Jury backs Nicholas Sparks in lawsuit by former school head

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A federal jury sided Wednesday with novelist Nicholas Sparks and the non-public Christian faculty he based in his North Carolina hometown, dismissing claims by the varsity’s former headmaster that he was unjustly fired after which slandered by the creator.

Jurors spent about three hours earlier than deciding that the creator of “Message in a Bottle” and “The Pocket book,” the novelist’s basis and Epiphany College of International Research owed nothing to Saul Hillel Benjamin. Benjamin sued in 2014, contending he was fired with out trigger, then defamed when Sparks instructed a job recruiter, faculty trustees and others that Benjamin suffered from psychological sickness.

“The decision speaks volumes, and fully rejects the marketing campaign waged by Mr. Benjamin and his legal professionals in an try and discredit Epiphany and me,” Sparks mentioned in an announcement from his publicist.

Benjamin’s legal professionals argued that the previous faculty headmaster was pushed out of the job he held for lower than 5 months in 2013 as a result of some mother and father on the faculty in New Bern, about 120 miles (195 kilometers) east of Raleigh, have been sad about his new deal with range and homosexual college students.

Benjamin’s twin contracts with the varsity and Sparks’ basis have been price greater than $256,000 a yr, proof confirmed.

Jurors determined Benjamin resigned his job days earlier than Sparks and the varsity’s different trustees would talk about firing the educator for causes that included mendacity about his work expertise and job efficiency. For instance, Sparks’ attorneys mentioned, Benjamin lied that the varsity’s funds have been barely above water after they have been deeply within the crimson. Sparks additionally testified the educator had taken to calling individuals who disagreed with him bigots and racists behind their backs.

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Sparks mentioned his perception in Benjamin plummeted when the author realized about an unofficial LGBT pupil membership that was assembly with some lecturers however which Benjamin instructed him did not exist. Sparks bristled throughout hours of testimony and after the decision in response to what he mentioned have been efforts by Benjamin’s legal professionals to take some emailed feedback out of context to painting him as anti-gay.

“As my testimony made clear, I’ve at all times been personally supportive of homosexual rights, homosexual marriage, and homosexual adoption. Additional, Epiphany is and stays a spot the place college students and college of any race, perception, faith, background, or orientation ought to really feel welcome,” Sparks mentioned in an announcement.

Sparks has revealed practically two dozen novels, virtually half of which have been become movies. He and his spouse based Epiphany College, which opened in 2006 and now enrolls about 500 college students between kindergarten and 12th grade.

Sparks testified that Benjamin accepted $150,000 to resign as a substitute of threat being fired. Proof confirmed Benjamin handwrote an preliminary resignation letter and later added a resignation electronic mail to Sparks and different trustees. Benjamin countered that his resignation was involuntary and that it violated his contracts.

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