University previously settled with student
A former Clemson University student has been awarded $5.3 million by a South Carolina jury as a result of his lawsuit against his accuser and others.
“Last week, a South Carolina jury awarded $5.3 million to a wrongfully accused Clemson University student on defamation and civil conspiracy claims,” SAVE, a due-process advocacy group, announced in a news release yesterday. “The decision is believed to represent the largest amount ever awarded to a student falsely accused of sexual misconduct.”
“The defamation and civil conspiracy claims arose from a consensual sexual encounter between two Clemson University students, plaintiff Andrew Pampu and defendant Erin Wingo in October 2015,” attorney Kimberly Lau wrote in a Substack entry. Lau represented Pampu. She did not provide any official documents from the settlement in her article.
“Ms. Wingo falsely characterized the sexual encounter as rape due to her alleged alcohol-induced incapacitation,” Lau wrote. “However, the evidence showed that Ms. Wingo was not ‘incapacitated’ at the time of the encounter, nor did she forget the incident.”
Lau previously helped Pampu settle with Clemson. The attorney “finalized plaintiff’s settlement with Clemson University to resolve plaintiff’s claims against the University for violations of Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972 and the Fourteenth Amendment of the Due Process Clause,” she wrote. “The University was required to remove the disciplinary notation from plaintiff’s transcript and make a monetary payment to plaintiff for his damages.”
Pampu told the Daily Wire he hopes other men in his situation will be inspired by his victory.
“When I received the verdict, I was overwhelmed with emotion and incredibly relieved,” he said. “For seven long years, I carried a burden of accountability that was not mine to bear. Consequently, my family battled through the process with me every step of the way.”
He continued:
By the Grace of God and with the support of my loving family and counsel, I was somehow able to persevere throughout the adversity and fight for the truth. I feel incredibly thankful for all members of the jury in Pickens, South Carolina who chose to end this nightmare for me.
“I hope that the favorable verdict gives hope to many other young men who are in a position similar to mine,” Pampu said.
Read more of the Daily Wire’s coverage.
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