Don Imus Sued by Rutgers Basketball Player

[sean penn]

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3479449&page=1

Don Imus is facing his first lawsuit from a player on the Rutgers Women's Basketball team for derogatory comments that cost him his job as a radio host in April, ABC News has learned.

Kia Vaughn, star center for the Rutgers Women's Basketball team, has filed a lawsuit against Imus for libel, slander and defamation -- the first civil suit to be filed against the former radio host. Vaughn is asking for monetary damages of an unspecified amount.

"This is a lawsuit in order to restore the good name and reputation of my client, Kia Vaughn," said her attorney, Richard Ancowitz, in an exclusive interview with the ABC News Law & Justice Unit.

The suit names Imus individually, but it is also waged against MSNBC, NBC Universal, CBS Radio, CBS Corp., Viacom Inc., Westwood One Radio and Imus producer Bernard McGuirk.

Today's suit refers to terms used by Imus April 4 -- including referring to women on the team as "nappy headed" -- as "debasing, demeaning, humiliating, and denigrating" to Vaughn and her fellow players. "There's no way these bigoted remarks should have seen the light of day," Ancowitz told ABC News.

"Don Imus referred to my client as an unchaste woman. That was and is a lie."

Of the networks that aired "Imus in the Morning," the lawsuit alleges that they "wrongfully, intentionally, willfully ... created, tolerated and maintained an atmosphere in which the making of outrageous statements and comments was acceptable, encouraged, and/or rewarded for many years prior to this occurrence and/or overtly encouraged the statements made."

The lawsuit alleges that use of the slanderous terms was intentional and motivated by greed and financial gain: In using insults against otherwise innocent people, Imus would get higher ratings, making more money for him and his employers. Among other infractions, the suit alleges that Imus violated the players' civil rights.

Robert Baker, a civil trial lawyer in California, says the high visibility of Imus' comments would help Vaughn in court.

"Everyone knows how unwarranted those comments were. It makes it easier for them to win their case," Baker told ABC News.

"She has a slander per se case -- the word itself was something derogatory. She doesn't even have to prove that she was damaged."

 

[sean penn]

this is ridiculous!

What a stupid Nappy Headed HO!

 

[G-Lexington]

The only people who lost out on this deal were CBS, who had to shell out a ton of money to set Imus free. Imus is all set to get another deal, which means he'll be double-paid for the next several years. Not a bad "punishment".

The Rutgers players may have been angered and embarrassed, but I can't say that they were majorly slandered. Come on - how many people know their names? If you met one, would you know that she was one of the women that Imus was talking about? Perhaps they just feel as long as there's a windfall, they're entitled to some of it. I can understand that feeling.

Lex

 

[bzeus69]

I'm simply tired of hearing about this crap on the news.
So he called them a name, its his job as a shockjock right? lol. (was)
People need to grow up, and get over it.

Its sad that in this day an age, we now need to be worried about losing our jobs and complete reputation over a simple word of phrase. Whatever happened to freedom of speech? He didn't physically harm anyone, and I would be willing to bet their locker room banter isn't any prettier than his.

Edit: Just as a note, I'm not saying what he did was okay, but god damn... people need to get over crap. Its sad to see how easily people will forget about our troops standing in the shithole of the middle-east with bullets flying past them, yet can't "move on" from some foul mouthed old fart, and dramatic money grubbing basket cases. lol

 

[prettyboysing]

I just find it hard to believe that her reputation was ruined when a majority of people saw the players as the "victims" in this case. In order to have a ruined reputation, people would have to had believed what he said.

Not to mention, the fact that she is suing Don Imus, MSNBC, NBC Universal, CBS Radio, CBS Corp., Viacom Inc., Westwood One Radio and Bernard McGuirk makes me believe she's looking for money, not just to "restore her good name".

 

[Orlandude]

Absurd! This has nothing to do with dignity and everything to do with money and a greedy attorney who smells a big fat fee. Imus apologized to the team, collectively and individually, and they ACCEPTED that apology publicly. I would bet anything that this attorney will accept a "settlement" out of court. That is all he wants.

This is the kind of thing that makes me so sick and tired of lawyers and their BS. What Imus did was wrong. He admitted it, apologies were issued and accepted, the media turned it into a circus and everyone moved on.

The player should also move on and the lawyer needs to get a life beyond extortion.

 

[pisces_ken02]

I don't blame her. What Imus did was completely wrong.. do you know how much blacks have suffered in this country(and continue to do so), and then you have some redneck hick come out on the air and call a bunch of INNOCENT African American women a bunch "jiggaboos" and "nappy headed hos". It was totally uncalled for, what the fuck did she do to him??

Sue his ass!!

 

[willsboy84]

why do i get the feeling that the responses to this post would be different if he'd attacked homosexuality...?

 

[theFallenGod]

Ahh yes... welcome to lawsuit-happy America...

He said something bad about me I must sue to get money because I think that his firing and that hate mongering Al Sharpton weren't enough

 

[G-Lexington]

The thing that pisses me off is that Imus ended up MAKING money from the whole thing. Had he lost his job, and not gotten a big fat severance check to go get another job elsewhere, then yeah, screw the lawsuit. But as it stands, he literally made $20 million just for being overly offensive. And what'd the "nappy-headed hos" make? Well, they got to be on Good Morning America. How nice.

The least he can do is shell out a couple thou for each of them. His way of saying, "Thanks for making me even richer than I was."

Lex

 

[Spiff]

But as it stands, he literally made $20 million just for being overly offensive.

Lex

That's chump change compared to what Howard Stern makes. And Howard has been known to offend far more than Imus.

 

[pisces_ken02]

Ahh yes... welcome to lawsuit-happy America...

He said something bad about me I must sue to get money because I think that his firing and that hate mongering Al Sharpton weren't enough

What a stupid post.

First off.. he attacked an innocent team/girl. She did nothing to deserve that comment. Also from now on.. for the rest of her life. She will always be attached to that.

For example. She walks into a store and carries a conversation with someone. Kia mentions that she used to play for the Rutgers Women's Basketball team. The person asks what season? Kia responds.. the 2006-2007 season. Oh yeah.. Don Imus called you a nappy headed ho, and a jiggaboo. That's the stigma that will be attached to all those girls. SUE HIS ASS.

I wonder would your "tune" be different if it was a homosexual? What if it was your son or daughter that was called that on national TV, and him or her would have to be attached to that for the rest of their life?? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Thank You

 

[prettyboysing]

First off.. he attacked an innocent team/girl. She did nothing to deserve that comment. Also from now on.. for the rest of her life. She will always be attached to that.

Yeah...I don't think most of America knows her name. It always has and always will be referred to as the "Don Imus" scandal.

I wonder would your "tune" be different if it was a homosexual? What if it was your son or daughter that was called that on national TV, and him or her would have to be attached to that for the rest of their life?? Yeah, that's what I thought.

If T.R. Knight were to sue Isaiah Washington, ABC, Mark Gordon, Touchstone Pictures, Buena Vista and Ellen Pompeo, I'd say he was money hungry. And if it were my son or daughter who was insulted, I'd at least make it look like the apology was more important than the money.

 

[theFallenGod]

I never advocate suing people over such silly little things....

If it was a gay remark or a racial remark... its no different... its no reason to sue at all ....

I think the little reverend Hitler with his crusade against white people in general that you so proudly display as your avatar did enough....