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A negligence case filed against former Baylor head football coach Art Briles was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman on Friday.
According to ESPN’s Paula Lavigne, former Baylor student Dolores Lozano filed the claim against Briles, former Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw and Baylor University, alleging that the defendants were negligent after she reported in March 2014 that she was physically assaulted by then-Baylor running back Devin Chafin, who was her boyfriend at the time.
Pitman ruled that “no reasonable jury can conclude” Briles, McCaw and Baylor University were “grossly negligent” based on the evidence presented.
Lozano alleged that rather than the university taking action, her decision to report Chafin’s alleged assault subjected her to additional assaults.
Both Briles and McCaw testified this week as part of the case. Briles said he knew nothing of Lozano or her allegations until she filed a lawsuit in 2016, and McCaw said he took “appropriate action” when informed of the allegations in 2014.
Briles, 67, was Baylor’s head football coach from 2008 through 2015, compiling a 65-37 record while leading the Bears.
In May 2016, Briles was fired by the university after an independent investigation determined that Briles improperly handled sexual assault allegations levied against football players.
Lozano’s allegations against Chafin were separate and were not part of the 2016 investigation, per Lavigne.
Briles filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Baylor University, and he was awarded $15.1 million in 2018.
Since getting fired by Baylor, Briles has struggled to continue his football coaching career.
The CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats hired him as an assistant coach in 2017, only to reverse course shortly after the announcement because of backlash.
Briles went on to spend two seasons as the head coach at Mount Vernon High School in Texas, and before that, he was the head coach of Guelfi Firenze of the Italian Football League.
He returned to Guelfi Firenze last year and led them to a win in the Italian Bowl championship game.
According to Lavigne, Pitman said Friday that while the case against Briles and McCaw was dismissed, a Title IX claim and a separate negligence claim against Baylor University still stand, and they will be reviewed by the jury Monday.
