Kia Vaughn

Kia Vaughn: "Show me the money."
(Photo/Aaron Josefczyk, Reuters)

I've never been a fan of Don Imus. Ever.

He can be on the air or off the air. CBS can give him $20 million dollars. I don't care.

I am in no way defending the guy. I think he's a lib creep and he wasn't on my radar screen until the "nappy-headed ho" crisis gripped the nation.

At the time I said I found Imus' comment about the Rutgers women's basketball team to be highly objectionable. It was an awful, ugly remark.

He was fired by MSNBC and CBS, acts that had no impact on me at all. Good riddance. Whatever.

The controversy seemed to go on and on -- Al Sharpton, the whole mess.

At first, I thought the Rutgers team responded to Imus' boorishness with class. That was short-lived.

When the team appeared on Oprah Winfrey's show, they jumped the shark. It's not that going on the show to discuss the matter was a problem; it's what they said that was so silly.

For example, basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer said:

"Not only did he steal our dreams, he hurt our character of Rutgers University, our state, and all who have been associated."

Really?

Imus stole their dreams?

What an absolutely ridiculous thing to say!

I understand how painful his words must have been. They were cruel and degrading and hateful.

However, I could not accept the premise that Imus did irreparable damage to the players, Rutgers University, the state of New Jersey, and everyone associated.

I still don't.

It's been four months since Imus uttered the "nappy-headed hos" remark. Kia Vaughn, a player on the team, hasn't managed to get over what idiot Imus said on his low-rated show.

The shattered Vaughn is suing Imus.

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."

WHAT???

Come on.

Back in April, the team's coach referred to her players this way: "These young ladies before you are valedictorians, future doctors, musical prodigies."

Obviously, they're extremely talented women.

They are intelligent and they have the ability to go far.

Are we supposed to believe that Don Imus had the power to take that all away from them?

Again, Imus is an idiot. His statement about the Rutgers women was horrible.

I just don't buy that any of the women on the team, including Vaughn, are so weak that an idiot like Imus could crush them.

That's giving Imus much more power than he has.

I don't care if Vaughn succeeds in getting money from Imus or the others mentioned in the suit. The slimy Imus deserves whatever punishment he gets.

Maybe Vaughn's teammates will join in the suit. Maybe the matter will be settled out of court.

Again, I'm not on Imus' side here, but doesn't this comment from Vaughn's lawyer sound crazy?

"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."

Vaughn "would do anything to return to her life as a student and respected basketball player."

What's stopping her?

Really.