"After a planning session yesterday and this morning with Alan Miller, Kay Hodge, and John Maher, I have concluded that it is no longer cost effective to fight the Chuck Coughlin unemployment issue.
 
"When we made the decision to fight Mr. Coughlin's appeal of the State's decision denying his claim for unemployment, we anticipated a 1 hour hearing. Based on the strategy used by Mr. Coughlin's attorney, this will likely stretch into days, and possibility more than a week of hearings. Each hearings is expensive and causes a number of teachers to miss work as well.

"Given these new facts, I don't think it is a good use of the taxpayer funds.
 
"This decision has no bearing on the other cases nor does it imply anything about the strength of our case. It is a financial decision.
 
"This information will be shared with Mr. Coughlin's attorney [Frank Mondano] this afternoon, and should remain confidential until the end of the day today."

No figures about costs were provided.
 
Coughlin was dismissed last Aug. 9 following reports of an investigation of e-mail exchanges between Stavroula Bouris, then the Ottoson principal, who was dismissed Aug. 23. Statements about the dismissals of both cited alleged forgery as the main reason each was fired.

Subsequently, Coughlin sought unemployment benefits but was turned down, and he appealed. The school administration opposed that appeal, but has now dropped its opposition.

Supporters of Coughlin have characterized the news as a "win" for Coughlin. The decision about jobless benefits is separate from issues involving the release of further e-mails, on arbitration or on a lawsuit challenging how the e-mails came to light.

Levenson, Coughlin, attorneys involved and Jack Duranceau, teacher union representative, have been asked to comment.

{mosimage}This story was first published on YourArlingtonat 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 21, 2008.