Judge Judith Hayes gives a win to SDSU education attorneys in Lance Louis case

Former Aztecs reach settlement over attack
Lance Louis, now with the Chicago Bears, allegedly snuck up on teammate in '08
SDUT
By Brent Schrotenboer
January 31, 2011

Chicago Bears offensive lineman Lance Louis has reached a settlement agreement to end the civil suit filed against him by Nick Sandford, his former teammate at San Diego State.

Terms of the settlement were confidential. Louis’ attorney and Sanford’s father each declined comment.

Sandford had filed suit in 2009 alleging that Louis “snuck up” and attacked him in a team meeting room, causing a concussion, ruptured eardrum and facial injuries in early November 2008.

Sanford also sued former SDSU head coach Chuck Long, alleging that he covered up the incident. While Sandford missed the final three games of the 2008 because of his injuries, Long allowed Louis to play because it gave the team a better chance of success, according to the suit. The incident also was not reported to police until 15 day after it happened, according to police records.

Sandford’s suit sought to recover unspecified damages from defendants Louis, Long and the California State University, which oversees SDSU. But earlier this month, San Diego Superior Court Judge Judith Hayes dropped Long from the case.

“Long cannot be vicariously liable for the alleged battery against plaintiff,” Hayes wrote in her decision to drop Long from Sandford’s suit.

As a result of that ruling, the case ended for SDSU without any settlement cost to the university, according to a school official. The CSU system also had been dropped from the case in a ruling by Hayes last year.

Louis previously had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery stemming from the same incident and was sentenced to three years of probation, 40 hours of community service and 12 hours in anger management classes.

In 2009, SDSU reached an agreement with Long to pay for his legal representation in the event he was sued by Sandford. Long was fired after the 2008 season and now is the offensive coordinator at Kansas.