Plaintiff dismisses lawsuit against EVP Trask after insurance settlement

Trask says lawsuit settled for 'nuisance value'

<p>Princeton University, Yale University, Dartmouth College and Vanderbilt University also signed on to the brief.&nbsp;</p>

Princeton University, Yale University, Dartmouth College and Vanderbilt University also signed on to the brief. 

A lawsuit filed against Executive Vice President Tallman Trask for hitting a contract parking employee with his car has been dismissed.

The Chronicle reported last year that Trask hit Shelvia Underwood with his car and allegedly used a racial slur while attempting to park for a football game. Underwood later filed a suit against Trask and Duke on counts of battery, negligence and civil conspiracy. In April, a judge removed Duke as a defendant in the case.

"It was settled last month by my insurance company for nuisance value," Trask wrote in an email.

Donald Huggins, attorney for Shelvia Underwood, filed the notice of dismissal Jan. 27.

“Now comes the plaintiff, by and through her undersigned counsel, and dismisses her claims against the defendant, with prejudice, pursuant to the provisions of Rule 41(a) (1) of the Rules of Civil Procedure,” the document reads.

The Chronicle’s report on Trask was part of a two-part series of articles alleging a discriminatory work environment within the Parking and Transportation Department and later led to nine students staging a sit-in at the Allen Building from April 1 and April 8. Students called for the resignations of Trask, Vice President for Administration Kyle Cavanaugh and Carl DePinto, director of Parking and Transportation Services.

Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, declined to comment on the case.

Editor's note: The headline of this article has been updated for clarity. 

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