Lisa Olson has reached an out-of-court settlement in her sexual harassment case in which she alleged New England Patriots players taunted her before a locker room interview.
The settlement came about a week before the lawsuit was scheduled for trial. Terms of the agreement were not released, but The Boston Globe said it learned from an unidentified source that the Patriots agreed to pay her about $500,000.The Boston Herald, where Olson worked at the time of the alleged incident, quoted unidentified sources as saying the award ranged from $250,000 to more than $700,000
"Hopefully, some good will come of this," Olson, 27, told the Herald. "I hope in 10 years' time, no person, man or woman, will have to go through this just for doing his or her job."
She said she will use the money to establish a journalism scholarship at her alma mater, Northern Arizona University.
"I know that Lisa is pleased to have the case settled," said Michael Avery, Olson's attorney.
Olson, then a sports writer with the Herald, filed suit in April 1991, naming Patriots owner Victor Kiam, former general manager Patrick Sullivan, former public relations director James Oldham, and three players - tight end Zeke Mowatt, wide receiver Michael Timpson and running back Robert Perryman.
Kiam said he was happy the issue was resolved.
"Many people have unfairly suffered through this process, and many reputations have been harmed by careless and erroneous allegations and distortions of the facts," Kiam said in a statement.
Olson said in the suit she was sexually harassed in a locker room at Foxboro Stadium on Sept. 17, 1990, as she waited to interview a player. She also claimed her civil rights were violated, and that the incident caused emotional stress.
She now works for an Australian newspaper operated by Herald owner Rupert Murdoch. Olson originally said she would not sue in the case, but changed her mind about suing the Patriots after Kiam told off-color jokes about her during a speaking engagement in Connecticut last January.