Tag: lawsuit

Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Court orders Rashee Rice’s co-defendant to pay $2.88M

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A Texas court ruled former SMU cornerback Theodore “Teddy” Knox was “grossly negligent” in a 2024 street racing crash in Dallas that involved Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice.

Judge Kim Bailey Phipps issued a default judgment of $2.88 million on Wednesday against Knox for the accident in which both men lost control of their vehicles in an accident that left several people injured.

The judgment awarded to Kathryn Kuykendall, one of the victims, includes punitive damages and costs for medical expenses and lost wages.

Rice, who is scheduled to go to trial in the matter on June 9, started the 2025 season by serving a six-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy stemming from his role in the crash on March 30, 2024.

He pleaded guilty in district court to two third-degree felony charges — collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury. Rice and four of his friends failed to check on the injured parties and fled on foot before police arrived.

Rice was sentenced to five years of deferred probation, and 30 days in jail. He also was required to pay more than $115,000 in restitution to the victims of the crash.

Rice, 25, was driving a rented Lamborghini SUV at speeds up to 119 mph at the time of the accident. Knox was driving a rented Corvette.

A second-round pick by Kansas City out of SMU in 2023, Rice has recorded 156 catches for 1,797 yards and 14 scores in 28 games (20 starts) over his first three NFL seasons.

In January, the court issued default judgments against Knox totaling more than $3.6 million for two other victims in the case. Knox played for two seasons with the Mustangs (2022-23) after one season at Mississippi State.

–Field Level Media

Feb 5, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; Puka Nacua on the NFL Honors Red Carpet before Super Bowl LX at Palace of Fine Arts. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Report: Puka Nacua accuser withdraws restraining order request

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A woman who previously was denied a restraining order against Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua for procedural reasons has withdrawn her petition without prejudice, instead choosing to prioritize a civil lawsuit against him, The Athletic reported Wednesday.

Joseph Kar, who represents plaintiff Madison Atiabi, told The Athletic in a statement that by withdrawing the petition, the civil case can proceed.

Nacua has been sued by Atiabi, who accused him of biting her on the shoulder and her friend on the thumb at a New Year’s Eve celebration in Los Angeles. He also allegedly said “f– all the Jews” during dinner that night, which made Atiabi uncomfortable because she is Jewish.

“A voluntary withdrawal allows for the merits of the civil matter to be thoroughly investigated and tried to a jury,” Kar said in the statement. “Civil harassment petitions are not normally ever tried before any jury while the civil lawsuit will be proceeding on all counts to a jury.”

Atiabi is seeking unspecified financial compensation.

Nacua’s attorney, Levi McCathern, denied the receiver said the antisemitic remark while describing the biting as “horseplay.”

Earlier this month, McCathern announced that Nacua had checked into a rehabilitation facility.

“Puka takes responsibility for his well-being and increasing his performance during the offseason,” McCathern wrote in a statement published by NFL Network at the time. “So, in early March … Puka voluntarily entered a holistic care facility to focus on his personal growth.”

He is expected to take part in team OTAs later this spring.

Nacua is an All-Pro who caught a league-high 129 passes for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns across 16 games with Los Angeles last fall, but he also has made headlines for less positive reasons.

Nacua, 24, had to apologize for a different antisemitic incident that took place earlier in December on a livestream with influencer Adin Ross. Ross persuaded Nacua into making a gesture connected to Jewish stereotypes while practicing a touchdown celebration on the stream.

He is eligible for a contract extension this offseason that is expected to make him among the top-paid players at his position.

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Kent State Golden Flashes head coach Kenni Burns during the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

Report: Kenni Burns sues Kent State for wrongful termination

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Former Kent State football coach Kenni Burns is suing the university and a number of Kent State officials for wrongful termination, breach of contract and defamation, according to a report from ESPN.

Burns, who was fired in April of 2025 after posting a 1-23 record over two seasons leading the Golden Flashes, reportedly alleges that his firing was a part of the school’s conspiracy to save money.

Along with the school, Kent State president Todd Diacon, senior vice president for finance and administration Mark Polatajko, general counsel David Ochmann and the school’s board of trustees are listed as defendants in the lawsuit.

Before his firing, Burns was placed on administrative leave by the school and eventually fired for “personal, improper or unsubstantiated purchases on his school purchasing card” as well as an investigation of a six-figure loan he received from a university booster, according to multiple media reports.

