Brickyard Settlement Terms Remain Unclear

The Montgomery County Board of Education settled with Nick Maravell of Nick's Organic Farm mid-December, closing the lawsuit before appearing before the Montgomery County Circuit Court.

Nick Maravell will continue to farm on Brickyard Road until August of 2012, but it is unclear under what terms Maravell settled his lawsuit with the Montgomery County Board of Education.

The Montgomery County Circuit Court was scheduled to hear the Brickyard case in December, but the day before the case was to be heard. Montgomery County, a second defendant in the case, also settled with Maravell by granting a license extension, allowing him to continue farming until August. Without the extension, Maravell's lease was set to expire at the end of 2011.

According to Maravell's attorney, Jim Parsons of Rockville, and Montgomery County's attorney, Clifford Royalty of Rockville, the terms of the BOE's settlement were confidential.

Spokesman for the Montgomery County Board of Education, Dana Tofig, could not provide more details.

"They have not been released as far as I am aware," Tofig said of the settlement terms.

Repeated calls to the BOE's lawyer, Samantha Williams with Venable LLP in Rockville, have not been returned.

Parsons and Maravell will continue with the case before the Maryland State Board of Education, which will decide if the . The case has been with the state board for several months now, but remains undecided. According to Bill Reinhard, spokesman for the Maryland Department of Education, the state board is scheduled to meet January 24, but the agenda has not yet been set.