Partial settlement in “John Doe” case

A partial settlement has been reported in the case of a man who claims he was abused by a teacher while he was a student in Oconee public schools. A mediator, Karl Folkens of Florence, signed an order that settles the case of “John Doe” as it applies to the Oconee School District. The terms of the settlement with the school district were not disclosed in the mediator’s court filing. In 2012, former Walhalla teacher and coach Richard “Trey” Gardner III was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing two students. Since then, two civil lawsuits on behalf of John Doe have been filed against Gardner and others. The partial settlement with the school district covers the lawsuit filed against Gardner, the county district, and the state Department of Education. Mediator Folkens on February 19 conducted a proceeding called alternative dispute resolution, in which a representative of an insurance carrier took part by telephone.