Don Imus was having a really good day yesterday, but it probably went south a bit when he found out that Kia Vaughn, a center on the Rutger’s basketball team, had filed a lawsuit against him. I doubt it will be his last.
Vaughn’s lawsuit, believed to be the first by a player in the case, says Imus and his former co-host Bernard McGuirk, along with CBS Corp. and CBS Radio, are legally responsible for damage done to her character and reputation. There is no dollar amount listed in the suit.
Vaughn was humiliated, embarrassed and publicly mocked for the comments, the lawsuit claims. Her attorney, Richard Ancowitz, said: “The full effect of the damage remains to be seen.”
“This is about Kia Vaughn’s good name,” Ancowitz said. “She would do anything to return to her life as a student and respected basketball player — a more simple life before Imus opened his mouth on April 4.”
Imus, no stranger to lawsuits, had just won $20 million from CBS in a deal that preempted the $120 million breach of contract suit he was threatening. If Vaughn wins the case — although it seems like a longshot to me — it doesn’t look like Don Imus will miss the money.
[ESPN]
They can sue for defamation as well as emotional pain and suffering and possibly win. How many people are there on a basketball team? I think there’s a good way to split up that 20 mill.
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They’ll be dribbling basketballs all the way to bank!!!
IF they have a chance of winning, I do hope that a rich public figure says such a thing to me publicly. THE and Sallie Mae baby.
I’m kind of on the fence about this lawsuit. The money will not get her “good name” back and it sullies their victory over him I think. But then again 20 million will buy her a lot of jock straps.
What “victory” though? He got fired, got $20 mill for work he didn’t do and he’s getting a radio gig. Rutgers is cutting their entire athletic budget and they will no doubt be affected. He will continue with millions of listeners and he may have even gained a few fans in the process. No doubt he will be just as vile if not more on xm radio. Look at Howard Stern.
Class, dignity = victory
Well they had that before.
When people become litigious the perception is that they are greedy. The class and dignity she has will be tarnished. Not everything in life must end up in a court room. If she can prove that she has been denied a job or something fine, but I think it just looks tacky and it makes her look bad. How does one put a price on their “good name” anyway? Like I said, I am on the fence. I am not totally saying that it’s wrong, and she has all the right to sue, but how is her good name being screwed up when NO ONE knows her NAME to begin with? It seems opportunistic.
Prior to his receiving $20 million, I would have agreed with you, but he basically got a freebie thanks to them. I don’t know how one could turn that around in legalese to make a case. The bad publicity has probably helped his career. I don’t think anyone who listened to his garbage before was turned off by the fact that he got called out on doing something he’s been doing for decades. It’s absurd.
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