Starsia sued: UVA lax coaches, state targeted by Love family
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Dom Starsia was inducted into the Lacrosse Hall of Fame four years ago.file photo by Jen Fariello
The family that sued George Huguely V in the death of their 22-year-old daughter has now filed a $29.4 million suit against the lacrosse coaches who reportedly missed key signals that they had a violent man on their team.
The suit, filed May 1 in Louisa County Circuit Court, names University of Virginia's head lacrosse coach, Dom Starsia, along with assistant coach Marc Van Arsdale, athletic director Craig Littlepage, and the Commonwealth of Virginia and comes in the wake of the 2010 beating death of Yeardley Love. Why the coaches were sued in a rural and earthquake-scarred county east of Charlottesville could not be immediately learned, and telephone messages left with the UVA Athletic Department and with the Love family attorney were not immediately returned.
Hook legal analyst David Heilberg suggests one possibility for the venue. While rural populations are often conservative in their social beliefs, Heilberg says that Louisa is liberal in another regard.
"A Louisa jury is very generous," says Heilberg, who says he's seen larger than expected awards given in that county, particularly for local plaintiffs.
And even if Sharon Love isn't a native Louisan, the high profile nature of the case might work in her favor.
"She might be sympathetic enough that they'd treat her as one of their own," says Heilberg, speculating that a potential Louisa jury "might overlook some of the flaws of the plaintiff's case."
Love's most recent suit alleges that Huguely's proclivity for violence, his substance abuse, and his threats against her daughter were well known to his coaches prior to her death at his hands, and that they took no action to discipline him, push him toward treatment, or to warn Love. The suit also contains new information.
The plaintiff notes that the UVA coaches and/or athletic director Craig Littlepage enforced a team suspension on a less-valuable player, a bench-warmer who had been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol while doing nothing about Huguely's "well known" abuse of people and alcohol.
While it's been previously asserted that Huguely had a history of violent behavior including an alleged choking incident against Love, a resisting-arrest attack on a Lexington police officer, and even the reported battery on a sleeping teammate (a tale whose details eerily presage the homicide), the suit offers fresh particulars about the severity of the teammate incident.
The suit asserts that the injuries Huguely inflicted on the fellow player– who supposedly incited Huguely's ire by showing interest in Love– were seen by the team trainer. The suit claims the trainer considered them serious enough to recommend medical treatment and that the player turned out to have suffered a concussion from Huguely's nocturnal blows.
Also revealed are two more alleged physical assaults by Huguely. The suit asserts that one of those alleged victims, the daughter of Huguely's high school lacrosse coach, was assaulted by Huguely, who accused her of telling her father about his alcohol abuse and rage. The suit claims that Huguely also perpetrated an assault against a UVA men's tennis player whom Huguely saw walking with Love near the UVA Grounds.
"It was well known to the players and coaches on the UVA men's and women's lacrosse teams that Huguely's alcohol abuse and erratic, aggressive behavior was increasingly getting out of control," reads the suit, which was helpfully posted by a Charlottesville television station. "Especially his obsession with Love and his aggression and threats to Love."
In late February, a Charlottesville jury found Huguely guilty of second-degree murder after testimony indicated that the UVA senior kicked in the door of his sleeping girlfriend, battered her, and left her to die. The jury recommended a sentence of 26 years.
In late April, Love's mother filed an approximately $30 million civil suit against Huguely. The subsequent suit's filing comes two days before the two-year anniversary of Love's death and comes from a slightly different legal team including Richmond-based Elliott Buckner and Reston-based Robert T. Hall. A person answering the phone at Buckner's office said there would be no comment.
Finally, the suit also provides a new view of May 1, 2010, the last full day before the killing. In contrast to one of the curious bits of defense testimony during trial, a moment-by-moment video shot at Boylan Heights restaurant and narrated to the jury by an aunt who would point out allegedly affectionate motions by "Georgie" toward Love, the suit offers a new view. It claims that, while accompanied by his father at a restaurant, Huguely "rudely directed obscenities" toward Love.
UVA spokesperson Carol Wood referred inquiries to the Attorney General's office. AG spokesperson Brian Gottstein says his office is aware of the suit, but notes that none of the defendants have been served.
"If it is served, we will vigorously defend the case," says Gottstein in an emailed statement. "While we certainly recognize the terrible loss suffered by the Love family, that loss was not caused by the Commonwealth or anyone employed at the University of Virginia."
Story updated from 11:30-12:50am with quotations from David Heilberg and from the lawsuit itself.–ed.
117 comments
Possible reasons to file in Louisa :
1. Not Charlottesville - home to UVA and Starsia loving sports fans.
Almost certainly filed only to protect the Stat of Limits.
Their cavalier attitude toward the poor behavior of certain student athletes has finally come home to roost. I hope the discovery phase airs all the dirty linens UVA tries so hard to conceal.
Nothing like some fresh air and sunshine to clean up a cesspool.
Really wish some people would get a clue. Just as in past articles, people comment without knowing one damn thing about Starsia, Van Arsdale, Littlepage, the rest of the staff and the members of the program.
I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise. People comment daily on all sorts of topics about which they have zero knowledge. Why should this be different.
so sorry for mrs love's loss, but suing Starsia is absurd. he is not GH's daddy. I would think this is a reach too far, and will harm the Love's connection to the women's lacrosse program, who have done a number of things for the family.
shame
Anger ventilated often hurries towards forgiveness; anger concealed often hardens into revenge.
I truly don't see the point of this. Unless it can be proven that murder was the logical end point for past behavior it seems like a HUGE stretch that was reasonably foreseeable.
Jeremy, good call. It's the two year mark.
Sharon Love now joins the ranks of other strong mothers who have taken a stand against UVa, attempting to change the culture of booze, and violence against women. Susan Russell has fought for a change in sexual assault policy, after her daughter Kathryn was raped by a fellow student. And Gil Harrington, who sued the security company overseeing JPJ events. Her daughter was murdered after not being allowed to re-enter a Metallica concert at a UVA arena.
http://readthehook.com/102337/unsilenced-how-mother-fought-protect-h...
Gil Harrington's story :
http://readthehook.com/101637/why-she-filed-morgan-harringtons-mom-e...
I am proud of these women, and their courage to hold those in authority accountable for situations that handled differently could have saved or mitigated the damage done to their daughters
Ohh Nancy you need to re think retirement and get back to work. Starsia is a great man he did not kill Love. I hope this suit gets laughed out of court. Filed in La because it's a whole different set of rules down thar.
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As much as i would like to see hugely die of old age in jail i think that if we are going so far as to blame georges coach for not seeing the signs then we need to lay blame at Yeardlys parents for not raising a daughter smart enough to run like hell from an obvious sociopath,
I think that the suit is probably strategic to get info out about hugely to be used in the civil trial against him.
@hook reader It's Louisa County, not Louisiana.
Life isn't fair. Bad things happen to good people. But to try and blame Starsia and UVA is a complete stretch. Love's mother should sue herself. She KNEW of some of this abuse yet she didn't make sure her daughter stayed away from him. Starsia did not know, and didn't know of Huguely's past troubles as they were hid from him. Once you have a kid in your program should you be running criminal background checks each year? I'm sad for her and her family, and George should rot in hell for all eternity, but the person who is to blame is sitting in jail. George and George alone is to blame for this tragedy.
downtown -- don't forget that in addition to knowing about at least one of Huguely's prior altercations with her daughter, Mrs. Love alerted NO ONE AT UVa to Huguely's conduct.
