Fulton voters are likely to recognize the name of one of the candidates on the ballot for the Fulton School Board this April.
Ruth Burt, a former Fulton Public Schools employee, sued the district in federal court in November 2012. Burt claimed she was wrongfully fired in September 2012 for calling police about a student possibly having a gun at Fulton High School.
The student in question was not proven to have had a gun in school, although he admitted to carrying an air pistol near the school the day before.
Burt's lawsuit claimed the district had violated her free speech rights and a Missouri law that "makes it unlawful for any supervisor to take any disciplinary action (including termination) against an employee for disclosing any information which the employee reasonably believes evidences a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety."
The suit was settled out of court.
Burt insists that she does not bear a grudge against the school district, and that the incident had no bearing on her decision to run for the school board.
"I don't have any hard feelings, I just want a better understanding of how the school board operates," Burt said. "I'm just interested."