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Jameis Winston and sexual assault accuser settle in federal court

Florida State QB Jameis Winston was accused of raping a fellow student in 2012. (Getty)
Florida State QB Jameis Winston was accused of raping a fellow student in 2012. (Getty)

Former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston has settled a federal lawsuit filed by a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2012, the woman’s attorney told ESPN.com.

Erica Kinsman, a former Florida State student, accused Winston of raping her at his apartment in December 2012. It took more than a year for the Florida state attorney to investigate the matter and ultimately decide not to pursue charges against Winston. Winston also was not responsible of sexual misconduct following a student code of conduct hearing in December 2014. Winston went on to win the Heisman Trophy and lead the Seminoles to a national title. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“The case has been resolved to the satisfaction of the parties,” John Clune, the woman’s attorney, told ESPN on Wednesday night, but the specifics of the settlement were not disclosed.

Kinsman’s lawsuit was scheduled to go to trial in U.S. District Court in Orlando, Florida, on April 3. Winston had countersued, but Donald King, one of Winston’s attorneys, said that suit also had been settled.

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Kinsman’s initial suit accused Winston of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress. It said Winston’s “conduct was extreme and outrageous and caused plaintiff to suffer severe mental anguish and suffering, including, more specifically, loss of sleep, flashbacks, severe anxiety, fear of repeat sexual violence, an unfounded sense of shame and depression, all of which will continue to require psychological and other counseling.”

Winston’s countersuit said Kinsman’s claims were “false, defamatory … and have maliciously and impermissibly interfered with Mr. Winston’s business and personal relationships.”

This is the second suit Kinsman has settled related to this alleged sexual assault. In January of this year, Florida State settled a federal Title IX lawsuit with Kinsman and agreed to pay her $950,000. As part of the settlement, Florida State also agreed to commit to five years of sexual assault awareness programs and to publish annual reports of those programs. However, Florida State did not admit liability for fear that in doing so, the school would open itself up to other lawsuits.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!