Yet somehow she is now entitled to $30M+ because the coaches didn't act. By this logic, in addition to suing herself she should have sued many of her daughter's friends and teammates, the Women's Lax coaches (since through osmosis they surely should have known of Ms. Love's tumultuous relationship with Huguely), and maybe even the UNC lax player and his friends, since they didn't call the cops or something on Huguely.
Now we know why the commonwealth attorney worked to stop these civil suits until after the criminal case. His best weapon, the grieving mother, is now seriously tarnished.
Good thing there are serious damage caps in VIrginia -- which her Richmond counsel surely knows, but filed this clunker anyway . . . .
No wonder the general population despises lawyers.
Hmm.....................I read this article on line earlier this evening. I've thought about since then. I an not a lawyer, but I did go to law school. Why this suit was filed where it was and when it was is all speculation. The why and the when will all surface.
The real issue here is who knew what and when did they know it about GH5. It stretches crediability that the coach or the assistants didn't know about the drinking and the temper. Was the coach or either of the assistants at the golf tournament? If they were they would have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to know that GH5 was drunk. The papers in town reported that GH5 was drinking to excess on many days.
I've taught student athletes and have been involved in college and university sports since 1972. It would be hard to believe that someone on the faculty or in the athletic department wasn't aware of the drinking or the behavior.
Long story short, the buck must stop somewhere. The lawyers are trying to find out where it stops.
There is much blame to go around. The courts and a jury must decide this issue. Stay tuned, this may be a very long summer.
The buck ought to stop with the guy in jail for her death, who's been accused, indicted, tried, convicted, and soon to be sentenced.
Hmm...Recovering Attorney
I'm not an attorney, but I wonder about your contention regarding what the coaches and the athletic department knew. I expect that we will learn more in that department. Nevertheless, even if they knew that GH5 drank and had a bad temper, it is not necessarily a reasonable expectation that these traits would translate to murder.
I suspect that many of us knew bad drunks in college. I also suspect that virtually all of us would be hard pressed to come up with one of those bad drunks who murdered someone.
I have been a vocal supporter of the Love's and sympathize with their plight and tragedy, but this is where we part company.
I am sure that it is the attorneys who are making this happen, but to go after everyone who is still alive is indeed ambulance chasing.
Who is next, the girls lacrosse team members and coaches? They all knew WTF was going on too..............
Maybe the Huguelys should sue the Loves. If YL's mom had called GH's folks and told them what was going on, maybe they could have straightened him out and he wouldn't be sitting in jail right now. That's gotta' be worth millions -- his lost earning power would have been even higher than YL's, since he's a man and all that.
Soothsayer--Good turning of the tables. Points up the absurdity of where-does-it-end. IF the Loves really knew. and IF they had any meaningful opportunity to act, then why not. But legally here's why not -- they had no legal duty to anyone. The coaches arguably -- or at least the lawyers will have to argue -- had a legal duty presumably to the student body community.
And BTW, they probably filed in Louisa hoping the press hounding the c'ville courthouse wouldn't find out, and yet the statute of limitations would still be satisfied. It will probably be transferred back to Cville .
If you want to be on the state payroll, you have a responsibility to uphold the law...I wish I had found a lawyer to help me file a suit...
I think the Love's filed the 2nd lawsuit as a back up for payment. I think they realize that they aren't going to get anythng from GH but they know UVA will settle out of court and they will get the $$$ then. But suing for that amount because they think YL would have made that much in her life time is CRAZY. What was she going to be a world class surgeon?
Most UVA coaches know what's going on with their players. Starsia is the exception.
Starsia made a decision to distance himself from his team -- the old blind-eye routine.
He had warning signs, which he ignored.
UVA gave him a contract extension like nothing had happened -- and it leaked out during the criminal trial.
After the tragedy Starsia said he wasn't changing a thing about the way he coaches.
What would you do if your daughter had been killed by one of his players?
BTW, don't think it's about the money. It's about trying to change the UVA paradigm. Good luck with that!
UVA brought this on themselves because of the inept way they handled subsequent actions.
@Betty, well said!
Two serious issues must be addressed by the defendants. After Duke university terminated its season due to player behavior issues (which helped UVa win the national title), the UVa coach spoke at a national convention and was critical of the then current state of the sport off the field. This would suggest that he understood the culture that existed.
The second issue concerns the "assault" that G.H. committed on the current teammate who "was seen with Y.L." The physical signs clearly suggested that the kid was seriously assaulted, he couldnt practice. Yet - The UVa coach accepted their explanation that is was resolved and did not act.. This is going to be unacceptable, the UVa coach had a responsibility to contact UVa law enforcement and insist that they get involved. This would have turned up the Lexington Issue, G. H. would have been dismissed from school and this event would not have happened.
Y.L.'s mother has a very valid point. The A.D. should have terminated the coach upon learning of this incident. UVa should be nervous about this incident
Betty - Assuming you're the same Betty as near the top, you once again speak without knowing anything about the coach, the players, the program, the department or even the school.
It must be difficult to get up on such an insanely high horse to look down your nose at these people you know so little about and the situations they - not you - are in.
If you (the Love family) want to sue coaches and the Commonwealth of Virginia then you must also point the finger at yourselves for not seeing whatever it is you think the aforementioned should have seen and acted on. By blaming other people do you think you can escape the same blame? Whatever standard you hold other people to must first be applied to yourselves. Hmmmm...lets see, you had 22 years to influence a young woman's judgment and the coaches/Commonwealth? had 9 months times 4 years = 36 months. 22 years you had versus 3 years total they had in college?
Why couldn't you achieve in 22 years what you think they were supposed to achieve in 3 years of seeing your daughter during the limited play time? The preponderance of the blame in this equation is your own by a bit more than a ratio of 7 to 1. And 7:1 is generous in your favor.
This is not as much about money as it is about what will come out in the depositions and discovery. The lacrosse team and UVa were relatively unscathed in the criminal trial, as they were not necessarily relevant. This filing is likely intended to put all of these people under oath. What will be interesting is if the university tries to settle rather than have these people deposed, and the reaction by the Love family to any such settlement offer. They say they will vigorously defend--it may be cheaper to pay a million bucks than have the culture exposed to that degree.
Robert, get your facts straight before commenting. Starsia did exactly what he was supposed to in the situation. He pressed both players for details and both declined to comment saying they were both at fault and had even apologized to each other. He even pressed the assaulted player for more information when they were alone, but he declined to say anything further. There's absolutely no reason for that to go to the administration or the police with that. According to even the person who got attacked, it was nothing more than a scuffle among teammates, which happens from time to time in all sports at all levels.
Hey Tim:
Assuming that you really "are in the know", I would suggest that you go into hiding. UVa nor Coach Starsia stand a chance if you are called to testify about that event. "Locker room scuffles" as a defense especially when the suit contends that one player received a "concussion" is the type of response allows examining attorneys to drive Mercedes and BMW's.
If you are in the "loop", please remain quiet.
Robert - I'll remain quiet when those who know absolutely nothing about the situation remain quiet. Deal?
Seems to me that Starsia knew that many of his players were breaking rules and behaving badly, and he tolerated it. Is he directly responsible for Love's death? No. Could he have done more to rein in GH and tamp down what by all accounts was notorious behavior on the part of the team? Probably. If he had kicked GH off the team, would Love be alive today? Maybe. "Boys will be boys" is no defense.
