In an unprecedented legal settlement, a former Arizona State University student who was raped in her dorm room in 2004 by one of the school's football players will collect $850,000, and the Arizona university system will establish a women's safety czar for all three major campuses -- ASU, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.

The settlement ends a civil lawsuit filed in 2006 by the former student, identified as "J.K." in court records, against Arizona State, the Arizona Board of Regents, then-head football coach Dirk Koetter and Darnel Henderson, the player who allegedly raped her. The suit claimed the university had placed her in a dangerous position, which led to the rape.

Although other rape victims have pursued lawsuits against universities and their athletes, the ASU settlement is unique in three ways: (1) the appointment of a highly placed safety officer who will review and reform policies for reporting and investigating incidents of sexual harassment and assault; (2) the extraordinarily high sum of university money paid to the victim; and (3) the public disclosure of the terms of the settlement.

After Henderson was finally expelled from ASU, Koetter tried to help him obtain a scholarship at Arkansas-Pine Bluff and other programs, according to a later university investigation.

"This is a new day," said Joanne Belknap, a professor of sociology at the University of Colorado and an expert on women's violence issues. "Universities always protect the male athlete. It has happened forever. But this settlement will make things significantly better."

"This will level the playing field for women on campus," Redmond said. "The football coach will no longer be allowed to trump university policy. Arizona is establishing a fortress of prevention that will be a model for all colleges and universities."