South Kingstown Pays Legal Fees & Fines for Legal Fight With Solas Over Critical Race Theory

South Kingstown Pays Legal Fees & Fines for Legal Fight With Solas Over Critical Race Theory

It all started in 2021.

A school committee in Rhode Island threatened to sue Nicole Solas for filing what it said were 160 separate public records requests, as they pertained to questions over school curriculum -- specifically, "critical race theory."

However, Solas argued under state law, the filings constituted just one request. 

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That was just the beginning of a battle that lasted for three years and drew national press attention.

Solas, then a South Kingstown mother of a kindergartner, fired back. The Town of South Kingstown initially issued a nearly $10,000 bill for records retrieval related to her request for information about the school district’s implementation of  “critical race and gender curriculum.”

Then, in June of 2021, the South Kingstown School Committee posted it would meet, with one of the agenda items listed as “Discussion/Action: filing lawsuit against Solas to challenge filing of over 160 APRA requests.”

Solas in late May of 2021 had posted on the website  “Legal Insurrection" to make her case for inquiring about “questions which the School District would not answer” as it pertained to curriculum, stating she could “think of a dozen better ways [her] APRA requests could have been addressed.”

Now, the battle which drew national attention has been settled.

 

Latest in Legal Battle

On Tuesday, South Kingstown’s Robert E. Littlefield, the Interim Superintendent of Schools, notified GoLocal that the town had settled with Solas.

“In coordination with the District’s current administration and legal counsel, South Kingstown Public Schools determined that ongoing, expensive litigation on this matter would continue for an unknown but likely outstanding period of time. In the best interest of the District’s financial resources and administrative time, the District successfully settled this Complaint by paying a civil fine and Ms. Solas’ costs related to filing the Complaint. This decision allows our District’s and School Committee’s time and focus to remain on the mission and work of South Kingstown Public Schools, and ensure school funds are better spent on enhancing the education of students,” wrote Littlefield.

 

South Kingstown to Pay $8,000

Here are some of the key provisions of the settlement:

1. South Kingstown shall provide Solas with copies of the responsive records forthwith and at no cost to Plaintiff.

2. South Kingstown shall pay Solas’ counsel the total sum of six thousand ($6,000.00)  dollars in full satisfaction of Plaintiff's claim for fees and costs pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-9(d).

3. South Kingstown shall pay a civil fine in the amount of two thousand ($2,000.00) dollars.

4. This is a final judgment that resolves all pending claims in this action. This judgment does not resolve or affect any other pending or future claims Plaintiff has or may have against Defendant or any other parties.