EBS STAFF
BIG
SKY – The Big Sky School District has reached a settlement with a former
student following a lawsuit filed last year. The suit alleged that school
officials were aware of ongoing sexual, physical and emotional abuse inflicted
by then-high school girls’ basketball coach Cyle Kokot, who is currently
serving a 25-year sentence with 10 years suspended after pleading guilty to
felony sexual assault in 2015.
According to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the settlement included $1.49 million awarded to Bella Butler, along with numerous requirements for indefinite staff training procedures to ensure negligence and misreporting are never again the cause of a student’s suffering.
“As
part of the settlement and aligned with our commitment to the health, safety
and well-being of our students, the District will be taking affirmative
measures to enhance our internal processes and procedures,” read a statement
released by BSSD Superintendent Dustin Shipman.
The
settlement concludes the nearly yearlong process, beginning in March of 2019,
when an unnamed plaintiff, now identified as Butler, filed a lawsuit in
district court against BSSD, claiming the school district was aware that Kokot
was engaging inappropriately with multiple players, including the plaintiff.
According
to a separate statement released by Butler, also a former reporter for this
newspaper, she felt ready to vacate the protective order that had her
previously named “Jane Doe.”
“I’ve
been greatly inspired and impacted by the bravery of women on a national level
removing their own veils of anonymity in order to effectively share their own
stories of abuse, which have empowered me to create the same opportunity for
others, like myself, hurting and afraid, to enjoy a platform to share their
important stories. Confronting my own pain and past trauma has also given me a
lot more confidence in speaking openly.”
According
to the BSSD statement, the district’s insurance carrier was responsible for the
entire sum following the district’s payment of a $1,000 deductible.
