School district releases $3.25 million settlement document with Colombo

"Among the claims in Colombo's lawsuit was that the district botched the investigation into the alleged sex assault, denying him of his due process rights. The settlement document says: Colombo cannot return to school district property and he cannot serve as a coach, regardless of whether he is paid or unpaid. In addition to his job as a middle school PE teacher, he had been a coach at Palo Alto High School."

"The Brown Act, the state law that regulates government meetings, required the district to release the document immediately after it was approved. The school board approved the document on Feb. 10, meaning it should have been available to the public following the Feb. 10 school board meeting."

Palo Alto Unified School District released a settlement agreement on March 12 in which it agreed to pay $3.25 million to middle school PE teacher Peter Colombo following false accusations of sexual assault from the 2001-02 school year. Colombo's lawsuit claimed the district botched the investigation and denied him due process rights. The settlement document, approved by the school board on February 10, should have been released immediately under the Brown Act but was only provided after media requests citing the Brown Act and California Public Information Act. The settlement restricts Colombo from returning to school district property and prohibits him from serving as a coach. Superintendent Don Austin stepped down shortly after the settlement approval in a mutual agreement.

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