However, Burns claims in his lawsuit that he was never given proper training for purchasing card usage, that he provided receipts and paid the university a portion of the improper card usage back in the form of a check for over $7,000 which the school cashed.

Burns’ filing also discusses financial struggles while coaching at Kent State because of a temporary relocation due to flooding and because the school wasn’t paying him his full salary.

That led to Burns accepting a loan from booster and university vendor Mike Awad, which Burns says was cleared by a university official while Kent State’s investigative report found there was “conflicting evidence” if this loan was shared with the university.

Burns’ lawsuit says that he accepted a number of monthly loans from Awad, but that they were paid back with interest. The school’s investigative report showed that Burns repaid Awad $109,000 over a series of payments in a 14-month period from 2023-24.

With regard to the firing, the filing states that the groundwork for the move was laid in early 2024 when the two sides were finalizing a one-year extension through 2028 which included an amendment that shifted what Burns would be paid if fired for cause from a percentage of the total contract (roughly $2 million) to a percentage of his base salary in the season he was fired (approximately $371,000).

“Upon information and belief, the ‘error’ in the First Amendment allowed Kent State’s plan to wrongfully terminate Kenni Burns’ to move forward, saving the University money by not having to comply with the buy-out terms of Kenni Burns’ original contract,” Burns’ lawsuit says on the matter.

The lawsuit also alleges that Burns, while on administrative leave, was approached by Ochmann, who asked if he would accept money to “quietly walk away.” Per the filing, he was given one day to consider the offer before he was informed the school would continue seeking a for-cause termination.

A spokesperson for the University told ESPN, that Kent State does not comment on pending litigation.

–Field Level Media

Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) reacts after a catch against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Puka Nacua sued, accused of biting women, making antisemitic remark

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is being sued for allegedly biting two women and making an antisemitic statement during a New Year’s Eve gathering.

Plaintiff Madison Atiabi and her attorney allege that Nacua said “f– all the Jews” during a dinner on Dec. 31 in Los Angeles. This made Atiabi “immediately … uncomfortable and emotionally distressed” because she is Jewish.

The suit also alleges that Nacua bit her on the shoulder later that night, and bit her friend on the thumb, causing her to “scream in acute pain.”

Nacua’s attorney, Levi McCathern, denied the receiver said the antisemitic remark while describing the biting as “horseplay.”

McCathern told ABC News in a statement Thursday that Nacua is “pursuing all available legal remedies in response to these false and damaging statements.”

A hearing is set for April 14. The suit seeks monetary damages but does not specify an amount.

Nacua, 24, had to apologize for a different antisemitic incident that took place earlier that month on a livestream with influencer Adin Ross. Ross persuaded Nacua into making a gesture connected to Jewish stereotypes while practicing a touchdown celebration on the stream.

Nacua is eligible for a contract extension this offseason that is expected to make him among the top-paid players at his position.

–Field Level Media

Detroit Lions fan Ryan Kennedy, center, listens during a press conference while being represented by Head Murphy Law attorney Sean Murphy, left, and Head Murphy Law founder and Managing Member Shawn Head,right, during a press conference at Head Murphy Law in Farmington Hills on Friday, December 26, 2025, while discussing the fan involved in an altercation with Pittsburgh Steelers player DK Metcalf at the Detroit Lions game at Ford Field last Sunday.

Lions fan files $100M lawsuit over DK Metcalf incident

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The Detroit Lions fan involved in a December altercation with the Pittsburgh Steelers’ DK Metcalf has filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against the wide receiver and others.

Ryan Kennedy continues to suffer physically and has experienced “reputational damage and economic harm” since the Dec. 21 incident at Detroit’s Ford Field, according to a suit filed Tuesday in Wayne County (Mich.) Circuit Court.

Kennedy was in the first row behind the Steelers’ bench when he and Metcalf exchanged words before the receiver appeared to reach up, grab Kennedy by the shirt and take a swing at him.

The day after the game, former NFL wideout Chad Johnson said on his “Nightcap” podcast with former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe that Kennedy had used a racial slur during the confrontation.

“Based on what I was told, from a reliable source, who wears number four that’s what it was — (Kennedy) called (Metcalf) the N-word,” Johnson said, according to the lawsuit.

Kennedy has denied the allegation.

