NMSU players settle hazing claim, lawyer says

Jun 27, 2023, 06:39 PM ET

LAS CRUCES, N.M.– The former New Mexico State basketball players who filed a claim alleging they were joined forces against and sexually assaulted by teammates have settled the case, among their lawyers said Tuesday.Aggie players Deuce

Benjamin and Shak Odunewu submitted the claim in April, alleging 3 players on the team assaulted them, while coaches who understood of the assaults not did anything about it.Attorney Joleen Youngers said all defendants– the players, coaches and the New Mexico State board of regents– became part of the settlement, and that she could not release the terms. A school spokesperson stated terms would be launched on the state’s open records site “soon.””The crucial thing was getting a settlement that reasonably compensates them and allows them to put this matter behind them, and assists them to carry on,”Youngers stated.”Because a claim like this can wind up being a second victimization, where they have to go through months, if not years, of handling all the issues.”Separately, the state chief law officer has been checking out possible criminal charges in the case.The claim came 2 months after the Aggies suddenly canceled the rest of their 2022-23 basketball season when Benjamin, a freshman guard, brought his claims to school police. The school characterized them as hazing allegations.In an interview with The Associated Press soon after the claim was submitted, Benjamin said he had lost his respect for individuals in the after-effects of what had happened.”Basically simply a lot of anger, “Benjamin said.”I can’t put my rely on people, and I have actually just pertained to despise people, actually.”The AP typically does not call declared victims of sexual assault, however Benjamin and Odunewu had actually agreed to let their names be used in both the lawsuit and subsequent media interviews, consisting of the one with AP. Benjamin’s daddy

, previous Aggies star William Benjamin, joined his kid and Odunewu as plaintiffs.”It took so much nerve for them to stand up and voice their name, to say this happened and it was incorrect, and to demand responsibility, and they did it,”Youngers said.