Florida State settles lawsuit with Jameis Winston accuser Erica Kinsman for $950,000 (original) (raw)

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• Creg Stephenson | cstephenson@al.com

Florida State has agreed to pay $950,000 to settle a federal civil lawsuit with Erica Kinsman, the former FSU student who accused star quarterback Jameis Winston of rape in 2012.

According to USA Today, the school also agreed to "make a five-year commitment to awareness, prevention and training programs." The settlement is the largest ever for a lawsuit filed under Title IX, the federal statute that holds schools accountable for failing to fully investigate accusations of sexual assault.

Kinsman, who left Florida State in 2013, chose to identify herself in a 2014 CNN documentary detailing the Winston case. She released the following statement to USA Today:

"I will always be disappointed that I had to leave the school I dreamed of attending since I was little. I am happy that FSU has committed to continue making changes in order to ensure a safer environment for all students."

Winston, a former Hueytown High School star, won the Heisman Trophy and a national championship at Florida State in 2013 before being drafted No. 1 overall by the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past spring. He recently completed a successful rookie season with the Buccaneers.

Florida officials declined to charge Winston in the Kinsman case, and he was later cleared of misconduct charges in a university disciplinary hearing. The accusation was made in December 2012, but did not become public until nearly a year later, when Florida State was in the midst of an undefeated season.

Kinsman had accused Florida State officials of being "deliberately indifferent" to her claims and that the school stalled the investigation in order to allow Winston to continue playing football. However, FSU did not admit to any liability in settling the lawsuit.

Read the full USA Today report HERE.

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