SETTLEMENT. Liberty U. Expelled an Innocent Athlete. He Succeeded in Court. Liberty Caved.
Liberty University refused to wait for a police investigation to end before it expelled a football player on allegations of sexual assault. Mere hours after his expulsion, Cameron Jackson was informed that “no criminal charges would be filed.” Police had found “no evidence” to back the claims against him. Jackson said his accuser had ulterior motives for accusing him. She had already been dismissed from the school “after multiple student violations,” and she conspired with other females to falsely accuse players to Liberty officials but not law enforcement, so as not to open their false claims to real scrutiny. Jackson initially sought more than $100 million in damages from the university, his accuser and specific Liberty officials, saying they cost him an NFL career. Last August a federal court paved the way for seven claims to move forward: four defamation claims “related to a university news release” and two more against the accuser, and a Title IX claim against the university. But now seven months later, the parties have settled. (Two other ex-football players suing the same parties voluntarily resolved their lawsuits against Liberty two days later.)
