LEBANON, Pa. (AP) — A central Pennsylvania school district has approved a $265,000 settlement of a lawsuit filed over excessive fines imposed in truancy cases.
In November, a federal judge ruled the Lebanon School District had improperly fined parents. State law limits such truancy fines to $300, but some of the fines exceeded $1,000. The judge found that, from 2004 to 2009, 935 fines were levied that exceeded the $300 cap.
Part of the settlement involves reimbursing the plaintiffs' lawyers, which amounted to $147,000. The district also agreed to refund any fines it collected above this $300 per citation maximum. The agreement doesn't require the district to admit any wrongdoing.
An attorney for the plaintiffs says he's pleased with the settlement, which now moves to federal court for approval.
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