Kevin Liles is no longer facing a sexual assault lawsuit after a federal judge ruled that a nearly 20-year-old settlement agreement prevents the claims from moving forward.
The music executive, now CEO of 300 Entertainment, had been accused by a former Def Jam assistant of misconduct tied to her employment in the early 2000s.
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This week, U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald dismissed the case with prejudice, concluding that a broad 2005 settlement between the plaintiff and Universal Music Group legally blocks any related future claims.
The agreement, which stemmed from the woman’s civil rights complaint against the label, included a release shielding UMG and its affiliates from both known and unknown claims.
The woman previously settled for $47,500, and her original filing did not include allegations of rape. Though Liles was no longer with Def Jam when the settlement was finalized, the judge determined the contract’s language explicitly covered him.
Buchwald wrote in her ruling:
“The settlement discharged “any and all” claims the plaintiff “knew or reasonably should have known” at the time.”
Because of the binding nature of the agreement, the case cannot be refiled or amended.
Reps for Liles declined to comment, and the plaintiff’s attorneys have not yet responded to media inquiries.
