Delta College (Mich.) Pays Students $195K in Sexual Harassment Settlement

Both Delta College and a former professor admit to no wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
Published: June 20, 2017

Delta College agreed to pay two students nearly $200,000 in February to settle a a sexual harassment lawsuit.

A freedom-of-information request fulfilled this week revealed the details of the settlement for the first time, report mlive.com.

Emily Mason and MaCayla Jablonski will receive $195,000 total in the settlement, which they reached with Delta College and former professor Jonathan Brent Fonville.

Both defendants still deny any liability or wrongdoing.

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Mason and Jablonski brought the lawsuit in the summer of 2016 claiming they endured severe emotional distress that created an “intimidating, hostel and offensive sex-based educational environment.” They also alleged that Delta College took inadequate steps to stop the sexual harassment.

The school’s Title IX investigative summary report states that the plaintiffs claim Fonville began direct messaging one of them on Twitter and twice showed up at her place of employment. He also allegedly sent the same woman a Twitter message that linked to an article entitled “The Most Charming Penis You’ll Ever See.”

The report states that both women received anonymous requests for nude photos from Tumblr in 2015, and both believed Fonville was behind the messages.

After the women filed a complaint with the Public Safety Department, Fonville was removed from campus and was ordered not to contact the women, according to the report.

Fonville resigned from the college in November of 2015.

Delta College Title IX Equity Officer Loyce Brown later concluded in the Title IX investigation that it was more likely than not that Fonville violated Title IX and the school’s sexual harassment policy.

 

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