NEW YORK _ Four months after being fired, Don Imus scored an eight-figure payday and plotted his comeback _ even as he was sued by one of the athletes he called "nappy-headed ho's."
The shock jock, who is reportedly in talks with New York radio station WABC-AM for a morning show, settled his contract dispute Tuesday with CBS.
Hours later, Rutgers basketball player Kia Vaughn filed a slander and defamation lawsuit against him in Bronx Supreme Court.
"Imus lost four months of employment and gained $20 million and a new platform. But what about these young women? How does Imus' big payday affect their self-esteem?" said Vaughn's lawyer, Richard Ancowitz.
The suit, which also named CBS, MSNBC and Imus sidekick Bernard McGuirk, did not ask for a dollar amount. There was no immediate comment from the defendants.
"The kind of sexist and bigoted attack these young women and Kia in particular suffered demands more than lip service," Ancowitz said. "She wants the court to recognize that Imus slandered her."
Imus referred to Vaughn and her Rutgers teammates _ who were enjoying a Cinderella season _ as "nappy-headed ho's" on his April 4 show, which aired on CBS-owned WFAN-AM and MSNBC.
At the time, he had just inked a five-year, $40 million contract, but in the face of public outcry, both employers fired him.
Although Imus apologized for his "thoughtless and stupid" comment, he later hired First Amendment lawyer Martin Garbus and said he would sue CBS.
The terms of Tuesday's settlement were not disclosed.
One report said Imus took $20 million to shelve plans for a $120 million suit against the broadcaster, but a network spokeswoman called that "grossly false."
Industry experts agreed the figure was probably closer to $10 million _ and Imus may be set to collect another fat check soon.
He is talking to several stations about a comeback, with WABC looking like the best prospect.
To cover Imus' cost, WABC might have to cut Ron Kuby, who helms the morning show with Curtis Sliwa, and John Gambling, the late-morning host.
"I'm going to continue to come to work every day until they tell me not to," Kuby told the New York Daily News.
Sliwa had no comment about sharing the airwaves with Imus.
"I work with Ron Kuby _ I have enough problems," he quipped.
Tuesday, Steve Borneman, president and general manager of WABC, said no one at WABC had spoken to Imus and that he was happy with "Curtis and Kuby."
The Rev. Al Sharpton, who led the charge to get Imus off the air, said wherever the insult comic lands, he'll be closely watched.
"Mr. Imus has the right to work but we have the right to make sure that this repeat offender does not return and continue what he has done historically," he said.
"It is also a testimony to the movement of people that raised their voices to fire Imus that CBS would rather pay him off than keep him on," he added.
But some were questioning whether CBS had learned its lesson.
WFAN announced Tuesday that Craig Carton, "The Jersey Guys" co-host who has been accused of insensitivity, will join ex-NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason in Imus' old time slot.
New Jersey Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo said Carton is "a guy who's managed to insult almost every community around."
"You would have thought that after the Rutgers incident that a lesson would have been learned."
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