Former Def Jam president Kevin Liles defeats sexual assault lawsuit
A judge has dismissed a sexual assault lawsuit filed against former Def Jam president Kevin Liles.
The 300 Entertainment CEO was sued in February by an executive assistant who worked for him in the early 2000s. She claimed that between 2000 and 2002, he made sexually inappropriate comments, groped, and raped her.
However, on November 24th, US District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald threw out the lawsuit, stating the woman couldn’t sue him.
The judge wrote, “The agreement and release itself contains no language cabining its terms at all. To the contrary, the agreement consistently and intentionally utilises broad language discharging ‘any and all’ claims which ‘are known or reasonably should be known’ by plaintiff.”
The woman was seeking compensatory and punitive damages, alleging that UMG and Def Jam “enabled, permitted, directed, controlled, approved, managed, operated and ratified the manner in which Liles engaged with employees.”
According to Billboard, Def Jam’s parent company, Universal Music Group, paid her $47,500 to settle a civil rights complaint 20 years ago.
She claimed she was unlawfully fired for complaining about verbal harassment and inappropriate dancing by Liles.
When he was first sued by the anonymous woman, Liles denied any wrongdoing and was determined to clear his name.
“I absolutely deny the outrageous claims reported in the press this evening,” he said at the time. “After nearly 40 years of service to our culture, I’ve intentionally built a reputation for doing things the right way, treating people the right way, and empowering women. It is a shameful reality that these lies spread so freely.”
He added, “My attorneys and I will fully clear my name, and when we are successful, this anonymous accuser and her attorney will face a defamation lawsuit and every other available legal consequence.”