Lanigan Rejects FCPS' Settlement Offer for Defending Himself Against False Accusation

It has been an excruciating year and half for 

Lanigan was acquitted in 2010 of molesting a sixth-grade student at Centreville's Centre Ridge Elementary School after it later was found out the girl fabricated the story. He has tried for more than a year to have his legal fees of more than $100,000 reimbursed. The Fairfax County School Board declined, offering only $60,000 with the condition that Lanigan not sue any school officials.

Lanigan rejected the partial offer and filed suit on Friday asking that the school board pay the entire $107,838, with no strings attached, writes Tom Jackman in The Washington Post's State of NoVa blog.

The school board reimbursed Lanigan for the salary he lost while he was suspended after his January 2010 arrest. He was reassigned to South Lakes at the start of the 2010-11 school year.

Lanigan told The Post earlier this year that his arrest, incarceration, removal from Centre Ridge and trial imposed needless suffering based on an incomplete investigation of the girls’ allegations. He has not filed any legal action based on that aspect of the case.

Lanigan coaches boys soccer at Herndon High School and was The Post's 2011 Coach of the Year.