“The N-Word is the most offensive and inflammatory racial slur in the English language. No other word expresses so much hatred and bigotry,” Kennedy’s attorney Jon Marko told The Athletic on Tuesday. “Falsely accusing someone of using that word hurts not only the person falsely accused, but hurts every true victim of racial hatred and bigotry.”

The lawsuit also names Ford Field for failing to protect Kennedy, as well as Sharpe’s company, Shay Shay Media, and All Time Sports, which hosts “Nightcap.”

Marko said Kennedy is seeking damages “as well as court-ordered public retractions from all defendants to clear his name. Mr. Kennedy maintains that he never used any racial slurs or hate speech whatsoever.”

The NFL suspended Metcalf, 28, for two games after the incident. The two-time Pro Bowler returned for the playoffs and had two catches for 42 yards in a 30-6 wild-card loss to the Houston Texans.

–Field Level Media

Duke QB Darian Mensah can’t sign elsewhere until ruling

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Duke quarterback Darian Mensah will remain in transfer portal limbo while awaiting a courtroom decision.

He is allowed to enter the portal but can’t enroll at or play for another school until a North Carolina judge rules on Duke’s request for an injunction that would stop him from leaving the Blue Devils, ESPN reported Wednesday.

An injunction hearing is currently scheduled for Feb. 2 with Judge Ed Wilson of Durham County Superior Court.

Mensah’s attorney Darren Heitner is attempting to move the hearing to an earlier date, per the report.

Mensah announced on social media and told Blue Devils coach Manny Diaz he was entering the portal last Friday, the final day it was open.

Duke insists that Mensah is still bound by his multiyear NIL contract with the university.

“Mr. Mensah has an existing contract with Duke which the university intends to honor, and we expect he will do the same,” Duke’s athletics department said in a statement Wednesday. “The court-ordered temporary restraining order (TRO) issued yesterday ensures he does not violate his contract. The university is committed to supporting all of our student-athletes, while expecting each of them to abide by their contractual obligations.”

Mensah had previously stated on Dec. 19 that he was returning for a second season with the Blue Devils instead of entering the draft after reportedly signing a two-year, $8 million deal ahead of the 2025 season.

After spending his freshman season at Tulane, Mensah was the second-team All-ACC quarterback in his first season with Duke, throwing for a conference-leading 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns with just six interceptions in 2025. He led the Blue Devils (9-5) to their first outright Atlantic Coast Conference championship since 1962.

Mensah reportedly wants to transfer within the Atlantic Coast Conference to Miami, potentially replacing outgoing starter Carson Beck.

–Field Level Media

Brian Kelly’s lawyers: LSU ‘made it nearly impossible’ to get new job

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Attorneys representing Brian Kelly have alleged that LSU’s handling of the embattled coach’s buyout negotiations has become an obstacle for him to be hired elsewhere.

Kelly’s team sent a pair of letters last week to new LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry and board of supervisors member John Carmouche, which accused the university of harming Kelly’s future employment opportunities by not confirming that he was fired without cause.

“As you know, there is absolutely no basis to LSU’s contrived positions that Coach Kelly was not terminated or that cause existed for such termination,” a letter sent Nov. 18 and obtained by multiple outlets said. “LSU’s conduct, including its failure to confirm that Coach Kelly was terminated without cause and its unsupported allegations of misconduct on the part of Coach Kelly, has made it nearly impossible for Coach Kelly to secure other football-related employment.”

A follow-up letter dated Nov. 19 reportedly said Kelly would withdraw his lawsuit against the school if LSU would confirm in writing that he was fired without cause, meaning the decision had solely to do with the football team’s performance.

Kelly filed his suit in a Louisiana court earlier this month seeking confirmation that LSU fired him without cause and therefore owed him the rest of the money on his contract. His buyout was worth between $53-54 million when LSU dismissed him Oct. 26 after a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M.

That lawsuit said LSU informed Kelly he had not yet been “formally terminated” and that the school was planning to argue he would be fired for cause. But Kelly’s buyout clause includes offset language if he is able to land a new job, which could reduce some of the total LSU owes him.

LSU’s board on Friday voted in favor of allowing new university president Wade Rousse to formally terminate Kelly. LSU has not commented on the ongoing matter.

