St. James resident Donna Olson’s lawsuit against the St. James R-1 School District will go to jury trial in 2027, according to docket entries for the case. The jury trial is set to take place in October 2027.

In the lawsuit, Olson alleged that the school district and former Superintendent Jon Rapp defamed her, inflicted injurious falsehood, caused emotional distress, and violated the Missouri Sunshine Law. Olson is seeking $25,000 in damages and reimbursement for legal fees and costs incurred from the lawsuit against the school district.

Last month, the 25th Circuit Court Judge Zachary Hamilton Armfield dismissed Rapp from the case, leaving the school district as the sole defendant. The school district itself also filed a motion to be dismissed from the case, which has not been granted.

In the lawsuit Olson claimed that an email she received from Rapp, which accused her of harassment, was spread among school personnel and community members. Olson claimed that the accusations in the email were false and damaged her reputation.

According to statements made in court filings, the school district defended itself on the grounds that it acted in good faith to comply with Missouri Sunshine Law records requests, and that it had legal grounds to redact or withhold certain records that Olson requested.

The district also argued that statements made by Rapp were either true or could be reasonably believed to be true, and that no false information was knowingly transmitted. It made similar defenses against Olson’s claims of negligent infliction of emotional distress and injurious falsehood.