MARSHALL — A lawsuit brought against Marshall Public Schools by a former Marshall Middle School principal will be going into mediation this month, court records said.

On Monday, members of the Marshall School Board also met in closed session to discuss the upcoming mediation with the district’s legal counsel.

In 2021, former Marshall Middle School principal Mary Kay Thomas sued the school district in Minnesota District Court. The lawsuit alleged that the school board retaliated against Thomas for refusing to remove an LGBTQ pride flag from a display at the middle school. The lawsuit also alleged that Thomas experienced sexual harassment from school board member Bill Swope.

Thomas was removed as middle school principal and reassigned as coordinator of special projects, a position that did not exist at Marshall Public Schools before, the lawsuit alleged.

According to documents filed in Minnesota District Court on Nov. 9, the parties in the lawsuit had agreed to enter private mediation. The mediation was tentatively scheduled for Dec. 19.

In response, the court directed the parties in the lawsuit to file a joint letter by Dec. 22, giving an update on the status and outcome of the mediation.

During part of Monday’s Marshall School Board meeting, board members met in closed session to discuss pending litigation. Attorneys for the school district said the purpose of the closed session would be to talk about Thomas’s lawsuit against the district, and strategies for the upcoming mediation.

After meeting with attorneys, the school board went back into open session.