–Field Level Media

Sep 6, 2025; Athens, Ohio, USA; A football with the Ohio Bobcats logo is seen on the field during the fourth quarter of a game between the Ohio Bobcats and the West Virginia Mountaineers at Peden Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

NCAA must pay Robert Geathers, wife $18M in concussion suit

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The NCAA was found to be negligent in failing to warn a former South Carolina State football player about the long-term effects of concussions, a state jury ruled, resulting in a combined $18 million award to the former player and his wife.

An Orangeburg County jury delivered the verdict following a civil trial in which lawyers for Robert Geathers, 68, and his wife, Debra, argued that the NCAA was aware of the potential lasting dangers of concussions but did not share those safety concerns until after Geathers’ career ended.

“All the information they knew, they withheld,” attorney Bakari Sellers told jurors, per the Associated Press, claiming the NCAA had known about concussion risks since the 1930s.

Geathers was a defensive end at South Carolina State from 1977 to 1980.

During the trial, physicians testified that Geathers shows symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain condition that occurs after repeated head injuries.

Diagnosed with dementia in 2017, Geathers is unable to hold a job, dress himself or make a meal due to severe memory loss issues and other physical ailments, according to multiple reports.

Attorneys for Geathers and his wife argued these symptoms are the result of head injuries sustained during his football career that caused trauma he was unaware of at the time and resulted in symptoms that didn’t show up until decades after he last played college football.

The jury ruled the NCAA “unreasonably increased the risk of harm of head impacts to Robert Geathers over and above the risks inherent to playing football” and that the NCAA “voluntarily assumed duties to protect the health and safety of Robert Geathers” and that the NCAA “negligently breached their duties” to him.

The NCAA can appeal the verdict, which NCAA spokesperson Greg Johnson said the organization disagreed with, citing the results of multiple similar lawsuits.

The “NCAA has prevailed in every other jury trial around the country on these issues,” Johnson said, per the AP, and is “prepared to pursue our rights on post-trial motions and on appeal, if necessary.”

Geathers was awarded $10 million as a result of the civil trial and his wife was awarded $8 million for the loss of consortium.

The Geathers have two sons who played defensive end in the NFL. Robert Geathers Jr. played 11 seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2004-14. Clifton Geathers played in 37 games for five teams from 2010-14.

–Field Level Media

Oct 8, 2022; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald gestures to the referees in the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Ryan Field. Wisconsin defeated Northwestern 42-7. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Northwestern and ex-coach Pat Fitzgerald settle suit

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Northwestern has reached a settlement in former football coach Pat Fitzgerald’s wrongful termination lawsuit.

Terms were not disclosed but Fitzgerald’s attorneys called it a “satisfactory settlement” on Thursday, per ESPN.

Fitzgerald sued the university for $130 million in October 2023. He was fired in July 2023 amid allegations of hazing within the Wildcats’ program.

“For the past two years, I have engaged in a process of extensive fact and expert discovery, which showed what I have known and said all along-that I had no knowledge of hazing ever occurring in the Northwestern football program and that I never directed or encouraged hazing in any way,” Fitzgerald said in a statement on Thursday.

Fitzgerald, 50, acknowledged that hazing did occur during his tenure as head coach at his alma mater from 2006-22 but that he was unaware of the problem at the time.

“I am extremely disappointed that members of the team engaged in this behavior and that no one reported it to me,” he said, “so that I could have alerted Northwestern’s Athletic Department and administrators, stopped the inappropriate behavior, and taken every necessary step to protect Northwestern’s student athletes.”

Fitzgerald, an All-American linebacker at Northwestern in the mid-1990s, compiled a 110-101 record over 17 seasons on the sideline in Evanston, Ill. His Wildcats were 5-5 in bowl games.

A statement released by the university said Fitzgerald did not condone or direct the hazing.

“While the litigation brought to light highly inappropriate conduct in the football program and the harm it caused, the evidence uncovered during extensive discovery did not establish that any player reported hazing to Coach Fitzgerald or that Coach Fitzgerald condoned or directed any hazing,” the statement read. “Moreover, when presented with the details of the conduct, he was incredibly upset and saddened by the negative impact this conduct had on players within the program.”

Fitzgerald’s case had been scheduled to go to trial in November.

“The rush to judgment in the media in July of 2023 and the reports that suggested I knew about and directed hazing are false and have caused me, my wife, and my three sons great stress, embarrassment, and reputational harm in the last two years,” Fitzgerald said. “Though I maintain Northwestern had no legal basis to terminate my employment for cause under the terms of my Employment Agreement, in the interest of resolving this matter and, in particular, to relieve my family from the stress of ongoing litigation, Northwestern and I have agreed to a settlement, and I am satisfied with the terms of the settlement.”

