BLINN BOARD APPROVES SETTLEMENT OF SANDERS SUIT

  

The Blinn College Board of Trustees has approved a settlement in a suit brought by a student, claiming her free speech had been infringed.

At a special noon meeting today (Tuesday), the board went into executive session to discuss a settlement with former student Nicole Sanders.  After the session the board quietly—without comment approved a $50,000 settlement with Sanders, without any admission of wrongdoing.

Blinn officials say the agreement to settle was primarily a business move, stating that the $50,000 settlement is less than it would have cost to defend the case.

Back in May of 2015 Nicoloe Sanders filed a lawsuit against Blinn due to an incident that February when she says she was told by an administrator that she would need special permission to display a gun rights sign and collect signatures for her student group on campus.

Sanders filed a First Amendment lawsuit against Blinn—claiming the restriction of her “free speech”.   The group, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, assisted Sanders in filing the federal lawsuit.

Last month, the board voted to approve changes to its policy, making it easier to exercise “Expressive Activities” on campus.

Also at today’s (Tuesday) meeting, the board awarded Collier Construction a guaranteed maximum price of $716,000 for the construction of an athletic training facility located on the Brenham campus.

The 11,000-square foot Doyle Coatney Athletic Training Facility will be located beside the Brenham campus tennis courts. The facility will include indoor batting cages for baseball and softball, as well as a weight room and a meeting room.

The project is expected to total $836,441, to be funded entirely through donations.