A judge rejected the settlement terms of a civil lawsuit where University of Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura and another college football player both plead guilty to second-degree assault last year.

After the judge’s Aug. 31 decision, the legal proceedings are now on hold. 

The settlement involves de Laura, University of Wisconsin safety Kamo’i Latu and a woman accusing the two of sexual assault after a 2018 incident when all three were juveniles and attending Saint Louis School in Honolulu, Hawaii. Saint Louis School is also a defendant listed in the case and would shoulder most of the financial burden to pay for the damages of the woman who filed the lawsuit in the original settlement.

The judge deemed the amount accepted by the woman from the original settlement to be unsatisfactory considering the evolving landscape of Name, Image and Likeness deals in college athletics. 

Saint Louis School objected to this outcome where the school was seen as more liable than de Laura and Latu based on finances, citing NIL deals as grounds for the athletes to have comparable liabilities. What the settlement outlined for de Laura and Latu to pay privately to the victim was not disclosed. 

New information about de Laura’s income shows a “significant increase” compared to what was previously reported. The court had requested both athletes hand over financial records, including a 2022 tax report. These documents indicate de Laura is paid around $8,000 monthly from his NIL deals. De Laura has also received expensive gifts as part of his status as a prominent collegiate athlete, like a free car. 

In the case of Latu, the athlete made $17,500 in June 2023 according to financial documents the court received. Saint Louis School claims Latu made more in May alone than the entirety of the income originally reported.

Both de Laura and Latu’s original plea of guilty in juvenile court in this civil suit — first publicly reported in May — contrasts with what Arizona football head coach Jedd Fisch said during Pac-12 media day on July 21.

“[De Laura] was never guilty, never plead guilty or was never found guilty of anything,” Fisch told the press at the time. 

De Laura’s status as a student-athlete and the starting quarterback remains unchanged. The University of Arizona and Arizona Athletics became aware of de Laura’s ongoing situation in fall 2022. Their statement, issued in May, reads they “review[ed] the matter” and opted to allow de Laura to continue playing. 

Latu also remains on the Wisconsin football team, and the institution has put out a statement on the matter as well.

“The matter being reported that involved Latu prior to his time as a college student does not violate the UW Athletics Student-Athlete Discipline Policy, university misconduct policies, or reporting or disclosure requirements,” the May 9 statement reads. “Latu remains a member of the Wisconsin football team.”

A mediation hearing for January 2024 was scheduled to redefine terms for the settlement that better reflect the liabilities of the parties involved.

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