Former superintendent’s lawsuit against Tiffin City Schools settled

TIFFIN, OH — A lawsuit filed by a former district superintendent against Tiffin City Schools has been settled, according to court records.

Vicki A. Wheatley’s lawsuit alleged that the district and local school board participated in gender-based employment discrimination, retaliation, unequal pay (based on gender), and a hostile work environment.

Attorneys for Wheatley and the school district notified the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio that the case had been settled. No details were provided on the details of the settlement.

Wheatley, of Port Clinton, served as Tiffin City Schools superintendent from January 2014 up until late July 2017.

Wheatley claims in the lawsuit, originally filed July 3, that she was told by school officials that they would “only hire a male,” and that her replacement, a male, only has his master’s degree and five more years of experience than her, but is receiving pay and benefits that are “substantially” more than what she received, according to the lawsuit.

Wheatley was often the center of the controversy during her time as superintendent, being accused of unfairness in the debate regarding the Family Learning Center and Tiffin City Schools’ partnership with local educational service centers.

Tiffin City Schools published a press release in response to the lawsuit. “The Tiffin City Schools board is unanimous in its support of new Superintendent Gary Barber who is aggressively implementing a plan to put our schools on the right path to success,” it states. “It appears to be working. Our ultimate success will be measured in terms of our students’ ability to be college or career ready.”