TRI CITY -- The South Umpqua School Board voted unanimously to settle an unfair labor practice complaint Wednesday night.

The school district agreed to pay former employee Claudia Vangstad $9,000, though it denied the substance of the charges, according to the settlement agreement.

The complaint was filed in August by the Douglas County Bargaining Council -- a regional council of the Oregon Education Association representing South Umpqua teachers -- after the board granted Vangstad early retirement in February 2005 even though she wasn't eligible according to the board's policies.

The district gave Vangstad, who worked as a child behavioral specialist, a contract to finish out the school year and then terminated her employment the following month, saying she painted out a no parking sign at Myrtle Creek Elementary School. Vangstad said she was given permission to paint the sign.

The union argued that changes to the early retirement policy should be bargained with the union. The district said it had always been generous in offering employees early retirement.

Under the settlement, both parties recognize the district's past practices.

"The parties agree that if the (union) wishes to initiate changes in those past practices, it will place a demand to bargain before the district," the agreement said. "If such occurs, the district agrees to bargain over the demand."

The claim also said Vangstad's civil rights had been violated because she was told she could not discuss her work or the work of other employees.

The $9,000 settles all the district's alleged violations against Vangstad, and her early retirement agreement remains in effect.

"As soon as I knew that it was going to be over, everything just seemed to go into place," Vangstad said, adding that the union's attorney said both parties realized Vangstad was mistreated.

"After that was said, I was just trying to move on," she said.

Vangstad has been busy since her retirement. She has continued to volunteer at Myrtle Creek Elementary, organizing a Halloween fundraiser and the Dress a Child program. She also volunteered with the Red Cross, helping Hurricane Katrina victims, and she taught conversational English to foreign exchange students at Evergreen State College in Olympia.

She will take a group of students to Australia with the People to People student ambassador program this summer.

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