More than 50 former student-athletes filed lawsuits related to the hazing scandal. Northwestern settled the last 34 of those suits in May.

–Field Level Media

Jun 10, 2025; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores watches practices during minicamp at the Minnesota Vikings Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Vikings DC Brian Flores’ discrimination suit vs. NFL cleared for trial

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Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ civil discrimination claim against the NFL was cleared by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to proceed to trial, bypassing what the panel of judges felt was a flawed arbitration process involving commissioner Roger Goodell.

The former head coach of the Miami Dolphins and co-defendants are suing the league and three teams — the Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Houston Texans — claiming Black coaches face discrimination. Flores’ claims do not list the New England Patriots, where he was the defensive coordinator prior to becoming a first-time head coach in Miami in 2019.

He filed the suit in 2022 after the Giants hired Brian Daboll as head coach, arguing his interview with the organization was scheduled primarily to appease the NFL rule mandating teams interview a minority candidate, known as the Rooney Rule.

Judge Valerie Caproni previously ruled — on March 1, 2023 — that Flores’ case could go to trial, prompting the NFL appeal.

In her written decision more than two years ago, Caproni mandated Flores seek arbitration in his claims against the Dolphins. She also said two other coaches submitting claims — Steve Wilks and Ray Horton — must seek arbitration, while otherwise siding with Flores on the merits of a jury trial.

Caproni described the details of experiences of minority coaches “incredibly troubling.” She cited specific claims in the suit of the NFL’s “long history of systematic discrimination toward Black players, coaches, and managers.”

Goodell said at the Super Bowl in February that the NFL would not cease diversity, equity and inclusion efforts despite a federal demand for a shift from the administration of President Donald Trump.

Entering the 2025 regular season, there are five Black head coaches in the NFL: Mike Tomlin (Steelers), Todd Bowles (Buccaneers), DeMeco Ryans (Texans) and, Raheem Morris (Falcons) and Aaron Glenn (Jets). Two others, Antonio Pierce (Raiders) and Jerod Mayo (Patriots), were fired after one season as head coach. Pierce was promoted from interim head coach in Las Vegas before the 2024 season.

Carponi said in her ruling it was “difficult to understand” how the league had only one Black head coach at the time Flores filed his lawsuit because “70 percent” of players under contract were Black. After being fired by the Dolphins, Flores spent 2022 as a defensive assistant for the Steelers where he worked under the only Black head coach at the time, Tomlin.

The appeals court decision written by Circuit Judge Jose A. Cabranes was centered around the judge’s opinion that Flores would not be granted true “neutral arbitration.” The decision states the NFL arbitration rules violate the Federal Arbitration Act because claims are decided by the NFL’s principal executive officer (Goodell), which “offends basic presumptions of our arbitration jurisprudence.”

Flores said at the time he filed the suit that he risked his coaching career. Last offseason, he was interviewed by the Chicago Bears for their head-coaching vacancy. The job ultimately went to Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

Claims in the suit from Flores about his time in Miami stem from what he said became friction with owner Stephen Ross. Flores said when he refused to recruit a prominent quarterback against NFL tampering rules, he became cast as an “angry Black man” in the eyes of the franchise brass. Flores said he was also offered $100,000 under the table from Ross for every loss during his first season as part of a detailed plan to “tank” to get the No. 1 pick in the draft.

The Dolphins fired Flores in January 2022 following consecutive winning seasons. He was 24-25 as Miami’s head coach.

The NFL conducted its own six-month investigation and claimed there was no evidence of the Dolphins intentionally losing games. However, the NFL determined Miami — Ross and vice chairman/limited partner Bruce Beal were named specifically — was in violation of the anti-tampering policy in attempts to communicate with Tom Brady and then-Saints coach Sean Payton, and failed to uphold the integrity of the game “on multiple occasions” between 2019-22. The league stripped the Dolphins of their 2023 first-round pick and a third-round pick in 2024.

Ross was fined $1.5 million, banned from the league meetings in 2023 and suspended from Aug. 2-Oct. 17, 2022. He was barred from being present at the team facility and representing the team at any team event during that time.

–Field Level Media