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.
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 referred to the basketball players as "nappy-headed hos"
on his nationally syndicated radio program in April, becoming the
target of heated protests. He was fired shortly after.
'Ho' is a slang term for a prostitute. After the comments were
made, Vaughn said at a news conference: "Unless they've given 'ho'
a whole new definition, that's not what I am."
A telephone message left for Imus' attorney was not immediately
returned Tuesday. There was no phone listing for McGuirk in the New
York area. A spokeswoman for CBS Radio declined to comment, and CBS
network spokesman Dana McClintock did not immediately return a
message. MSNBC said it hadn't seen the lawsuit.
Rutgers women's basketball program spokeswoman Stacey Brann said
that the university had no comment on the lawsuit and that she
didn't know whether other players had sued.
Vaughn, who was a center, had spoken out about Imus on "The
Oprah Winfrey Show" in April. She said that the comments
overshadowed her team's amazing season, one the coach has called
the most rewarding of her career.
"Our moment was stolen from us," Vaughn said then. "Instead
of us coming here to enjoy what we accomplished and how far we
came, we had to sit back and look at media asking questions about
what he said."