That’s an awful lot of money for a college to lose. Especially in this economic environment.

Jake New of Inside Higher Ed reports.

Major Sexual Assault Settlement

The University of Connecticut will pay nearly $1.3 million to five current and former students to settle a federal lawsuit that accused the university of mishandling allegations of sexual assault and harassment. Most of the settlement — $900,000 — will go to just one student.

In a joint statement with the students, the university said it had agreed to settle to avoid a costly trial. It is not, UConn stated, an admission of guilt.

“A trial would have burdened both UConn and the plaintiffs for years, fighting over the past rather than working on the future,” the statement reads. “Accordingly, UConn and the plaintiffs have agreed to put to rest their factual disputes, settle the litigation, and move forward. That process has already started.”

Three of the students were also among seven sexual assault victims who filed a Title IX complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights in October.

As part of the settlement, the three students will withdraw their share of the OCR complaint, as well as separate complaints made with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. The Title IX investigation initiated by the original OCR complaint will continue.

The settlement, one of the largest and highest-profile conclusions yet to a multitude of sexual assault cases filed against colleges in recent months, comes as many campuses are rethinking their approach to sexual violence.