Pittsburgh, PA—August 24, 2005—Five years after she was terminated as Public Relations Director for the Montour School District and after three years of contentious litigation, Celeste Welsh has settled all of her claims for a payment of $135,000.

Celeste Welsh had filed suit in June, 2002 challenging her termination as Public Relations Director for the Montour School District. Ms. Welsh was fired despite almost universal praise for her outstanding work as Public Relations Director. Ms. Welsh's termination happened as the result of 11th hour maneuvers by the School Board that were done so secretly that four of the nine School Board Directors and the Business Manager had no idea that she had been fired.

The Welsh case was scheduled to go to trial on July 5, 2005 before the Honorable Joy Flowers Conti in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Ms. Welsh had claimed that her termination was in retaliation for her speaking out as a concerned parent in violation of her rights under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. In addition, Ms. Welsh had alleged that her termination violated her due process rights under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution and was a violation of her rights under applicable Pennsylvania law.

Following the settlement, Ms. Welsh stated "I am extremely pleased with the settlement. I think it is a total vindication of my belief that my termination was illegal and unnecessary. Too many people believe that you can't fight city hall. My case is proof that you can challenge illegal conduct on the behalf of a school district and, if you are determined and persevere, you can succeed. I would like to express special thanks to my attorney, Jim Carroll and his firm Rothman Gordon, P.C. for believing in me and working so hard to bring about this successful conclusion. I would also like to thank my family who stood by me and my friends, many of whom were witnesses on my behalf. I hope the Montour School District has now learned its lesson and will think twice before illegally terminating another employee."

After leaving the Montour School District, Ms. Welsh has continued to succeed in her public relations career and has been employed as a valuable member of both the Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh athletic departments. Ms. Welsh is presently employed in the Media Relations Department of the University of Pittsburgh's Athletic Department.

About Rothman Gordon
Rothman Gordon is a Pittsburgh-based law firm that has been advocating its clients' interests since 1954. Over the past 50 years, Rothman Gordon has created a suite of services for closely-held businesses and individuals. Our areas of practice include business and corporate law; commercial real estate; commercial litigation; estate planning and administration; taxation; banking and finance law; employment and labor law; and workers' compensation and social security disability.