Three ex-New Mexico State basketball players, Deshawndre Washington, Kim Aiken Jr, and Doctor Bradley, were accused of multiple sexual crimes, leading to the team's disbandment in the middle of last season on Thursday.
Two former players and a student manager filed a civil lawsuit against the three former NMSU players, the school, its athletic director Mario Moccia, and former coaches.
Ex-NMSU Basketball Players Accused of Multiple Sexual Crimes
A New Mexico grand jury convicted former players Washington, Aiken, and Bradley with multiple counts of criminal sexual penetration, criminal sexual conduct, and false imprisonment. The alleged incidents happened between August and November 2022.
Washington and Bradley could be sentenced to 27 years in prison if convicted. While Aiken could face 24 years on 11 charges if found guilty.
The players were charged with second-degree sexual penetration, which was punishable by up to nine years in prison.
On Thursday, the school recognized the first criminal charges of the three players as a hazing incident. According to the lawsuit, the victims were sexually assaulted and threatened with guns in the New Mexico State locker room.
Former players Deuce Benjamin and Shak Odunewu had the same allegations in the lawsuit that the school settled for $8m earlier this year. Last year's lawsuit disclosed the former player's humiliating ritual of pulling down the victims' pants and grabbing their genitals.
The narration of harassment in the lawsuit has the same findings in the Title IX investigation of the school with the same players.
New Mexico State canceled the remainder of its 2022-23 men's basketball season, and the team disbanded in February after the rise of the allegations of sexual crimes.
Bradley found a new team and signed with Nicholls State. However, a university spokesman has confirmed that Bradley was no longer a player on the team. Furthermore, the allegations also led New Mexico State to fire basketball coach Greg Heiar.
Institutional Responsibility on the Harassment
According to ESPN, Joleen Youngers, who represented all plaintiffs, said the victims were grateful for the charges. However, the victims were also focused on more institutional accountability.
"Where were the coaches, where was their staff, where was the AD?... It's unfortunate that this atmosphere was allowed to be created and to grow," the victims said.
The university refused to comment on both the civil and criminal cases. Furthermore, Washington, Bradley, and Aiken could not be reached to release a statement.
The first court appearance of the three players was scheduled on November 22 at Dona Ana county in New Mexico. New Mexico's attorney general, Raúl Torrez, has been investigating the school's action towards the case.
Torrez suggested that players, coaches, and administrators should know that this action was an essential first step in addressing this inexcusable behavior. He said their work correcting the culture that allowed these crimes to occur was still far from finished.
