Calif school district sues woman who falsely accused one-time top football prospect of rape

[The Straight Story]

(update to previous story)
April 13, 2013 - 1:58 am EDT

LONG BEACH, California — The Long Beach Unified School District is suing a woman who falsely accused a former high school football star of rape in hopes of recovering legal fees and a $750,000 settlement paid to her.

The Long Beach Press-Telegram reported Thursday (http://bit.ly/16TjOrb) that the district alleged Wanetta Gibson committed contractual fraud in a lawsuit filed last November.

Gibson was 15 when she accused Brian Banks of attacking her on their high school campus. He insisted the sexual contact with Gibson was consensual, but pleaded no contest to forcible rape on the advice of his lawyer and spent more than five years in prison.

When he got out of prison, Gibson reached out to Banks on Facebook.

During an initial meeting with him, she said she had lied and offered to help him clear his record. But she refused to repeat the story to prosecutors because she feared she would have to return a settlement from a civil lawsuit brought by her mother against the school district.

During a second meeting that was secretly videotaped by a private investigator, she told Banks, "'I will go through with helping you, but it's like at the same time all that money they gave us, I mean gave me, I don't want to have to pay it back."

The tape ultimately led to Banks' exoneration in May 2012.

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/e500cb746b194ad1badbb061f115f1c0/CA--Rape-Conviction-Challenged-Lawsuit

[Boomerproud]

1. She should have to give every cent back.

BTW, what a crappy lawyer that kid had...jeesh.

[Blue_Tires]

12. yeah, his attorney was shit

Forget the money (not that she has any of it left anyway); I'd rather have the woman spend five years in jail...People like her make legit rape claims *that* much harder for the public and legal system to take seriously...

[Yooperman]

2. The falsely accused should get that money! nt

[arely staircase]

3. wrong

if the district paid it the taxpayers should get their money back.

[duffyduff]

5. The taxpayers didn't pay the settlement. Most likely the district's insurance company did.

What the woman did was commit insurance fraud.

It happens all the time in civil suits. Lawyers know school districts won't go to trial because insurance companies refuse to pay the legal fees, which can run into the millions of dollars.

School districts are sitting ducks for fraudulent lawsuits.

[arely staircase]

10. ah, then I guess it bwetween the girl's family

and the district's insurance company. and of course the victim can sue whomever he wants separately.

[FreakinDJ]

4. Amazed she admitted it at all

[eissa]

6. I hope they get every penny

back from her. She not only ruined this young man's life, but the cause of rape victims everywhere.

[duffyduff]

7. A better link is here

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Long-Beach-School-District-Sues-Brian-Banks-Accuser-202744781.html



Make sure you watch the "undercover video" of Banks' accuser.

[KinMd]

8. Wouldnt she have had to give a sworn statement at some point..

and wouldn't she now be guilty of perjury?

[duffyduff]

9. Yep, she'd have had to give a sworn deposition. n/t

[leftynyc]

16. She was 15 at the time

Would that make any difference?

[duffyduff]

19. Don't know about that. n/t

[HappyMe]

11. She should have to give

every penny back.

She ruined that guy's life and kind of crapped all over actual victims.

[Blue_Tires]

13. she needs to be in jail...

[HappyMe]

14. Probably so.

[cbdo2007]

15. She should be given community service where she has to talk to high schools

across the country about why this is wrong.

[joeglow3]

17. This highlights a separate issue

People, on average, SUCK at managing money. As the video pointed out, this lady got $1.5 MILLION dollars and spent it all within 5 years. With an ounce of common sense, someone with that kind of money at that age could be set for life by getting a job, living off of said job and letting that money grow for a decade or so.

[PotatoChip]

18. Her family sued and received $750,000 not 1.5 million.

From the article:

The district is also trying to recoup about $1.9 million that was spent defending itself against Gibson, and is seeking another $1 million in punitive damages.

How much of that $750k she received is unclear. Still a lot of money though.