Victoria Addison is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media a federal judge has ruled in favor of a former Cairo-Durham first-grade teacher following a seven-year court battle. The decision was handed down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan, March 30. The school district must now pay Donna Scarpinati de Olivera for damages incurred when the district violated her rights under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. She was terminated by Cairo-Durham in 2010 for taking 23 days of unpaid leave following the birth of her child. A trial will begin Aug. 21, when a jury will hear testimony to determine the amount of damages de Olivera is owed. She is currently employed as a kindergarten teacher by the New Lebanon Central School District. Cairo-Durham district officials declined to comment on the ruling. Read the full story in the Register-Star.