Initial thoughts on the Harris v. Portland settlement... First, it's not surprising. In both criminal and civil litigation, settlement is the norm, trial the exception.

Second, based on the release, it's impossible to tell who won (if anyone ever really "wins" in a situation like this). Maybe the plaintiff realized her case was weak and decided to drop it for a small sum. Or maybe the defendants knew they were in for tons of embarrassment at trial, so they decided to write a huge check to avoid the publicity. We don't know, and we might never find out.

Some folks are upset that Rene will remain coach at PSU. But a trial wasn't likely to result in Rene's termination.

Many folks are upset that we won't get to hear more — that all of the allegations won't get aired publicly. But while a trial might have embarrassed Rene Portland, it might have embarrassed Jen Harris as well.

Which brings me to the main point. This case wasn't Everyone v. Portland. It wasn't NCLR v. Portland. It wasn't Harris et al. v. Portland.

It was just Harris v. Portland. There was only one plaintiff, and it was up to her how to end it. NCLR is a public interest organization, but when it agrees to represent a private party in a particular legal dispute, it has a fiduciary responsibility to do what is in that client's best interest.

For whatever reason — a big check or something else — Jen Harris decided it was time to end it.