The state of Georgia will pay $250,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a former Georgia Southern University employee who alleged she was fired after pushing back against the university’s retreat from LGBTQ-inclusive programs and defending resources for transgender students.
Gemma Skuraton, the university’s former director of student wellness and health promotion, sued the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and Vice President for Student Affairs Shay Little, alleging violations of her First Amendment and Title IX rights and retaliation for opposing what she considered sex-based discrimination.
Skuraton joined Georgia Southern in 2016 and was promoted to director in 2020. According to her lawsuit, university leadership had previously encouraged outreach to LGBTQ students, but that environment began changing as the political climate surrounding transgender rights grew increasingly hostile.
The complaint alleged that the university removed a Pride flag from its student counseling center, deleted online information promoting LGBTQ student resources, and removed posters advertising counseling and medical services for people experiencing gender dysphoria.
The dispute escalated in 2025 after Georgia enacted legislation barring transgender college athletes from competing on teams consistent with their gender identity.
According to the lawsuit, Little subsequently informed Skuraton that Georgia Southern would not pursue a grant proposal Skuraton had supported that would have provided free chest binders to transgender students. The binder program was unrelated to athletics.
Skuraton warned that rejecting the proposal could raise concerns under Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded education.
After transgender students and allies learned of the decision, students protested and contacted local news outlets. Skuraton maintained that she did not contact the media herself but alleged Little accused her of encouraging the protests and press attention. Less than a month later, Skuraton was fired despite receiving positive performance evaluations in previous years.
$250,000 and a Changed Employment Record
The settlement does not include an admission of wrongdoing by the Board of Regents or Little.
Under its terms, the Georgia Department of Administrative Services will pay $144,365.36 to Skuraton in damages and $105,634.36 toward attorneys’ fees and expenses. The Board of Regents also agreed to reclassify her termination as a voluntary resignation, remove the termination letter from her personnel file where legally permitted, and provide her with a neutral reference.
Skuraton must dismiss the lawsuit after receiving the settlement payment.
For transgender students, the case also illustrates something bigger than one employment dispute. Political pressure may change how institutions approach LGBTQ inclusion, but employees who challenge potentially discriminatory decisions still have legal avenues to fight back.
As Skuraton’s attorney Artur Davis put it, she may have lost her job, but she “kept her moral compass.”
