California IN BRIEF : SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO : District OKs Settling of Teacher’s Charges

The Capistrano Unified School District has agreed to correct civil rights violations and provide $12,000 in back pay to a veteran high school teacher who says she was harassed and discriminated against by top administrators for almost a decade. In a closed-door session, the school board voted to settle a bitterly contested age and sex discrimination complaint brought by Ruth Geis, 64, an award-winning San Clemente High English instructor with more than 30 years in the classroom. If approved by the U.S. Department of Education, the settlement offer could end years of controversy.