The Norman City Council has settled a lawsuit with the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters (OAB) over its refusal to release a video of former University of Oklahoma football player Joe Mixon punching a female student in the face in 2014.
OAB’s lawsuit was originally dismissed by a lower court in 2015 before the state Supreme Court ruled in favor of the group in 2016. The City of Norman will now pay OAB for attorney fees.
But Oklahoma State University professor Joey Senat says taxpayers will actually end up paying more than the $60,000 agreed to by the two parties.
“Norman is essentially selling that amount to a company who will then pay it off now and then the city will pay it back, the principal plus interest, over three years,” Senat said.
At a state mandated interest rate of 6.5 percent, the payment will total over $71,000. Assistant city attorney Rick Knighton said the city has yet to contract with a third party.
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