BTW, to the people blaming the Love family for her involvement with a guy like GH, shame on you! No one goes looking to be abused, and the dynamic evolves gradually. She had dumped him, if you recall, and he was the classic jilted abuser. There are plenty of decent women (and men) who end up in lousy relationships.
Tim
Im not trying to discredit you or the coaches. I only know what I have read, heard from secondary sources, etc. If you chose to believe that the coaches' explanation is defensible in a court of law . . . I understand. I'm trying to "prep" readers for the reality that the UVa coaches' explanation about the "assault" or "scuffle" will be harmful to their defense. In lieu of the reports about concussions, face being swollen, and not being able to practice, I think a jury will logically conclude that the coach did not go far enough.
Doug -- it seems to you "Starsia knew that many of his players were breaking rules and behaving badly, and he tolerated it?"
Really? Based on what? Since when has Starsia shied away from suspending players for breaking rules? He kicked his two best players off the team last year! Starsia and The University did not know about the violent incidents that happened away from charlottesville as Huguely did not tell them. The university did not know about the troubled relationship as neither Huguely nor Love told them or reported any crimes to them. As far as I can tell, Starsia knew that one fight occurred between teammates, not between Love and Huguely.
At best the university could have kicked Huguely off the lacrosse team. But the university has no ability to tell two people they shouldn't see each other in an off campus setting. That was the responsibility of Love's parents and friends.
In the list of people who could have done something to prevent this, Sharon Love, Lexie Love, and Yeardley Love all had more power to make a change than UVa coaches and administrators.
---
Imagine for a second. Your daughter is in an abusive relationship. You know she is in an abusive relationship. Her siblings know she is an abusive relationship. Her friends know. She herself knows. The police are never informed. She is tragically murdered. Are you going to blame the coach of her boyfriend's sports team?
@Kevin, apparently, a big chunk of the UVA population knew that the men's and women's lax teams would hang out at Boylan Heights on Sunday nights and that little GH had been thrown out more than once for bad behavior. Players on both teams knew about Love's and GH's volatile relationship. They knew GH was a mean drunk. And you are telling me the coach didn't know? That is called willful ignorance.
And stop blaming Love and her family. Her mother *did* urge her to get a restraining order against GH on her last visit home, but Yeardley said she could handle it. There is only so much a parent can do. You must not have kids yourself.
In this situation, the lax coach shoulders some blame for fostering an environment that turns a blind eye to bad behavior. Anyone who is beaten so badly as to have a concussion is part of a situation that is way beyond a "scuffle."
This is about exposing the culture in the UVA locker room by bringing coaches, administrators, and former players under oath to talk about what was tolerated, what actions were taken, and whether changes have taken place since then. I am not convinced that money is even that important in this suit. The university may be smart to settle this one rather than have everyone speak under penalty of perjury for bending the truth or withholding information. As I understand it, there is no fifth amendment right against self-incrimination in play--the attorney asks a question--you have to answer--regardless of what anyone thinks they know(inside or outside) right now--alot could come to light in that environment.
Doug,
So now we are to assume everyone who gets thrown out of bars or has been in a fight is going to murder someone?
Why is it wrong to blame Love and her family but not Starsia? They had more responsibly and ability to prevent this then he did. You fail to answer how kicking Huguely off the team would have helped.
No one wants to admit reality -- her friends and family should have done something. If you are relying on the coaches of people your daughter dates to protect your daughter you are not doing your job.
Hey Tim, I know more than I ever cared to about UVA Athletics.
The only high horse around here is the one UVA rides.
I have never seen such institutional arrogance.
betty,
So what you are saying is that you are biased and admit that your legal and moral opinion on is this issue is tainted?
@Kevin, now you are not making sense. Why are you leaping to defend UVA and Starsia? You are still blaming the victim. What could Love's family and friends have done beyond what they obviously already did, which was to advise her to dump GH, which Love did?
Kicking GH off the team might have helped because he would finally have received some meaningful consequences for his actions. Even better would have been to make going to AA or otherwise receiving counseling a condition of remaining on the team. The point is that many people in positions of authority could have intervened and didn't.
Hey Betty
I suspect that you are probably right. When I read and listened to his comments that were made after the Duke incident, I felt like that was a topic better left alone. You might recall that Duke fired their men's coach and terminated the season. It then turned out that the players suffered an injustice . . . private settlements were made. That alone made Starsia's statement inappropriate (although I suspect still valid)
We can all wait for the info to come out in court but the reports are G.H. beat the daylights out his teammate . . . face swollen, etc. The latest suit contends that the player suffered a concussion from this assault. If that is indeed true, the UVa coach was very negligent in his "non-action" especially in terms of his statements just 4 years earlier which I suspect the Love legal team is thrilled to
use. The gift that keeps on giving!
Dawg
You can't be serious. Starsia can't make someone attend AA meetings. Its unbelievable that you think that.
"What could Love's family and friends have done beyond what they obviously already did, which was to advise her to dump GH" -- Really? You're messing with me, right? There is this little group called the POLICE. You can get this form there called a "Criminal Complaint Form". You fill it out and they investigate a crime (physical altercations in the past)
Love was back together with GH. You need to get your information straight. They were seen holding hands in public the day before.
This case is going nowhere. As others have hinted at, there is no proximate cause. Legally the "but-for" test is used.
Love would not have been murdered but for Starsia not suspending huguely from the team. Nope, doesn't pass. I expect the Judge Sanner will dismiss it. He knows the law.
@Kevin, Starsia certainly could make him get counseling or attend meetings.
You sound like such a teapartier. Protect the establishment, blame individuals but not the structural or systemic factors. I'm done with you.
I'm not sure how old all of you are, but I'm still relatively young and can still remember what college was like at UVA. We drank, we partied, we did things we shouldn't have done. However, the overwhelming majority of my friends who participated in these activities have gone onto nice jobs, families, charitable causes. Some of you act like kids partying in college, especially athletes, is not the absolute norm. If underage drinking is a discredit to UVA then you can indict 99% of all universities and colleges in the country. George Huguely committed this murder, and while there may have been signs that he had issues, by that same token you bunch a large percentage of the student population into his category. It's not rare to have a young, arrogant, spoiled kid show both drinking problems and bad attitudes. The vast majority of the kids in this group grow up, mature and lead normal, productive lives. George is one a handful that turns into a criminal, and in this case, a murdered. I just don't understand how trying to place blame on those not immediately connected to the situation can be proven. It's a complete stretch.
It's past time we put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the person who committed the heinous act. Not those who may, or may not, have missed a warning sign. And to you commenters with kids, do you look at your children's friends and say 'you know your friend Jimmy has a real attitude and is quick to erupt, I bet he's going to be a murderer, or a wife beater, or an embezzler'. It's just not rational to think like that.
We have just augmented this story with new details from the suit and other stuff. (Don't forget to keep your comments civil.)--hawes spencer
getting money out of GH or his family is going to be like getting blood from a stone. UVA and Starsia, however, have millions of dollars and a lot of reasons to settle rather than fight this. nothing but a cash grab by YL's family, IMO. if you don't think so, ask yourself why they're filing in louisa. i'll give you a hint...not a lot of privileged rich folks in the jury pool out there.
