Judge Dismisses Kevin Liles Sexual Assault Lawsuit Brought by Former Def Jam Assistant

Federal Judge Dismisses Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Ex-Def Jam President Kevin Liles

A federal judge has thrown out a sexual assault lawsuit filed by a former Def Jam assistant against the label's ex-president, Kevin Liles. The judge ruled that the woman's case was barred by a prior confidential settlement agreement reached with Universal Music Group, citing language in the 2005 deal that explicitly excludes claims made after its execution.

In a ruling issued Monday, US District Court Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald agreed with Liles that Jane Doe had received $47,500 under the UMG settlement for filing an initial complaint about discrimination and harassment. Liles was not a signatory to this agreement but is listed as a releasee in the preamble.

Buchwald's ruling stated that "the Agreement consistently and intentionally utilizes broad language discharging 'any and all' claims which 'are known or reasonably should be known' by plaintiff." This means the settlement terms effectively bar Jane Doe from pursuing any further claims, including against Liles as an individual.

Liles vehemently denied the allegations, calling them "outrageous" in a statement. His lawyers accused the woman of trying to extort a settlement out of him based on negative publicity. The woman's lawyers argued that they had a good faith belief the scope of the release did not cover the alleged rape by Liles.

The case marks a significant development in the ongoing saga of allegations against Kevin Liles, who has been accused of making sexually inappropriate comments and advances before allegedly raping a former employee in 2002.

Oh boy, this is like that one aunt at the family reunion - always causing drama! I mean, who knew a 20-year-old confidential settlement could come back to bite someone like 30 years later? The lady thought she was getting a sweet deal for filing a complaint, but it looks like she's stuck with a big fat 'no thanks' from the court. Poor Jane Doe, I guess you could say she got 'released' from her case... and by released, I mean the judge basically said "you can't sue, sorry!" And Liles is just like 'what? didn't see it coming?' Anyway, this whole saga just keeps getting juicier. Guess we'll just have to wait and see if she tries to appeal or just moves on. Either way, I'm sure the drama will keep on going!

I'm so sorry to hear that the woman in this situation is going through this all over again. It's like she thought she'd finally found closure with that UMG settlement, but nope, it seems like her case was just pushed aside again.

I can only imagine how frustrating and disheartening it must be for her to have her claims dismissed like this. I mean, $47,500 is a decent chunk of change, but I guess it's not worth the emotional toll if she feels like she's not being heard.

It's also really concerning that Kevin Liles thinks he can just deny these allegations and make baseless attacks on the woman's character. The fact that he's denying these things while still profiting from his UMG deal is just wild to me.

Anyway, I'm sending all my support to Jane Doe right now. She deserves so much better than this, and I hope she finds a way to heal and move forward soon

This ruling is super sus . It's like, we're supposed to believe that a settlement agreement is absolute proof that someone can't sue for future claims? That just doesn't add up. I mean, come on, a prior settlement shouldn't automatically disqualify someone from pursuing other claims in the same general area. It's all about context and what you consider "known or reasonably should be known". This ruling feels like it's more about shielding powerful people than providing justice for victims. Liles' team is playing dirty by trying to spin this as extortion, but let's not forget that he's the one who allegedly raped someone in 2002

I'm so disappointed in this ruling! Did you see that Jane Doe was only awarded $47k? Like, that's not even enough to cover some of the damages she claimed. And what's with the language used in that settlement agreement? It's like they just wanted to sweep everything under the rug and silence victims.

Stats say 1 in 5 women experience sexual harassment at work and 75% of victims don't report it . This ruling is just another example of how our system fails survivors.

And Liles' defense team accusing her of trying to extort him based on negative publicity? Come on! We need more support for victims, not more lawyers spinning tales to protect the powerful.

According to Glassdoor, 70% of employees report experiencing workplace harassment in some form or another. It's time we take a closer look at our laws and policies surrounding sexual assault. This case is just one piece of a much larger puzzle that needs to be solved

omg this is crazy like what even is a confidential settlement agreement doing? and how does it just cover everything except rape lol why can't they clarify the language or something? i mean kevin liles is denying all allegations but if he didn't sign the deal then shouldn't his lawyers be fighting for him? and what about jane doe's good faith belief that she wasn't covered by the release? shouldn't her lawyers have known better? anyway this case just keeps going around in circles i guess we'll just never know what really happened between liles and jane doe

This ruling is a bit suspicious considering the language in that 2005 settlement agreement is kinda vague and could be interpreted as broad enough to cover any future claims, but I guess that's how it goes when you're dealing with big corp laws . It's also a shame Jane Doe can't get justice for what happened to her - the whole thing feels like a classic case of silencing someone who spoke up about harassment and intimidation . And on top of this, we have Liles still denying everything despite the new allegations, which just shows how out of touch he is with reality . Anyways, I hope this doesn't set a precedent for more cases like this to get swept under the rug

this is just another example of how women are forced to sign away their rights for a measly sum of money. I mean, $47,500 for filing an initial complaint about discrimination? That's not even enough to cover the cost of therapy, let alone actual compensation for the trauma experienced. And what's really sad is that this judge just enabled Kevin Liles' behavior by ruling in his favor. It's like she was trying to silence Jane Doe before she even had a chance to speak out.

