DEBUNKED

Rolling Stone, Fraternity Agree to Settle Rape Story Lawsuit

For a total of $1.65 million.

Rolling Stone magazine and the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at the University of Virginia have agreed to settle a lawsuit for $1.65 million over the debunked story about a gang rape on campus in 2014. The settlement finally ends a lengthy legal saga that began when “A Rape on Campus” was published in the magazine. The feature told the story of a woman identified only as “Jackie,” who said she was gang raped at a fraternity house, but Jackie’s allegations crumbled after other news outlets and local detectives started asking questions. Police found no evidence to back up her claims. The story was officially retracted in 2015. The fraternity originally asked for $25 million but said in a statement on Tuesday that it was glad to put the “ordeal” behind them.