There might have been a blind eye to George's behavior and yes you can blame everyone in the world plus sue them. The point and fact is this, EVERYONE is to blame for that child's murder including Love's family. Why didn't they step up and say anything? Why didn't they contact UVA's staff? I am saying there is not fault but put fault and blame where it lies. Love's mother and family needs to sued as well, not for teaching her the right way when it comes down to relationships but not seeing the signs! I pray that Louisa's citizens DOES NOT fall for this. Yes open the eye's of people to UVA's fault but give her money because of it NO. MOVE ON LOVE Family it is not going to bring Yeardly back!
Downtown Brown- You are correct!
So, if I am a bartender, bar owner or I throw a party or wedding where people are drinking and someone leaves and is drunk and drives and kills someone - who is at fault? According to the great Commonwealth those who serve the booze.
Not so different with the University that recruits these ingrates, covers or turns a blind eye to their behaviors and then they murder or rape?
What most of you don't see is there is more color to the law than you think there is - it isn't black and white and most are color blind to that - they read the law and think "that is the way it is" when there are hundreds of cases out there that also coordinate the rulings.
Kudos to them for casting the spotlight on this!
Anyone else find it interesting that the Women's Lacrosse coach isn't included in this case? If you read the court document, page 6 #28, "It was well known to the players and coaches on the UVA men's and women's lacrosse teams . . . "
Coaches bear a responsibility for the behavior of their players.
My bet is - a jury in Louisa or anywhere else would agree. Clearly these coaches turned a blind eye to what was beyond normal collegiate drinking and partying behavior. I hope that a jury will hold them responsible for their lack of oversight and yes this will cost them a pretty penny, but they brought it on themselves and now they need to pay the piper. And hopefully those that oversee them will institute new policies to enforce a code of conduct that is becoming to student athletes.
Cville Native -- better research Dram Shop Law in Virginia. Unless the law was changed in the legislature this year, Virginia bars and restaurants are NOT liable for patrons who go out and harm someone else after drinking there. Va is in the minority, but that has been the law in VA.
It will be very interesting to see what happens with this lawsuit. Maybe it really was just filed protectively to stop the statute of limitations from running and precluding the right to sue if the Love's really decide to go forward at some point.
There seems almost no basis under the law for the suit on many levels -- First, how do the men's lacrosse coaches have a duty to a student not on their team derived from the actions of one of their players?
Second, where is the proximate cause between the coaches' actions and YL's death? There is none. Speculating that some action they "could" have taken "might" have made a difference, doesn't meet the proximate cause requirement.
Then there is the issue of contributory negligence -- if there was actionable negligence on the coaches part for not taking action against Huguely, that may well be negated by Sharon Love's failure to pick up the phone and call the athletic office with her concerns after the chocking incident. If she had called and nothing was done, this action might have a totally different character.
Then there is the matter of damages -- IF they can establish liability, Ms. Love's family has some, claim to damages for loss of companionship, medical bills, funeral expenses and the like, but they likely have no claim to "loss wages" and such because there was no reasonable likelihood YL would be supporting them (unlike a spouse or children of a tort victim). $30M is certainly an attention-getting figure, but has no basis in fact or in law in VA.
Last, there is the matter of venue -- there are no facts pleaded in the complaint to support venue in Louisa. Maybe one of the defendants lives there, but that has not been established. The Hook legal analyst suggests the lawyers picked Louisa because juries there have awarded higher than average awards in the recent past, but if there is no legitimate connection between the events pleaded and Louisa Co., that additional ploy by the plaintiffs' lawyers won't hold up.
Finally, if the Love's are so ----ed off at the university for rehiring Starsia, why didn't they name UVa as a defendant, in addition to the individuals and the Commonwealth???
I don't believe this will get very far.
First, I don't think GHV was exactly a star lacrosse player. From everything I've seen, he would play occassionally but mostly warmed the bench. So, comparing him to another less valuable player? I don't buy it. And the other player got a DUI. Yes, GHV was arrested in Lexington for drunk in public (and resisting arrest, I believe), but UVA never found out about this. Yes, it would have been nice if they had, but there wasn't a system in place for them to check on it now. (I believe Gov. McDonnell wanted to change that, not sure if it has happened yet.)
And while GHV was certainly a violent person, most of the incidents were hearsay - coaches didn't witness them. We have no idea if any coach ever heard about the choking incident. We know they heard about him punching the guy, but it was also testified that the guy George punched told a coach (not sure if it was Starsia) that it wasn't a big deal.
Will friends of Yeardley and George be sued next? They're the ones that actually saw a lot of this.
A couple reasons for filing in Louisa:
1. As someone else said, they were hoping it would go under the radar for a while and the press wouldn't find out.
2. Statute of limitations issues - I know sometimes people who want to bide their time file right before the statute of limitations expires, but in a county that has a slow moving docket or is short a judge. I'm not sure if Louisa fits the bill for that - but I've heard about that happening in other civil suits.
Let's think about this logically for one second? Are a few of you really willing to believe that had Dom made George go to AA as a way to stay on the team: A. He would have obliged in the last semester of his 4th year? Or that B: This would have save Yeardley's life? The guy was a collegiate alcoholic that came from a family that likes the bottle. Given the choice of AA with two months to play on a team that you're not really playing for anyway, or party the last two months of college, I think I know what George would have chosen. It's not like being kicked off the lacrosse would have removed him from UVa or Cville or Yeardley's life.
A few of you need to face the reality of college athletics. Coaches are not babysitters. They don't see don't spend 7 hours a day with students like high school teachers. They don't see kids every day of the year. They see them at practice. And maybe during film study. That's it. Otherwise they're out of town recruiting, scouting, giving clinics, speeches, leading their lives. And Dom was also dealing with a terminally sick parent at the time. It's completely reasonable to believe he didn't know the level of GH's problem.
I agree with the poster above. The people that are going to have to live with this their whole lives are the friends and family members who absolutely knew this was going on and didn't step in. Are we bringing lawsuits against Yeardley and George's roommates next? What about the Carolina lacrosse players that caught him choking her. If they'd gone to the police that night, wouldn't George have gone to jail? Are they to blame? Not suspending a kid after he punched a teammate didn't kill Yeardley. George Huguely did. He's the one to blame. And we already took care of that.
Yup. The system worked. Bad guy is in jail awaiting sentencing. Can't for the life of me understand what this it about, or why they are bothering to sue GH.
The Harrington's suit mystifies me a bit, too, though I do believe Gil when she explains, "This may be the only chance we get at a trial" (or whatever it was....paraphrasing). I guess maybe being in court has an appeal to some -- hashing and rehashing. The Loves did want to wear their buttons or other paraphernalia to the trial, but were rebuffed, so took to wearing colors instead (like gangstas!). Maybe cville's excellently run trial was too expeditious for them; maybe they felt the need for an OJ/Casey Anthony-like prolonged ordeal instead of the efficient 2 weeks in and out, with the judge tastefully hiding the graphic photos. I dunno. It's odd. I can't tell if a lawyer seduced them, or if they are the drivers.
I get suing George...attempting to make sure he never lives comfortably. That makes sense if that's the route they want to take. But the character assassination of two very good men is not right in my opinion.
I don't blame the Loves for suing Huguely. They probably know they won't get any money, but it's more to prove a point. And in case he does have a trust or anything out there. He is the one who actually caused Yeardley's death. But this is a bridge too far, in my opinion.
There's got to be an expectation they won't get any money from Huguely, although he'll surely be found guilty of wrongful death. But suing Starsia, Littlepage and Virginia (weird that UVA wasn't included also), those people do have money. Although the state must have some form of immunity - how can the state be responsible for the death of someone?
