School district OKs deal in former teacher's abuse case

The Associated Press

BEAUFORT, S.C. --

Beaufort County educators have agreed to pay more than $500,000 to settle a lawsuit from a student who claimed to have been sexually abused by a former music teacher.

The Beaufort Gazette reports that the county's Board of Education unanimously approved the settlement Tuesday.

Philip Underwood-Sheppard was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2003, for molesting at least nine students. Some of the assaults took place in his office.

In August, the district finalized a $4.6 million settlement for six victims. A seventh case was settled and paid by district liability insurers.

The eighth victim had rejected a $300,000 settlement offer from the district in February before agreeing to the $563,000 settlement