THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 24, 1996 TAG: 9608260301
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARC DAVIS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 71 lines
Herbert W. Titus, the former law school dean whose firing by Pat Robertson in 1993 sparked a student and faculty revolt at Regent University, has settled his lawsuit against Robertson and Regent.
The settlement came Friday afternoon, the last business day before the trial was to start.
A three-week trial featuring testimony from virtually every important Regent official was scheduled to begin Monday.
The presiding judge had ordered 40 potential jurors - an unusually large pool - to Circuit Court on Monday. Jury selection might have been difficult because of Robertson's prominence and the publicity the case has attracted.
Terms of the settlement were confidential. Attorneys on both sides said they are bound by a court order not to discuss the settlement.
``I can't tell you numbers,'' said John M. Ryan, a Norfolk lawyer who represented Regent. ``All I am authorized to say is the matter was resolved to the mutual satisfaction of all parties.'' Ryan said he could not say whether any money changed hands.
Titus' lead attorney, Wyatt B. Durrette Jr., also said he could not discuss the settlement. He did not know whether Titus' new status as a political candidate hastened the settlement, he said. ``Anything I would tell you would be pure speculation.''
Titus is running for vice president of the United States; he accepted the nomination Sunday by a conservative national party, the U.S. Taxpayers Party. He could not be reached for comment Friday.
Titus had sought $12.5 million from Robertson, Regent and several others. His lawsuit accused Robertson and others of defaming him, of conspiring to hurt him and of interfering with his business or profession.
The case had generated a huge volume of records at the courthouse, including correspondence among various Regent officials regarding Titus' firing and minutes of meetings in which Titus was discussed.
The case also consumed a lot of court time, even before the trial. Lawyers spent a day in court last Friday arguing summary judgment motions. They spent two more days in court this week arguing pre-trial motions, mostly about which evidence would be allowed at trial.
Negotiations went nearly to the last minute. The case was settled around 3 p.m. Friday, Ryan said.
This is the third lawsuit that Robertson, Regent or the Christian Broadcasting Network has settled in the past two years.
In 1994, a former CBN attorney, Kenneth H. Taylor, settled his slander suit against CBN and a CBN security chief by accepting an undisclosed sum of money and a promised apology from Robertson. Taylor had sought $1.3 million. The case was settled on the day of trial.
Taylor had contended in his lawsuit that his reputation was hurt by a false accusation that he had accepted a kickback.
Another lawsuit was settled in June. In that one, the former president of Robertson's U.S. Media Corp., Mark A. Barth, alleged he was fired for pointing out financial wrongdoing at CBN. He sought $3 million.
Robertson sued Barth in turn, contending Barth had tried to blackmail the ministry and had wrecked a $10 million deal by faking numbers in an important financial statement. Robertson sought $12 million.
Barth and Robertson dropped their lawsuits against each other June 12. Robertson's attorney, Glen A. Huff, said no money changed hands, and ``everyone just walked away.''
Robertson and Regent won a lawsuit last year against three professors who claimed they had lifetime tenure.
After a trial, a judge ruled there was no tenure at Regent when the professors signed their contracts in 1993. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Herbert Titus
KEYWORDS: LAWSUIT REGENT UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENT by CNB