Jurisprudence

The owner of the Miss Black America pageant sued former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and the Indiana Black Expo, saying allegations that Tyson sexually assaulted contestants had ruined the pageant’s reputation.

The lawsuit, filed by J. Morris Anderson in federal court in Philadelphia, alleges that Tyson and Expo president Rev. Charles Williams “maliciously and willfully engaged in a conspiracy to ravage, rape and despoil the Miss Black America Pageant in general.’ ”

Tyson, 25, made promotional appearances for the Indiana Black Expo, a black cultural celebration, and the Miss Black America Pageant in Indianapolis in July. An 18-year-old contestant has accused Tyson of raping her in an Indianapolis hotel room.