Check the fun at the door

Don Imus

Some things are just not right to say, no matter how funny it may seem. I am sure everyone knows of controversial radio talk show host Don Imus and his infamous statement that caused uproar. Granted everyone should have the freedom to express his or her first amendment, but with that comes consequences a person must be ready to face. Don Imus is known as a radio host, writer, humorist and an all around wise-cracking individual. He is mostly known for his off color comments about individuals on his radio show. I would put him as the older generations Howard Stern, a rude with no remorse “shock jock”. In April of 2007 while talking about the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championships on air with his executive producer, the two of them had banter about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team. A transcript of some highlights were released to the news media:

IMUS: That's some rough girls from Rutgers. Man, they got tattoos and—
McGUIRK: Some hard-core hos.
IMUS: That's some nappy-headed hos. I'm gonna tell you that now, man, that's some—whew. And the girls from Tennessee, they all look cute, you know, so, like—kinda like—I don't know.
McGUIRK: A Spike Lee thing.
IMUS: Yeah.
McGUIRK: The Jigaboos vs. the Wannabes—that movie that he had.

With news of the mostly African American womens basketball team being referred to as “nappy headed hos” Don Imus became the center of a Sports Tort lawsuit. Sports torts involve legal actions against professional athletes, teams, organizations and the live for a civil wrong done to an individual. Sports law tort is defined as “actions include lawsuits claiming medical malpractice against team doctors, defamation suits alleging that a professional athlete has been libeled or slandered, and negligence actions brought by both players and spectators for injuries during a sporting event”(Archerlaw).

Rutgers Women's Basketball Team

Kia Vaughn, a center from The Rutgers Women’s Basketball team filed a lawsuit against Don Imus in August 2007 for libel, slander and defamation. Immediately after the transcript hit the media Don Imus issued a public apology that did not seem to go well over with some fan and activist groups. Imus was suspended and then fired from his show. Not surprisingly Don Imus had a lot of support from fellow comedians and journalist who believed that everything was said in a tongue and cheek matter, that free speech was exercised and therefore an apology and suspension should have been enough.

Going back to the lawsuit many people argued that how can a no name player sue for defamation and slander if no one has heard of her before. Ms. Vaughn and the rest of her team too offense to the term “ho” more some than the statement about their hair. Blurring the line between what a “ho” is and what a prostitute stands for.

For me I know what I am, and what I am not. Being called a “ho” in any situation can be embarrassing and hurtful, BUT if you know you are not one, and do not carry yourself in such a manner, I say what is the big deal. The “nappy-headed” remark was indeed racist as many has seen it to be, even more so considering all the players had straight long hair. Should Don Imus have been fired? I say no, like most comedians he made a racist, sexist joke that some took offense to. If everyone who was ever offended by comedians such as Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and George Lopez and decided to sue, the courts would be overrun with frivolous lawsuits.

Kia Vaughn

In September of the same year, just a month after filing the tort suit, Ms. Vaughn and her lawyers had decided to drop the case. Ms. Vaughn claimed to have wanted to focus on academics and basketball. I personally feel that the case was withdrawn because of the entire backlash it was getting. Rutgers basketball team had people on their side, but when word of a lawsuit came about, that is when said people had to take a step back. Now here are some questions I asked myself, Was Don Imus wrong? Yes. Did he deserve to be fired? No. Was the apology and suspension enough? Yes. Were Kia Vaughn and the rest of the basketball teams image hurt? No. Being called a “nappy-headed ho” did not deter them from getting a job or playing on the team. All and all they walked away with hurt feelings.







Resources and References:
ArcherLaw
ABC News
Above The Law
The Chronicle
Fox News