Media & Communications Law

Rutgers Player Drops Imus Slander Suit

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A Rutgers University basketball player who was targeted, along with teammates, in racist on-air comments by Don Imus has dropped her defamation suit against the shock jock and CBS Radio.

As detailed in an earlier ABAJournal.com post, Kia Vaughn claimed libel per se, which eliminates requirements that would otherwise apply to prove damages. However, she has now decided to drop the suit in order to focus on her education and the basketball team, according to CNN. The suit was filed in the New York Supreme Court in the Bronx, which is the state’s trial court.

A lawyer for Imus said he had paid nothing to Vaughn, CNN reports. However, this comment apparently did not address what the the Star-Ledger, a Newark, N.J., newspaper, says was Vaughn’s desire to use any proceeds from the suit to establish a scholarship.

CBS could not be reached for comment.

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