So maybe the suit against GH could be to ensure that the judge won't attempt to reduce the recommended sentence.... But even that seems mean spirited. There are no winners here. Nobody's getting away with anything.
There are others they could have sued. Why not sue the roommate who wouldn't talk to drunken GH that night? Had he not locked himself away from GH, things might have gone differently. Why not sue the apartment building for not having a GH-proof door? He was able to punch through it.
Seems to me if you're casting about for blame, lots of culprits were missed.
Starsia=Paterno....both knew everything that went on in their programs but choose to ignore the negative things in order to keep raking in the glory and fame. I predict if those goes to trial, Starsia will retire.
State run university has it's big time faults... Nobody but the douche in prison is responsible for the death of that poor girl. BTW, GH was, in fact, not a prominent player on the team. And probably the furthest thought from everybody's mind, unfortunately. It's human instinct to kill or not kill... No one but the individual can decide.
"Coaches bear a responsibility for the behavior of their players." If parents do not legally bear responsibility for their over-18 children (they even have to have the kid's permission to see his grades even if they are paying his way), how can coaches be responsible?
There is no causal relationship to being kicked out of school and leaving town. It is plausible that he still would have lived down the street from her and she still would have been involved with him. Just because someone attends AA does not mean he's cured of anything. Therefore there is absolutely nothing to indicate that she would not have been murdered anyway. There are no events spelled out in this article that any reasonable person could use to predict a murder. This kind of drunken abuse is so common on college campuses across the nation that many colleges include assault as part of orientation. Not so during my college years because students were not recognized as having rights.
If counseling could solve these types of problems then why do we need SARA? SARA is still greatly needed but even it can not prevent crimes of this nature.
I do believe if the dead girl had been somebody at PVCC, there would have been a whole different scenario.
If this lawsuit continues I am sure it is hoped that it will be decided by emotion rather than a principle of law.
Cville Eye -- you say "many colleges include assault as part of orientation," Is that literally true? How would you know or are you just assuming?
You've said a lot of interesting/disturbing things, which is why I'm asking how you know some of them.
Your comment re PVCC -- do you mean if a "townie" had been killed, no big fanfare? That's quite a disturbing thought -- guess it goes along with the theory that missing white girls (Natalie Holloway, etc.) are prominent news, missing minorities less so, although in our town, the Harrington story never seemed to quite endure and be scrutinized as others have, as if it were a Cville secret. THAT is what could come from that lawsuit -- some answers, some info as can only be gotten from subpoenas and depositions, such as whether anyone worked at or near JPJ who might have been familiar with Anchorage Farm.
And re coaches and responsibility -- it will be up to a judge or jury to decide if there is a legal duty of the coach to protect other students from drunken, volatile athletes, and I suspect there won't be. Quite different from Penn St -- known sexual predator being put in a position by Penn State to escort young kids to special events, etc.
I'm virtually certain that had the coaches tossed GH from the program for his bad behavior towards Love and others, and he had ended up killing her, these same lawyers (and many leaving comments here) would still insist on suing Starsia for having precipitated the murder by ticking him off. "He handled it wrong! He knew that kid was dangerous and this would push him over the edge!"
Feh. I'd prefer to see the Loves show a little mercy. This is a tragedy all the way around, not just theirs alone.
This is indeed a tragedy for a whole lot of folks -- the Loves, Ms. Love's friends and teammates, Mr. Huguely's friends and teammates, the coaches of the Men's and Women's lacrosse teams, the UVa student body, the University as a whole-- the list goes on and on, including the Huguely's.
Unfortunately, some in that group, rather than trying to move forward constructively from this tragedy -- I was hopeful The One Love Foundation would be that outlet -- are now trying to assuage their own "guilt" for taking or not taking some action that "might" have derailed the tragic sequence of events by trying to place the "blame" on others. That is what this lawsuit is about -- if the men's lacrosse coaches, the AD, or the Commonwealth are found liable in a court of law, then maybe the Love family won't feel so guilty about not acting to protect Yeardley. That is probably why they are looking for some "bad guy" besides Huguely. They didn't sound the alarm, even though they had knowledge, but someone else should have . . . .
You notice, the defendants chosen are only those the Loves would not have had much personal contact with -- they did not sue the University, which reached out to them immensely, or those most in the know about YL's and GH's relationship.
Unfortunately, as long as there are plaintiff's personal injury lawyers willing to take cases on a contingency basis hoping to hit the "lottery" for a third or more of the recovery, these sort of cases get filed. Unfortunately, they don't ultimately help anyone, when, as here, there are not huge continuing medical expenses, etc. This is not a case where there is a "structural problem" within the athletic department that needs to be fixed -- despite what some on here allege.
The big problem with these sorts of law suits is they just prolong the destruction. Instead of healing, those touched by the tragedy will now be forced even more to choose sides.
deletedd
Perhaps the Loves just hope to depose the coach et al. and shine some light on a culture that fosters kids like GH. Once more facts are known, meaningful change can occur to help forestall more tragedies like the death of Yeardley Love.
I think it's premature to decide if there is enough evidence to hold the coaches accountable. Let's hear the case and let the jury decide.
If Starsia is supposed to know what every player is doing at all times, why doesn't Julie Myers get held to the same standards as the women's coach? Why didn't Love's teammates tell their coaches, thus forcing them to confront and handle the situation? If Starsia's players were routinely seen and known to frequent Boylan Heights as a place to party, why didn't the women's lax coaches know that their players were doing the same thing along side the men's team? I'm not trying to blame anyone but Huguely here, but as the Love's look to sue those they deem potentially responsible for Yeardley's death then it strikes me as odd that the women's coaches and team are not being looked at the same way.
Gotta' love the apologists for these families. The Loves aren't being GREEDY, they're trying to get information (to what end? no one knows);
Likewise, the Harringtons aren't trying to make a buck (even tho Gil said she'd use the winnings to fund her org), they are trying to get "information" that for some reason the cops couldn't get -- because even tho all evidence shows their daughter was hitch hiking off campus, OBVIOUSLY it was an inside job from the arena, as a stupid know-nothing blogger from up north asserts-- one too lazy to even waddle her fat behind down there. Have the H's or Loves in fact tried and failed to obtain info that is being refused them? I doubt it. But nice people who want to love these uber-victims make such assertions to explain away these obviously greedy law suits. Morgan and Yeardley have been reduced to scratch tickets. Good luck to both money grubbing families. I'm sure your daughters would be proud.
The suit is against the Commonwealth of Virginia because UVA is an arm of the state, so in order to sue UVA, you have to sue the Commonwealth. Same thing happened in wrongful death suit at V Tech. The only defendant was the Commonwealth of Virginia. Thus UVA is being sued, though through a proxy.
NancyD -- hmmmm. You seem to have drawn a conclusion on what the jury should find, without any evidence.
downtown and Dawg -- Those most vociferously against Starsia, et al, on this thread and others, seem actively interested in bringing down UVa athletics. Ironically, the Loves seem to be hoping to shield the women's team from any fall-out, but that is unlikely.
It is interesting how quick so many are to demonize some male athletes for their hard partying, but are ready to ignore it in the women. A disturbing tid-bit from the criminal trial was that YL and some of her teammates -- including one star of the team -- were drinking shots at a Corner bar on a Tuesday afternoon. This came up because it was the Tuesday of the purse hitting incident. What escaped mention was that Tuesday also happened to be three days before the women's lax team traveled to Chicago to play the number 1-ranked Northwestern women. Why weren't these athletes disciplined by their coaches for their blatant failure to ensure they were at their peak condition for that critical contest??? Probably because, like Stasia and Van Arsdale, they were not aware of the girls conduct.
