New Mexico State University has been served another lawsuit — this one was filed on Aug. 25 by former university basketball player, Bol Kuir.
The NMSU Board of Regents, Athletic Director Mario Moccia, and former head basketball coach Greg Heiar are being sued. According to an article by KRQE on Aug. 31, this lawsuit is in reference to the NMSU basketball hazing misconduct in 2023. According to documents revealed to The Round Up, Kuir was not a victim of the assaults, but he had reported concerns to former coaches that were disregarded. The article states that Kuir is suing current and former faculty members for ignoring the reports that were made.
A judicial specialist at the Third Judicial District Court in Las Cruces said the lawsuit is still in its early stages. The Round Up is awaiting information regarding what this lawsuit entails. So far, two defendants have been served and Kuir has requested a six-person jury.
“Usually, they [defendants] have a set amount of time they need to go ahead and respond,” said the judicial specialist. “At that time, they’ll have the other party’s response to the claims that are being made against them.”
The Round Up reached out to the Athletic Director’s office and NMSU Marketing and Communications for more information, but was told that the university does not comment on pending litigation.
In 2023, hazing allegations within NMSU’s basketball program were brought to the public’s attention and led to the men’s basketball season being shut down. During the 2022-2023 basketball season, two former NMSU players spoke up about being sexually assaulted by three players on multiple occasions.
Since these wrongdoings came to light, there have been multiple lawsuits pressed on NMSU staff and former players in relation to the sexual assault allegations. One lawsuit in 2023 resulted in an $8 million payout from NMSU.
Amidst last year’s lawsuit, Moccia received both a contract extension and a raise of $20,000 per year until 2028. Heiar occupied his position for less than a year, as he was fired after the allegations were publicized.
Reports state that Heiar was aware of the assaults and didn’t act on the information. In an article by APNews in 2023, Heiar said that he was used by NMSU as a scapegoat to avoid any further conflict.
This is a developing story.
