A high school teacher acquitted of student sex charges is getting $506,816 in backpay and legal expenses.

Trevor Sanders, former teacher of military science at the School of Government and Public Administration (GOPA) at Eastside High School, has been approved for $337,816 in backpay from the date of his suspension through the end of the 2018-19 school year and $169,000 in legal costs.

School board members approved the settlement on Wednesday evening. Part of the settlement includes Sanders’ “irrevocable resignation” effective Jul. 31, 2019.

Sanders was accused of touching two female students in Jun. 2015. In Dec. 2018, a jury acquitted him of criminal sexual contact involving a 16-year-old at Eastside High School in 2015 and a 5th grader at School 20 in 2013.

The jury also found him not guilty of child endangerment involving both students.

After he was cleared, Sanders sought to collect his backpay in Jan. 2018, but ran into problems. His union representative requested reinstatement, salary, and back pay. His lawyer also submitted a letter in Jan. 2018 seeking reinstatement, backpay, and attorney fees. School officials ignored all of Sanders’ requests, according to his appear filed with the commissioner of education. An administrative law judge earlier in the year ruled he was entitled to backpay for the length of time he had been suspended without pay.

In Jun. 2019, Sanders filed criminal charges in the municipal court against superintendent Eileen Shafer and the nine school board members to get his backpay. His strategy appeared to have worked.

Sanders began working for the school district in Dec. 2011. His salary was $95,942 before suspension.

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Updated 3:11 p.m.