Sexual-Harassment Suit Against Nobel Laureate Is Settled

A settlement has been reached in a sexual-harassment suit against Derek Walcott, the 1992 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature and a professor of writing at Boston University.

The suit was filed in May 1995 by Nicole Niemi, a former graduate student of Mr. Walcott’s. The parties in the case, which included Boston University as well as Mr. Walcott and Ms. Niemi, refused to discuss the terms of the settlement, which was subject to a confidentiality agreement.

C. Fred Welensky, a lawyer who represented Ms. Niemi, said that the lawsuit had been"settled to everyone’s mutual satisfaction.” He would not elaborate.

Ms. Niemi charged that Mr. Walcott, who worked with her on a play she was developing in the university’s graduate writing program, propositioned her one night in November 1993. When she refused, she said in court documents, Mr. Walcott threatened to fail her and to see that her play was never produced at the university. She said she again refused his advances.

After a committee of writers, including Mr. Walcott, decided in February 1994 to produce another student’s play, instead of Ms. Niemi’s, she dropped out of the graduate program. She sued 15 months later.

Lawrence S. Elswit, a lawyer for Boston University who defended Mr. Walcott as well as the university, said the professor was on sabbatical leave. He is expected to resume his teaching duties in the fall of 1997.