The trial for a lawsuit against the Jefferson City School District has been postponed to 2021.
In April 2017, former technology coordinator Tammy Ferry filed a lawsuit against JC Schools Superintendent Larry Linthacum and Director of Technology Joe Martin, her former supervisor, alleging retaliation, sex discrimination and a hostile work environment.
Ferry was fired in July 2019 after a hearing over allegations she put student information at risk when she transferred files to her personal Google account.
In August 2019, Ferry appealed the school board's decision to fire her. The appeal argued there was no evidence Ferry had disclosed any confidential student data to anyone or that she had willfully or persistently violated school board policy.
A trial in the 2017 lawsuit was previously scheduled for this past November but was delayed so Ferry's attorney, Dennis Egan, could file new claims after she was fired.
"This raises new claims of retaliation, wrongful discharge for retaliation, defamation and the like," Egan told the News Tribune at the time. "We need to file those, and we wouldn't be able to make it before trial."
On March 3, Cole County Judge Jon Beetem ruled the district had illegally fired Ferry, saying there was no evidence a disclosure was made to a third party. He ordered the district to restore Ferry's employment, pay her back pay from between her discharge and reinstatement, and pay attorney's fees.
On March 10, JC Schools filed a notice of appeal on Beetem's ruling.
On June 19, the trial for the 2017 lawsuit was scheduled for Sept. 8-18.
Last Friday, it was postponed to June 1-11, 2021, according to court documents.
David Moen, Ferry's co-counsel, said the trial was delayed because JC Schools' appeal is still pending, and this decision will affect the case. The decision on whether Ferry was wrongfully terminated will probably be resolved by the Western District Appeals Court by the end of the year, and June 1 was the earliest date that all parties were available in 2021, Moen said.