Rutgers player sues Imus, CBS Radio

Friday on my mind

Friday on my mind

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070815/ap_on_en_tv/imus_lawsuit_2

"NEW YORK - A member of the Rutgers women's basketball team sued Don Imus and CBS on Tuesday, claiming the radio personality's sexist and racist comments about the team damaged her reputation.
Kia Vaughn filed the lawsuit alleging slander and defamation of character in state Supreme Court in the Bronx the same day Imus settled with CBS Radio in a deal that pre-empts his threatened $120 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against CBS. The settlement allows him to make a comeback bid at a new station.
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."



Good for her I hope she gets a large chunk of the reported 20 million dollar settlement Imus made with CBS today.
 
S

sputnikgirl

Guest
Sorry, but I think she's just trying to cash in. I find it hard to believe that "nappy-headed hoes", which was addressed at the team, not specifically at her, personally damaged her reputation. Outside of Rutgers University, if she were to walk down the street or apply for a job, nobody would know she was a part of the team. But when you have student loans to pay off, and your 15 mins of fame are over, I suppose the logical step is to file a lawsuit. I know that's what I'd do, if I found myself in such an opportune position.

It really astounds me how the Rutgers basketball team keeps saying Imus's comments overshadowed their accomplishment. What about their own media whoring? They didn't win the women's championship - the Tennessee Volunteers did, but nobody remembers that. The classy thing to do would've been to make one or two statements and one or two appearances on respectable media outlets - but instead they whored themselves out to whoever wanted an interview.

I would've respected them if they had handled the situation in a classy manner, but they didn't. They used the situation as an opportunity to cash in on their basketball program and their university, which in my book makes them no better than Imus.
 
Stevie

Stevie

.
It's like the adults in the Peanut's cartoons. All I'm hearing is "blah, blah, blah, blah". The team has taken a very, very poor stand on Imus' comments. And they're really just getting him support, rather than voicing legit comments.

IMO, they're whiners and losers. They lost the tourney, deal with it. They were called names by a radio dj, deal with it. Shut up and move on. Especially this "Kia Vaughn". She's ruining her rep more than Imus did or will.
 
D

D-rock

All opinions about Imus aside it does seem like a pretty week case. It's not the type of thing I would think that falls under slander. Even if opinion doesn't necessarily protect somebody against slander it has to be said about something that isn't subjective. For example if Imus said, in his opinion, she cheated on her taxes or killed her next-door neighbor and she proved that wasn't true then it would be slander. An opinion about something subjective I have a hard time believing falling under defamation. As much as people don't like it, it's legally considered fair criticism. Otherwise every time somebody said a restaurant’s food tasted bad, a movie sucked, Rosie O'donnell was a bitch, or George Bush was an unethical nitwit they would be committing slander.
 
maildude

maildude

Postal Paranoiac
What did the lawyer say: It got caught up in the legal system. That's why it took so long.
fishy.gif
 
senob44

senob44

Sounds to me like they were just waiting for Imus to start to resurrect his career. He got his settlement and is reportedly in negotiations with another radio station, WABC.
Latest Imus info
This woman probably just can't stand to see Imus "rise from the ashes". Personally, I'm glad that Imus has put this behind him. Unfortunately for her, "Kia Vaughn" has not been able to. She needs to grow up.
 
Dean Wormer

Dean Wormer

She must first prove that she is not nappy headed and then prove that she is not a ho. That last one is subject to very wide interpretations.
 
meesterperfect

meesterperfect

Hiliary 2020
In regards to the law,the time waited to file a lawsuit is completly irrelevent.
As long as it was filed within the legal time frame under the law.
That cannot even be mentioned in a trial or in deliberations.
As far as the lawsuit, if anybody profits from it it just shows the sad state of the legal system in the U.S.
Its bad enough a judge can even consider accepting something like this. Now Mr. Imus must spend probably 100's of thousands in his defense. Who's the victim now?
Similar to what D-rock said, what is slander?
Last I remember there were no laws protecting FEELINGS, and every judge should know this and abide by it.
And if it does go to trial the outcome and the monetary punishment will be decided by a group of people who know little or nothing of the law, another "wrong" in the justice system in the USA.
Its stuff like this that make me feel disappointed to be part of this society.
 
AFA

AFA

Local radio station is talking about Imus now gets half his estimated future earnings from CBS and is allowed to seek a possibly more lucrative contract on satellite. So the only one Sharpton hurt was CBS.
 
I

Iamforever

Banned
meesterperfect said:
In regards to the law,the time waited to file a lawsuit is completly
Click to expand...
this isnt about the law. the way i see it, is this thing is about money and notoriety. possibly fame? :dunno:

anyway, these cases are mostly tried in the court of public opinion. even if she wins the case, i dont think she will get what she bargained for. :D
 
meesterperfect

meesterperfect

Hiliary 2020
AFA said:
Local radio station is talking about Imus now gets half his estimated future earnings from CBS and is allowed to seek a possibly more lucrative contract on satellite. So the only one Sharpton hurt was CBS.
Click to expand...

CBS sold out, or chickened out is what they did.
The lawyers at CBS had 2 choices, fire imus and get sued by him and pay out some dough.
Or, don't fire him, get sued by someone else and pay out some dough.
They knew that 2 hours after he said it.
They just chose the cheaper option.
And Iam... Its not about the law is correct, it is about money, but the out of control legal system is the tool which is being used to get that and that shouldn't be possible but sadly it is.
 
O

Ovidius

A little off topic, but I recently saw a box cover for pornographic movie titled Nappy Headed Hoes. It had a few black girls on it. I guess that people in the porn industry are not as politically correct as the people over at CBS.

Has anyone seen it, and is it any good?
 
D

D-rock

meesterperfect said:
They just chose the cheaper option.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't doubt that. If they felt they needed to get rid of him that badly and they didn't want to get sued by any party they probably could have bought out the rest of his contract from him. Of course, like you said, they probably figured that would cost them more.
 
titsrock

titsrock

Me thinks someone (the player) got a taste of BIG MEDIA SPOTLIGHT and figured out this was a way to get back into the headlines...There's really no case here. She qualifies as a public person. Her protections are limited.

Honestly, I think Imus made a stupid comment but did not deserve to be canned. I believe he made a heartfelt apology. He did everything that was asked of him. His show walked a fine line, same as Howard Stern. I truly think he had no idea that his comments would be taken off the charts. All he's guilty of is "being mean." I can't hold him to a higher standard when we can all go down to the music store and pick up a CD filled with vile, anti-woman hatred and female exploitation.

I have no problem with Imus coming back on the airwaves. He has to rebuild his audience and he may not be able to do that.
 
ChefChiTown

ChefChiTown

The secret ingredient? MY BALLS
Kia who? What fucking reputation is she worried about, the one that she NEVER HAD?

I hope she gets stung by a thousand bees tomorrow.
 
J

Juiceman

Well,
It's a very lame law-suit, she has to prove that she's damaged EVERYDAY from his statement to win her case. We're too law suit happy in this country. The only ones that really get rich are the lawyers.
Hell if you can sue someone for namecalling I'd be rich from my ex-wife!!! She used a few words I've never heard before or since.
 
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