I don't know how I feel about this whole thing... If I'm being honest, I kinda think the woman was trying to squeeze some cash out of Kevin Liles since his rep is already pretty tarnished But at the same time, it's like, she really thought her initial settlement would protect her from making new claims? Like, who even reads those fine print agreements? And what's with all these confidentiality deals that supposedly release everyone involved from further drama? It's just more smoke and mirrors if you ask me...

I just can't believe this ! A federal judge is basically saying that because some lady agreed to a settlement deal back in 2005, she's stuck with no recourse against Kevin Liles for his alleged sexual assault claims. It's like, what even is the point of having a justice system if it's just gonna be like "oh, you settled already, so forget about it"? The language they used in that settlement deal is straight outta some bad fiction novel - "any and all" claims? More like "any and all excuses to keep quiet". And now the poor lady who accused him is basically being silenced. This whole situation gives me chills...

this ruling is wild, i feel bad for the woman who went through all that trauma, but it's messed up how she was basically cut off from pursuing justice because of some fine print in an old settlement agreement like, what even is the point of having a confidential settlement if you're just gonna let someone get away with whatever happened in 2002?

Ugh, this is like a never-ending episode of "Sex and the City"... but with more lawyers and less manhattan apartments . Anyway, can you believe this chick got paid $47k to shut her trap? Like, I get it, settlements are necessary, but come on! And now she's trying to take down Kevin Liles too? That dude must be like a superhero or something – no one ever tries anything on him .

But seriously, it's all pretty wild. So, the judge basically said that since this chick already got paid to stop talking about her issues, she can't just keep going and trying to sue again. It's like, have you heard of the phrase "you've been paid, you're good"? I guess not in this case, though.

And poor Kevin Liles – he's been accused of all sorts of bad stuff, but at least now he's got a get-out-of-jail-free card . Maybe next time someone comes at him with allegations, they'll be like, "Oh no, did you sign that settlement? Okay, good luck with your case... not."

Ugh, this just goes to show how hard it is for women to come forward about harassment and assault . The fact that the settlement agreement was so broad it basically wiped out her ability to sue Liles is ridiculous. I mean, who writes language like that? It's like they were trying to protect him at all costs.

And what really gets me is how quickly people are willing to dismiss a woman's claims just because she's "trying to extort" something from them . It's not about the money, it's about justice and accountability. We need to start taking these allegations seriously and holding people in power accountable for their actions.

It's also super concerning that Liles is still getting away with this stuff . I mean, he's been accused of making inappropriate comments and advances before, so why do we let him just sweep it under the rug? We need to keep pushing for change until everyone feels safe and respected in the workplace.

This ruling is super messed up. Like, what's the point of even having laws if you can just dismiss someone like that? The woman was already getting $47,500 for her initial complaint and now she's being silenced just because of some fine print in a settlement agreement? That's not justice, that's just a rich guy playing victim. And to make matters worse, Liles is basically saying it's all on her, like he's the real victim here. This ruling needs to be appealed ASAP.

I'm really disappointed to hear about this outcome, especially considering all the other women who have come forward with similar claims against Kevin Liles. It feels like he's getting off scot-free, which is just not right . I think the woman in question was trying to hold him accountable for his actions, and it's a shame that she won't be able to do so due to this settlement agreement.

I also can't help but wonder about the implications of a prior settlement agreement being used to silence victims like her. It's like they're saying "if you want to be taken seriously as a complainant, you have to go through some kind of lengthy and expensive process... or just give up." That doesn't feel right . I hope this decision is appealed and that justice can still be served for the women who have been affected by Kevin Liles' actions .

I don’t usually comment but I feel really bad for this woman who was trying to speak out about what happened to her. $47,500 isn't even close to enough for what she's going through. It's so frustrating that the system keeps favoring these powerful people and their lawyers, making it hard for victims like her to get justice. I also can't believe Kevin Liles is denying these allegations again - at this point, it feels like he's just trying to avoid accountability. The fact that a confidential settlement agreement was used as an excuse to dismiss the case is really concerning. It makes me wonder what other secrets are being kept under wraps in the music industry...

omg did u know that avocados are like 1% of the cost of production now? i was reading this article about how avocados became so expensive and it's wild to think that they're not even that rare anymore! anyway, back to kevin liles... it's crazy how some ppl can just get away with stuff. i mean, i'm all for people making mistakes but come on, rape is never okay. btw, has anyone tried those new plant-based avocado toast recipes?

"The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable." It's just heartbreaking to see another high-profile case like this go down without the person coming forward feeling truly supported or heard. The fact that Jane Doe is still trying to pursue justice despite being told her options are limited by a 2005 settlement agreement is really frustrating. Justice should be served, but it feels like the system sometimes prioritizes settlements over truth.

Ugh I'm so frustrated with this outcome . It's like, if you're going to settle a lawsuit, can't they at least make sure the settlement agreement isn't going to ruin someone else's life? The fact that Liles is basically saying "oh woe is me" and that he was just "outraged" by the allegations is really not helping his case . I mean, if you've been accused of something as serious as rape, shouldn't you at least be willing to listen to the accuser's side? The whole thing feels like a big ol' mess .

omg u guys can't believe this?? a federal judge just dismissed a sexual assault lawsuit against kevin liles and it's so messed up! like the woman was awarded $47,500 for filing an initial complaint about discrimination and harassment but the settlement agreement explicitly excludes claims made after its execution... it's like she's being silenced by her own money and what really gets me is that kevin liles is denying all allegations but his lawyers are saying she's trying to extort a settlement out of him because of negative publicity this whole thing is just so messed up...