THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 18, 1995 TAG: 9510180365
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PHILIP WALZER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
A graduate student who sued the College of William and Mary, claiming the school mishandled her sexual harassment complaint against a professor, has agreed to a $50,000 settlement, her lawyer said Tuesday.
Richmond attorney Eileen Wagner said the state attorney general's office is close to approving the settlement.
The student, Karen Veselits, filed a $2 million suit against the college in U.S. District Court in Newport News in April.
She alleged that history professor Ismail Abdalla made numerous advances toward her and, after she rebuked him, issued a ``punitive'' grade. She also said in the suit that the college ``took no meaningful action'' against Abdalla after a William and Mary committee found evidence of harassment.
Wagner declined to say who will pay the money - the professor or the school. The school's liability had been a question in the case. William and Mary had requested that the judge require Abdalla to pay any damages.
Veselits and Abdalla also have agreed to write statements to be published, perhaps as soon as this week, in the campus paper, the Flat Hat.
``They thought this would be a good way of letting everybody know it's over,'' Wagner said. ``The statements may include some suggestions about how the policy should be revised.''
Wagner said the college has already enacted Veselits' suggestion to allow students to file complaints within 120 days of an incident. Previously, the school's cutoff was 30 days.
Abdalla, who still teaches at the college, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
College officials declined comment until the settlement is approved by the attorney general's office. ``The college is awaiting a thorough briefing from the attorney general's office on the status of the case,'' said Stewart Gamage, vice president for public affairs.
Don Harrison, a spokesman for the attorney general's office, said, ``Settlement discussions are in the final stages . . ., but the announcement of the details was premature and incomplete.''
Of the settlement, Wagner said: ``I had set $50,000 as the goal from the very first day. Whether or not some people think that's not enough or too much, the point is: It's enough to let everyone know it's a serious matter. .
``What we were interested in was getting everybody to work together to have the best possible sexual harassment policy, to have the people in the university community put the priority on it that it deserves.''
KEYWORDS: SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT
COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY by CNB