An Anne Arundel County high school principal who claimed he was denied a promotion because he is white has settled his $3.5 million suit against the school system out of court.
Terms of the settlement, reached last week, are confidential. But school officials conceded in a statement issued jointly by lawyers for both sides that "procedures applicable to filling vacancies were not fully followed in this case."
In the statement, school officials denied any "intentional violation" of the rights of William Wentworth, principal of North County High School.
Mr. Wentworth stuck to his claim that his rights were violated but conceded that Leslie Mobray, the black administrator who got the job as director of pupil services in October 1993, is qualified.
Neither Catherine Durkan, assistant county attorney, nor Mr. Wentworth's lawyer, Richard I. Kovelant, executive director of the Association of Education Leaders, would say whether Mr. Wentworth will receive a cash settlement or a promotion as part of the settlement.
Both sides said it was in everyone's best interest to settle the case but would not comment further.
In the lawsuit, which was filed Jan. 6 in Anne Arundel Circuit Court, Mr. Wentworth alleged that he finished at the top of a list of three qualifying candidates being considered by a school board committee.
Before he sought the job, he was told by a superior that although he was qualified for the position, he might not get it because of his race, he claimed in the suit.
The job went to Mr. Mobray, who then was a fourth candidate.
At the time the suit was filed, Mr. Wentworth was a 20-year employee of the county schools, earning about $69,500 annually, according to county budget officials.
As director of pupil services, his salary would have jumped to $78,140.