Blue -- yes, the University is a state entity, but it is telling that the Loves chose not to also name the University specifically as a defendant, when they clearly could have.
to an Observer. No you can't sue UVA--you have to sue the Commonwealth. And I know because I tried. They put as many layers as they can between you and whoever might have harmed you, and you deal with attorneys for the Commonwealth before you can even get to attorneys for the University. All legal contact is through the attorneys for the Commonwealth. That is usually enough to discourage most people considering legal action.
Blue -- I am not suggesting that the Loves could sue UVa without also naming the Commonwealth as a defendant. What I am saying is that they could have named UVa as an additional defendant -- even for just symbolic value -- if they wanted to. I find it interesting how they are picking and choosing defendants and believe the choices they made says a lot about them and their motivations for this suit.
The point of this suit is to open up the can of worms that is The University of Virginia and to finally allow some of the filth to be sifted through - and possibly cleaned up/purged/decontaminated.
Carla -- I honestly doubt that is the theory or the purpose for this suit, no matter how much the UVa detractors want it to be. Why? The plaintiffs have to know that if this case goes forward, their loved one will be exposed as part of the "filth," as you characterize it. No mother or sister wants that. If the plaintiff lawyers have not explained that to the family, they ought to be ashamed.
I am in agreement with SkipD's opinion on this new twist in events. While the civil suit against Huguely was merely a matter of time, suing the entire UVA lacrosse and athletic establishment is ludicrous. If I had a dollar for every rowdy bout of outrageous behavior brought on by alcoholic excess by college aged athletes, I could retire and buy my own private island in the Dardanelles.
Suing the UVA coaches, the Commonwealth, et al is like suing Elektra Records, the State of California, and entire music industry in the manslaughter case where Vince Neill of Motley Crue lost control of his car and killed his passenger, Hanoi Rocks guitarist, Dingley.
Coaches and administrators at the collegiate level are not babysitters. College students and athletes are adults and have to make adult decisions. Hell, why isn't she suing Huguely's teammates or Yeardley's sororiety sisters?
Read the suit. It specifically calls the Commonwealth of Virginia (UVA) throughout. It is very clear that they are suing UVa for their inaction throught the proper entity, the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The reason mama Love isn't suing the womens coach's is because they were consoling the family after the tragedy. Just like mama's not going to sue YL's friends. Her friends are as guilty as Morgan Harrington's friends who let her wonder away by her drunken self. GH's friends too are to blame. I really don't buy their intervention story. If that was the true case why would they go out and buy more booze that night? Morgan wasn't a pristine girl and neither was YL and I'm getting sick that both are being presented as a saint's. Yes neither girl deserve to be killed but they wouldn't be dead if they had friends who cared about them and weren't worried about getting there party on. Also this has troubled me, why would YL's roommate call 911 and report an alcohol overdose? Was YL that big of a party girl that she was always drunk? To me that is so bizarre that that's the first thing her roommate thought about she OD on alcohol.
zombie: You raise some good points there. I found it curious that the roommate who dialed 911 didn't notice the blood and resorted to presumed alcohol poisoning. The fact of the matter that this event took place OFF campus. Campus police have no jurisdiction, so blaming the powers that be at UVA and the Commonwealth is absurd.
I will say this though, if the coaches are asked if they recall any instances whereby George or any other member of the team showed up to practice hungover or still drunk, why didn't that raise a red flag? In the real world, if an employee shows up to work wreaking of alcohol, he/she is dealt with accordingly. So, I suppose if the prosecution discovers an instance like this they may have a case.
Just my $.02
I don't see how it's anyone's fault but Huguelys. Maybe if Love had neighbors that heart the altercation they should have called 911. But that's it.
dan1101:I don't see how it's anyone's fault but Huguelys. Maybe if Love had neighbors that heart the altercation they should have called 911. But that's it.
~there were alot of hands in this pot. Maybe if YL's friends weren't so concerned how it would look if they reported abuse, YL would still be here. Just my opinion.
maybe mrs love should sue herself?
perhaps she overlooked GH's issues until it was too late. Perhaps she was thrilled to see her daughter with a rich DC boy whose family had lots of money. She may have realized too late that her daughter was in too deep with GH.
chouva- exactly! Perhaps that will come out in the proceedings...............
someone should tell the Love's "be careful what you wish for".
Oh for God's sake! Don't blame the Love's for wanting some closure and an acceptable explanation from the perpetrator and, dare I say, murderer of their daughter. No, both of them were clearly not in line for sainthood given their halcyon Greek party habits and horizontal extracurricular activities but a girl is dead and a boy, albeit with chemical issues that needed and are now being addressed in the extreme, who had a future has none by his own hand and bad judgment.
Now, suing the university, the Commonwealth, and the coach is bloody ridiculous. Whether people nowadays want to accept it or not, the United States is still a Western society. Western societies have been imbibing in alcohol since the dawn of time. It won't change, no matter how many laws and restrictions the powers that be legislate.
I'm surprised some genius hasn't made the parallel between male lacrosse culture and the United States Secret Service in lieu of current events...
Christ! It's all about the lawyers, and how much of a cut do they get if this goes to trial?
What about Love's friends? What about the women's lax coach? What about Love's own family for not ensuring she stayed away from this nutjob?
If you are going to sue his lacrosse coach, why stop there?
Someone upthread mentioned having kids and wondering how their out-of-control friends will end up...yes, I do that. All of the time, unfortunately. The same out of control soccer brats who were talking back to the refs as 13 yo's, were just suspended for fighting as seniors in high school. After missing a few days at school (which their tweets indicated were vacation days) they are all back on the field. We've said it before, it starts WAY before college.
I'm so mixed on the whole deal and hoping that Mrs. Love, who, up until this point, has remained seemingly dignified, is not going to be frivolous in these lawsuits, but simply filed the kitchen sink approach in order to meet the 2 year deadline.
And as for Yeardley, she was by all accounts trying to avoid and get away from George and SLEEPING IN HER OWN BED when he attacked her. She was NOT having dinner with George the night before, but instead ran in to him and his family and was being polite in front of his mother and his aunt. She is guilty of being polite and for foolishly thinking that in two weeks she would be rid of him. And for SLEEPING IN HER OWN BED. She is NOT to blame.
"Also this has troubled me, why would YL's roommate call 911 and report an alcohol overdose?"
Sorry, just saw this. This came out in the trial. The roommate called and said she was unresponsive. It was the 9-11 operator who translated it as possible alchohol overdose.
I just heard a rumour that the proceeds from the civil trials, if they rule in the victim's family's favour, will go to build a Love Chapel right next to the lacrosse field a UVA...
Shay is creating a personal scenario.
@Gallipoli1915, the Love family has no right to build anything on UVA property.
People make things up.
Thank goodness the Loves are here to stem the rising tide of murders by college athletes. With the Loves' intervention, maybe future killers will be arrested, brought to trial, convicted, and sentenced -- not like this travesty of justice where the killer went free----oh, wait. He didn't, did he.
It's not about the money. It's about shedding a light on who knew what and if any actions the coaches or university could have taken might have prevented YL's death.If all this does is shine a light on UVA athletics and the LAX culture and address better policy, iti is worth it. The defendents will have to testify. GH never took the stand and now he'll have to answer for what happened that night. The coachs will have to tell the truth under oath and I would think there will be alot more that comes out about GH's 4 years at UVA.
