Mat-'stress' deal
Ivy sorrow for 'harassed' guy
Columbia University has reached a settlement with the former student accused of raping “Mattress Girl” Emma Sulkowicz, the man’s lawyer said Friday.
The lawyer representing Paul Nungesser issued a statement announcing the settlement in his client’s Title IX lawsuit alleging gender discrimination by the university. Details of the agreement were not disclosed.
In a case that attracted national attention, Sulkowicz protested against the school’s handling of her sexual-assault allegations by hauling a mattress around campus.
Sulkowicz claimed that Nungesser raped her during her sophomore year in 2012. He was cleared after a university investigation, and police also declined to pursue charges against him.
He claimed that Columbia had violated his rights under Title IX, the law that prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded schools, by “abetting the woman’s genderbased harassment,” according to his lawyers.
Nungesser’s lawyer, Andrew Miltenberg, said the resolution allows the Columbia grad — who is pursuing a career as a filmmaker — to focus on his future. “Together with Paul and his parents, we have fought for three long years,” said Miltenberg, according to The Washington Post.
The settlement “gives Paul a chance to go on with his life and recover from the false accusation against him. We hope that the resolution of the case also ensures that no student will ever have to endure what Paul went through after he was exonerated.”
Columbia released a statement saying Nungesser was found not responsible for sexual misconduct “after a diligent and thorough investigation. Columbia University stands by that finding.
“Columbia recognizes that after the conclusion of the investigation, Paul’s remaining time at Columbia became very difficult for him and not what Columbia would want any of its students to experience,” the administration said.
In March, a federal judge in Manhattan tossed a lawsuit by Nungesser that sought to hold the Ivy League school responsible for the backlash and alleged humiliation he suffered from Sulkowicz’s rape allegations.
Judge Gregory Woods said Nungesser could not prove he was harassed based on his gender and tossed the lawsuit.
Sulkowicz, who was not named as a party in the case, did not return requests for comment.