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$30K paid in settlement of Portage high school tennis bullying case

Posted at 8:53 AM, Sep 29, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-29 08:53:27-04

PORTAGE, Mich. (AP) — A former Michigan high school tennis player and her mother were paid $30,000 in settlement of a lawsuit that alleged she was bullied while on the varsity team.

Michelle Karpinski, community relations manager for Portage Public Schools, says the money was paid to Carly Pratt and her mother from insurance for Portage Central High School.

The Kalamazoo Gazette reports documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act said both sides were ordered to pay their own attorney fees.

In the 2015 lawsuit, Pratt and her mother, Meredith, accused coaches and school officials of allowing her to be bullied by teammates and of kicking her off the team before state finals.

In a court filing, a lawyer for Portage Public Schools had said Pratt was deemed academically ineligible to play.