School district settles with Crook for $145k and backpay

A settlement has been reached between the Creston Community School District and high school teacher Melisa Crook following months of litigation.

The settlement, approved by the CCSD school board following closed session discussions Monday, April 20, lists a number of requirements for the school district, including:

• Compensating Crook “for all salary and benefits due under her 2025-26 Teaching Contract and 2025-26 Extracurricular Contract through the effective date of her resignation.”
• The district’s insurer paying Crook $145,000 on the district’s behalf.
• Taking any mention of Crook’s comment, the district’s investigation, the recommendation to terminate or any related disciplinary actions out of her employment record.
• Issuing a prewritten public statement supporting differing opinions in the district.

In turn Crook had agreed to resign from the district at the end of the 2025-26 contract year and not apply for rehire in the future. Crook has been hired for the next school year by the Nodaway Valley Community School District as a high school language arts teacher.

Through this settlement, both parties will dismiss their respective claim and appeal. The agreement is not an admission of liability or wrongdoing from either party.

Background

Following the comment Crook made on Sept. 10 regarding the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, CCSD Superintendent Deron Stender placed Crook on administrative leave and later recommended the school board pursue termination.

In October, Crook filed a complaint against CCSD alleging violations of her First Amendment rights based on their response to her Facebook comment.

On Jan. 13, U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger ruled the district was prohibited from taking any adverse employment actions against Crook for her Facebook comment.

In her ruling, Goodgame Ebinger said the defendants lacked evidence to show the disruption was large enough to justify censoring Crook. The district filed to appeal her ruling Feb. 6