A federal jury found that Kalispell Public Schools retaliated against Kirk and Clifford Nance after they reported alleged incidents of sexual assault, sexual harassment and hazing within the Glacier High School wrestling program. 

After four days of testimony, jurors reached a unanimous verdict on June 18, finding that the father and son engaged in activity protected by Title IX and suffered adverse actions by Kalispell Public Schools because of it. 

The jury awarded the Nances $1 in nominal damages.  

The Nances’ attorney, Avery Field of Bliven Law Firm, said the case was not about money. 

“It was about making sure that students are safe and that parents feel safe in making reports of sexual harassment or other misconduct so that the school district can act,” Field said. 

The verdict comes nearly a year and a half after the Nances filed the lawsuit on Jan. 7, 2025. The case stems from alleged incidents of sexual assault and hazing involving the wrestling team during the 2021-22 school year. Clifford Nance was a homeschooled student competing on the Glacier team when, in 2022, a teammate reportedly warned him about hazing, recounting an incident of being sexually assaulted on a traveling team bus.  

The plaintiffs outlined in their complaint that after reporting the sexual assault allegations to Kalispell Police Department and school officials, the district retaliated by barring Kirk Nance from attending wrestling practices and banning him from school property while impeding his son’s opportunities to participate on the team, including preventing him from riding a team bus, while “decreasing the amount and quality of coaching” he received.     

The complaint also alleged that school district staff and wrestling team volunteers called the Missoula Police Department to a hotel the team was staying at and made “false reports” to officers, which resulted in a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge and citation for Kirk Nance. 

The district maintains that its actions were in response to Kirk Nance’s conduct and in the interest of student and staff safety — not retaliation.   

“We respect the judicial process and appreciate the jury's service,” Kalispell Public Schools Superintendent Matt Jensen said in an emailed response to the Daily Inter Lake. “This case was not about our student-athletes' inappropriate behavior or how our administrators held them accountable. Rather, this case was about the decision our administrators made to limit Mr. Nance's access to school property, other people's kids, and our staff.” 

In April, a federal judge denied Kalispell Public Schools’ request for summary judgment, which is a request to toss a case without trial. The ruling meant the court saw enough evidence on both sides that a jury should decide the outcome. 

Jensen said the district has not decided whether to appeal the verdict, or if an appeal is “available, appropriate or advisable.” 

"We hope this experience leads to greater clarity and more collaborative responses between parents and staff when difficult situations arise, with our focus remaining squarely on what is best for students,” he wrote. “While we continue to believe our coaches and administrators acted with our students' best interests in mind, we welcome opportunities to improve how we communicate the procedures and policies available to individuals who feel they have been treated unfairly.” 

Bliven Law Firm is also representing a former Glacier High School wrestler in a lawsuit filed in January 2025 in Yellowstone County District Court alleging teammates sexually assaulted him in a Billings hotel room in 2022. A pretrial conference is scheduled July 8, according to Field, who expects the trial will be scheduled in 2027. 

“I think one thing that I’d like to add is our firm’s gratitude to Kirk and Clifford Nance for being willing to step up and do the right thing and report the sexual harassment when they became aware of it even in the face of adversity,” Field said. 

Reporter Hilary Matheson can be reached at 406-758-4431 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.