It's not ok for an athlete to assault other students. Amazing how a player is suspended for recieving a DUI, but assaulting a team player recieves no discipline. I simple don't understand how GH could remain on the team when he physically assaulted a teammate, WHILE HE WAS SLEEPING, and which resulted in serious injuries enough that he couldn't practice. Can someone can explain this? Yes, players have a contract with UVA for their academics and behavior as student athletes. There is also an honor code? Maybe the teammate didn't want to "make a big deal of it" because he was afraid GH would beat the crap out of him again. The "boys will be boys" attitude created the monster that GH ibecame. So, I guess we can blame his violent behavior on alcohol abuse, but if the coach knows a player is having a problem with alcohol or drugs, shouldn't he take action? Especially if the well-being of his other players is affected? What if your kid was that teammate? I don't know about you, but I would be angry if the trainer/coahes did nothing about it. What if Starsia had suspended GH until he got treatment. What if Starsia had encouraged the teammate to press charges against GH. I guess then GH would have been arrested and the court would have mandated substance abuse counseling. Would he still have murdered YL? Maybe or maybe not. That's the point of the civil suit.
Since no one knows the answer to whether or not any actions by the coaches or anyone else would have changed the outcome that night, there's no point to the civil suit. Unless the Loves have specifically said "I want him to have to testify," I think the speculation on that motive for the suit is based on the great hue and cry from those who couldn't stomach the Casey Anthony verdict and wish to this day that she would have had to testify. So silly.
I would just like to say that I fully support Craig Littlepaige, Dom Starsia, and Marc Van Arsdale. Shame on Mrs. Love and her lawyers for filing a suit that is the poorly placed result of a need for revenge and to blame someone. The thing that THEY turned a blind eye on is personal responsibility. What could have YEARDLEY done to prevent her untimely and tragic death? Whether they like it or not, Yeardley's family is going to have to realize that she was not trapped in a relationship with GH and had the ability to escape it fully---the police, a women's shelter, a counselor. What did her friends do? What did her teammates do? What did Mrs. Love and Yeardley's sister Lexie do? Apparently nothing. Who is blaming them? Who is suing them? No, instead they go after the men's lax coaches and the athletic director who should "CLEARLY" have been able to prevent GH from murdering Yeardley. The whole suit disgusts me. Mrs. Love, do you really want to sue hardworking, honest men who surely did everything within THEIR POWER to contain and stop GH's destructive behavior? Sue the f******* pants of his father, but not people who are only a few pieces in the gigantic puzzle that is this case. Actually, with your logic, I think you should also sue: yourself, your other daughter Lexie, Yeardley's UVA teammates, the women's lacrosse coach, all the members of the UVA men's lax team, anyone who has had an altercation with GH and allowed it to go unreported, and anyone that was Yeardley's friend. Why? Because all of the people that I just mentioned had the same ability, as Yeardley did, TO REPORT GH. TO GO TO THE POLICE. TO PLEAD WITH YEARDLEY TO DO EVERYTHING SHE COULD TO SEVER ALL TIES WITH GH. The loss of your daughter is truly tragic, but do you think she would want you to carry on in such a disgraceful manner? You are dragging your good name through the mud, or allowing your lawyers to do it for you. It is not time to forgive or forget, but it is definitely time for some peace. Suing those men for millions of dollars they surely don't have and ruining the lives of more families will not bring your daughter back. It is time to put your sword down. Never stop fighting for Yeardley and her beliefs, but it is time for you to STOP ATTACKING UVA. Doing so will only prolong your pain.
Molly:.. I think you should also sue: yourself, your other daughter Lexie, Yeardley's UVA teammates, the women's lacrosse coach, all the members of the UVA men's lax team, anyone who has had an altercation with GH and allowed it to go unreported, and anyone that was Yeardley's friend. Why? Because all of the people that I just mentioned had the same ability, as Yeardley did, TO REPORT GH. TO GO TO THE POLICE. TO PLEAD WITH YEARDLEY TO DO EVERYTHING SHE COULD TO SEVER ALL TIES WITH GH
~~~
Amen! It is tragic that she was killed but there is more blood on their hands then anyone elses. In the sorority community you don't talk about abuse. You talk about partying, shopping. So her "sisters" turned a blind eye about it because it was HER problem. The Love's aren't going to like what will come out at a trial. If we are thinking this way don't you think the UVA attorney's are?
I love all the apologists for Starsia and Co. Such a fine and upstanding bunch! I guess the difference is Yeardley didn't kill anyone. And she WAS trying to get away from him. She rebuffed him in texts and emails and even in response to his letter that they showed at trial.
And from everything I have read, UVA has an odd way of dealing with domestic issues. By all accounts, throwing kids out for cheating on a test, but allowing rapists to remain in class, even with their victim. Wow!
Starsia knew George was trouble and did nothing. And apparaently a high number (13?) of his players had a high incidence of run-ins with the law and hey, that was ok. I doubt that was the situation on the women's team. But Starsia knew, just like Paterno knew...and was fired. And the Duke coach was fired. And most recently the Montana coach was fired. But what did UVA do? Did they fire Starsia...no...they gave him a contract extension. WTF? And maybe that is why the Love's are suing. Because otherwise, the UVA message is, this is ok and it will happen again and again. And it's not ok!
Shay, I'm not sure this is paving the way or drunkn athletes to kill their on again off again partners. The bad guy is in jail. Justice has been served.
Amen to Molly.
1. Coaches are not babysitters or guidance counselors at the collegiate level. Yes, Huguely should have been further disciplined for the punching incident but it is my understanding that Starsia DID confront the two parties about it and they settled the matter.
2. What legal adult college students do OFF campus and OUT of school (e.g. non-UVA affiliated events) is NOT under the jurisdiction of UVA or campus security, therefore, what happened to Yeardley Love was NOT UVA related. It's almost like having the Colombian prostitute union, if there is such a thing, sue the United States and the Secret Service for abusing their citizens.
3. How do we know that Starsia and the athletic directors actually knew the extent of Huguely's drinking? Sure he got busted at W&L but didn't report it to UVA's authorities like he was supposed to for obvious reasons
Does anybody know whether Starsia or the AD were in the courtroom during the trial?
Let him take the stand, what are you so afraid of? Let him swear under oath that he knew nothing of George's behavior.
Then let the players take an oath as too what they know about the coach being aware. Find the truth, and what about drug test. Did coaches give a heads up or encourage education on how to beat a test.
I mean its UVA right, they do provide tutors.
The first of many hurdles for the plaintiffs in the suit will be to establish that the Commonwealth/University and the named coaches had a duty to Ms. Love that extended to her private social relationships, off campus and outside school hours. I have not gone back and re-read the pleading, but I don't recall any such allegations in the complaint.
If they didn't have such a duty, they are not liable for damages to the Loves, even if the coaches and the AD knew of some of GH's behavioral problems (and I don't believe they knew many of the incidents alleged until after the fact). Accordingly, there may not be any depositions since the case should be dismissed for failure to state a cause of action. I hope the defendants file such a motion.
GH: Now and then I think of when we were together,
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die,
Told myself that you were right for me,
But felt so lonely in your company,
But that was love and it’s an ache I still remember.
