Paula Deen suit dropped in settlement
No ‘cost of fees’ for her, ex-employee
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Lawyers signed a deal Friday to drop a discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit against celebrity cook Paula Deen, who was dumped by the Food Network and other business partners after she said under oath that she had used racial slurs in the past.
A document filed in U.S. District Court in Savannah said both sides agreed to drop the lawsuit “without any award of costs or fees to any party.” No other details of the agreement were released.
Former employee Lisa Jackson last year sued Deen and her brother, Bubba Hiers, saying she suffered from sexual harassment and racially offensive talk and employment practices that were unfair to black workers during her five years as a manager of Uncle Bubba’s Seafood and Oyster House. Deen is coowner of the restaurant, which is primarily run by her brother.
The dismissal deal came less than two weeks after Judge William T. Moore threw out the race discrimination claims, ruling Jackson, who is white, had no standing to sue over what she said was poor treatment of black workers. He let Jackson’s claims of sexual harassment stand, but the deal drops those also.
“I am pleased that the judge dismissed the race claims and I am looking forward to getting this behind me,” Deen said in a statement Friday.
Jackson also issued a statement that backpedaled on assertions that Deen held “racist views.”
“I assumed that all of my complaints about the workplace environment were getting to Paula Deen, but I learned during this matter that this was not the case,” Jackson said in the statement, which was confirmed by her attorney. “The Paula Deen I have known for more than eight years is a woman of compassion and kindness and will never tolerate discrimination or racism of any kind toward anyone.”
It wasn’t Jackson’s suit, but Deen’s own words that damaged her. A transcript of her deposition with Jackson’s lawyer became public in June.
Deen was asked if she has ever used the N-word. “Yes, of course,” Deen replied, though she added: “It’s been a very long time.”