The Marshalltown Community School District (MCSD) and the family of a former student have reached a $25,000 cash settlement over a 2020 incident during which a bus aide allegedly injured the student.

Former bus aide Sandra Lurvey, who has since been fired, is still awaiting a criminal trial on charges of child endangerment — bodily injury, a Class D felony, and assault causing bodily injury or mental illness, an aggravated misdemeanor.

According to a police report, the dispute arose on Jan. 30, 2020, when a student on a special needs bus took her coat off due to sensory issues, and Lurvey allegedly began “physically fighting” the student in an attempt to convince her to put it back on due to the cold temperatures.

Attorney Ben Lynch of Clive, who represented the plaintiffs, said he would’ve “loved to get more” in the settlement but added that he felt $25,000 was ultimately the right number to avoid further litigation.

MCSD Superintendent Theron Schutte said the situation was unfortunate, but settling made the most sense from the district’s perspective.

“I wasn’t happy to have to settle, but unfortunately with these kinds of deals, settling tends to be the cheaper way out whether somebody turns out to be innocent or guilty,” Schutte said.

Schutte said the district took immediate action after learning of the incident, and although the situation is now resolved, it can still serve as a teachable moment.

“We’ll continue to try to figure out what more we need to do to train drivers and bus monitors when we have children that do not comply,” he said.