You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness,
like resignation to the end,
Always the end,
So when we found that we could not make sense,
Well you said that we would still be friends,
But I’ll admit that I was glad that it was over.
But you didn’t have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened,
And that now we’re nothing,
And I don’t even need your love,
But you treat me like a stranger,
And that feels so rough,
No you didn’t have to stoop so low,
Have your friends collect your records,
And then change your number,
I guess that I don’t need that though,
Now you’re just somebody that I used to know
YL: Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
But had me believing it was always something that I’d done
And I don’t want to live that way
Reading into every word you say
You said that you could let it go
And I wouldn’t catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know.
But you didn’t have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened,
And that now we’re nothing,
And I don’t even need your love,
But you treat me like a stranger,
And that feels so rough,
No you didn’t have to stoop so low,
Have your friends collect your records,
And then change your number,
I guess that I don’t need that though,
Now you’re just somebody that I used to know
Coaches and athletic departments and schools must see a fair amount of bad drunken behavior, aggression, and violence in amongst the students. Do we expect them to have a crystal ball to predict which ones will go on to kill another person? Can anyone predict that accurately?
There ia alot of conjecture of who knew what and if proper responses to GH's violence towards other teammates and other UVA students were appropriate and could have prevented YL's murder. From what I can see from previous suspensions and disciplinary actions at UVA, coaches ARE responsibile for disciplining their athletes. Remember the football player that was at a bar (Boyaln Heights) and "sexually assaulted" a female student by grabbing her? He was kicked off the football team. Why is it some coaches follow the correct protocol in disciplining their athletes, while others turn the other way? Too bad the university didn't handle this differently two years ago by Investigating who knew what and by defining a coach's duties and responsibilities regarding their players actions on and off the field, whether criminal or not. By not disciplining GH for assaulting a teammate, the coaches condoned the behavior. This creates an atmosphere where teammates and students won't come forward with what they've witnessed ,or with their concerns, beacuse they know from experience no one will do anything about it.
Since GH's past history of violence at UVA and the fact he wasn't disciplined was revealed during the trial, I can understand how Sharon Love would be outraged and wonder if her daughter would be alive if GH had been kicked off the team and out of UVA.. She can only get the truth when those involved must testily under oath. If no one has anything to hide, this really shouldn't be a problem for Starsia or Van Arsdale and perhaps the suit will never make it to trial.
I find it very, very disturbing that people feel that Sharon Love is responsible for her daughter's murder. YL ended her relationship with GH. She tried to get away from him. She refused to see him that night. The only other thing she could have done to possilby protect herself was to get a restraining order against him. Who knows if a restraining order would have prevented GH from kicking down her door and beating her to death that night. Fear of arrest didn't seem to stop him from assaulting a police officer in Lexington, or in assaulting his teammate.
Two quibbles, cville mom. You say:
"Since GH's past history of violence at UVA and the fact he wasn't disciplined was revealed during the trial, I can understand how Sharon Love would be outraged and wonder if her daughter would be alive if GH had been kicked off the team and out of UVA.. She can only get the truth when those involved must testily under oath."
She can only get to the truth...of whether he wouldn't have killed YL had he been kicked off the team? No one can possibly know whether that would have saved YL or inspired him to kill her sooner.
YL did not in fact break things off with him. While it's undoubtedly true that she didn't want to talk to him that night -- she was already passed out or sacked out by time he barged in. But it's not fair to say she broke things off with him for two reasons. First, YL's friend (who also regularly hooked up with GH) said GH and YL were never really boyfriend, girlfriend -- they were just..hooking up. Second, he assaulted her on May 3 --and on April 27, she was bursting into his apartment and striking him with her purse, jealous over his hookups with her friend and the high school girls he was entertaining. Hardly the act of a girl who had broken it off with him and was on the verge of a restraining order. They were most likely in yet another "off again" swing of their on-again off-again relationship. So we don't know what YL liked about him. The passion? The danger? The bad boy? Dunno. But something about her drew her into his dangerous orbit.
Point is, no one knows what if anything could have changed these events. It could be as simple as "Had his roommate talked to GH that night instead of locking the door and refusing to talk to him..." things would have been different. GH may have cooled off, sobered a little, vented. Shouldn't the Loves sue that kid for not having talked to GH? That probably REALLY would have changed the outcome, whereas anger management -- which both a Columbine shooter and George Zimmerman both had taken -- might not have changed things a bit. These suits are greedy and ludicrous and off target, to me.
Of course, if serious lawyers dangled a promise of $60M in front of me...I could talk myself into how I was doing it all for the greater good.
again...Yeadley wasn't a saint.
@ soothsayer. I meant that Sharon Love could learn the truth over what transpired and what the coaches knew. Of course there are no "truths" in determining the "what ifs", only conjecture and opinion based on probablility. That's what makes the civil suit so interesting. The judge will determine if there is enough viability based on what is revealed during depositions.
Yes, it appears they had a volatile relationship. Doesn't mean YL deserved to be murdered or was responsible for her own death by hooking up with GH for 2 years- whether or not you consider that a "boyfriend/girlfriend relationship".
Why not sue Huguely's teammates? They were, after all, supposedly going to confront him about his drinking...
@cville mom, you're right -- it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Of course, I'm sure no one thinks that she deserved it or had it coming just because she continued to hook up with the boy. She may have have liked the nice GH and loathed the mean drunk he was, or she might have been drawn to the whole package, as can happen. Passion is addicting. The heart wants what it wants and all that. BUT...that whole VA thing about contributory negligence -- I'm sure it's going to come into play, because it could negate any monetary award, though I have no idea how it will be argued. Will be very interesting indeed.
Cville Mom -- I think the problem many of us are having with Mrs. Love's suit against the school/state and the coaches is that she is using her misery to try and make others, at best tangentially connected to the tragedy, miserable also. Most folks just do not condone that behavior, even in grieving mothers.
On top of that, we can't understand how she can reasonably hold these folks responsible for her daughter's death, even if they had all the evidence of GH's prior conduct alleged in the complaint (which is unlikely, at best), when MRS. LOVE HAD FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE OF GH's AGGRESSION TOWARD HER DAUGHTER, YET STOOD BY AND TOOK LITTLE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. How can you or anyone else argue with a straight face that the University or the coaches had a higher responsibility to protect YL than her mother!!!
To the extent the lawsuit is just a fishing expedition to learn what the coaches and the AD knew when, then it is totally out of line. As litigious as the American public has become, one isn't allowed to put someone through the pain and expense of a lawsuit just because a plaintiff feels "entitled" to information -- no matter how sympathetic the plaintiff is. Moreover, it is very hard to imagine what it could be established that the coaches or the AD knew about GH that would trump the knowledge Mrs. Love had before the assault that led to her daughter's death.
I feel terrible for Mrs. Love. And, I don't hold her at all responsible for her daughter's death. That is on GH. But I am outraged that she is using her personal tragedy as an excuse to put good people through hell -- that is what being named a defendant in a case like this is like. I am extremely hopeful that whatever judge this case ultimately ends up before -- it should be transferred to Charlottesville under VA venue rules -- sees this case for what it is and dismisses it for failure to state a cause of action against these defendants. Unfortunately, given all the sympathy that has been ginned up, I am not confident the judges in Louisa or Charlottesville will have the courage to do that.
Observer, you make such great points you should cross-post on the "Should the Loves sue Starsia?" thread here on The Hook.
NBC 29 has someone posting from the courtroom stating what he's seeing....I thought you couldn't do that?