The University reached a settlement last week with Kyle Dowd, Trinity '06, regarding a civil suit the former student filed against Duke and Kim Curtis, a visiting associate professor of political science.

In the suit, Dowd, a member of the 2005-2006 men's lacrosse team, alleged that Curtis gave him an unfair grade after the March 13, 2006 party that led to allegations of rape, sexual assault and kidnapping against three members of the lacrosse team.

Court documents from the suit stated that Dowd had received 'C's on assignments submitted before March 13, but received 'F's on his final assignment and for class participation and was ultimately given an 'F' in the course. After an appeals process last summer, however, Duke changed the grade from an 'F' to a 'D' and accounted for the original grade as a "calculation error."

When Dowd filed suit in December, he requested a change on his transcript from 'D' to 'P' to indicate a passing grade in the class and sought $60,000 in damages.

A joint statement released by University officials, Dowd and his family stated that Dowd received a 'P' on his transcript as a part of the agreement. It, however, did not address any monetary retribution. The statement also did not address the future of Curtis, an original signatory of the "Group of 88" ad placed in The Chronicle last spring.

University officials were not immediately available for comment for this story.

-from staff reports