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'Rolling Stone' Settles Defamation Case With Former U.Va. Associate Dean

University of Virginia administrator Nicole Eramo leaves federal court after closing arguments in her defamation lawsuit against <em>Rolling Stone</em> magazine in Charlottesville, Va., on Nov. 1, 2016.
Steve Helber
/
Associated Press
University of Virginia administrator Nicole Eramo leaves federal court after closing arguments in her defamation lawsuit against Rolling Stone magazine in Charlottesville, Va., on Nov. 1, 2016.

Lawyers for Rolling Stone and Nicole Eramo, a former University of Virginia associate dean, have reached a confidential settlement over a 2014 story in the magazine about an alleged gang rape on campus.

In the defamation case, Eramo alleged the article portrayed her as indifferent to victims of sexual assault.

In November, a jury awarded her $3 million after finding Rolling Stone and reporter Sabrina Rubin Erdely defamed her.

The magazine was to pay $1 million and Erdely $2 million.

Rolling Stone filed a motion to vacate that judgment, but then agreed to settle the case before a judge could rule.

The Washington Post reports:

"The settlement brings an end to a lawsuit that had roiled the U-Va. community with a case study in the practice and ethics of journalism.

"We are delighted that this dispute is now behind us, as it allows Nicole to move on and focus on doing what she does best, which is supporting victims of sexual assault," said Libby Locke, a lawyer for Eramo, in a statement Tuesday.

"Rolling Stone called the settlement an "amicable resolution."

The magazine's article, "A Rape on Campus" recounted the story of a young woman's gang rape at a U-Va. fraternity house.

The story was discredited after serious flaws were revealed.

An investigation by The Post showed that aspects of the account were not true.

Following a police investigation and a probe by Columbia University School of Journalism, Rolling Stone retracted the article.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Doreen McCallister

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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