When you lose a child ,you want to lash out because you know someone could have prevented it.Maybe the coaches knew Huguley was unstable?

Huh?

Imagine if coaches were actually fearful that their steroid-enraged athletes could entangle them in a lawsuit if they kill someone? Imagine if coaches were threatened by the consequences of looking the other way when their ego-stoked athletes created legal problems when they bully, assault, rape others? Or how about if they begin to suspect their assistant coaches were taking advantage of their student?

Do you think they would have a more proactive attitude? Or maybe they would make better decisions about keeping violent, perverted, or crazy players/coaches associated with the team? I'm betting they do.

This woman has the right idea.

I have met alot of people who have issues with alcohol, drugs, and quite frankly, don't seem to be playing with a full deck. I have known spouse abusers and child abusers....While I am very sorry for the horrific loss that this family has suffered, one of the things that has allowed our society to reach the point it is at present is that fact that we are always looking to ascribe blame. Society could have done something, or the government could have done something, or the guy down the street didn't do something.....We live in a hazardous world without guarantees and awful things do happen to wonderful people, but unless we stop this kind of lashing out at society via law suit, the craziness only gets crazier. It will not bring back a lost child, and it will not change what has happened. So glad that a parent, in consultations with lawyers can assign a dollar value to their offspring.

Lots of athlete envy on this page. Why does it have to be coaches of steroid-enraged athletes? Why stop there? Why not hold every person in a position of authority responsible for every single thing a subordinate might do?

30 million dollars won't make her daughter reappear, but boy will it help living like a queen.

$59.95 MILLION should go far towards bringing her daughter back to life. Think of the reincarnation research that Momma Love can sponsor. Or is that $59.95M going towards easing her pain and suffering?

Whether this lawsuit is appropriate or not, something must be done to change the seemingly pervasive attitude of ignore, ignore, ignore when it comes to collegiate athletes and their aggressive behavior on or off campus. The recent suicide of a Notre Dame coed after an alleged rape by a member of the ND football team seems to highlight the attitude of both University Police and administrators in ignoring or brushing aside accusations of this sort. Rather than punishing or protecting students their primary activity seems to be keeping everything quiet and running on even keel. It seems as though some college administrators think that assault or rape are just part of the educational experience and want bury the consequences. The PR garbage spouted by college administrations in response to these problems is just that, PR garbage.

I think throwing the student off campus would have been good for starters. There were lots of red flags. There are a lot of other university related cases, that if officials had been more proactive this could have been stopped (VTECH, PSU, ND, Montana, etc). I definitely see culpability from UVA. This lawsuit can potentially create some much needed reforms.

Bluelake-

You are absolutely correct that something must be done, but you are mixing after the fact with before the act. The Notre Dame example is dead on. In this case though, I'm not sure what we are asking regular human beings to do. Take the fact that they are coaches or administrators out of it. They are no different than you and I. Have you ever known a coworker that committed a crime? Are you responsible for that? Have you ever known somebody with a temper that hit his wife or abused her child? Are you responsible for that?

Bluelake...agree with your central premise, but in regards to this, "Rather than punishing or protecting students their primary activity seems to be keeping everything quiet and running on even keel."

Did you stop and think that the reason so many are afraid to get involved is because they are afraid of getting sued?

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Unfortunate. If the coaches had tried to do something, this nut would have sued them for violating his civil rights. hs321, you are righto on, damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Yes something needs to be done... stop putting athletes on pedestals Yeah, I said it. I am sick and tired of athletes being treated like royalty and then when somehting happens, it's the I didn't know syndrome. I don't think there ought to be a lawsuit, but there should be consequences.

Since when does the State or a University have the duty to intercede in the private lives of college students? (Note: I said duty, not "right")

You're assuming. The woman has a lot of money already. She's hurt and disgusted and I don't blame her. I think there is some truth to what she was saying. Why wasn't he arrested when he was assaulting people? Think that was money?

Again we are ignoring the fact that she was a hard-partying, volatile person as well. Why does our society think that every time something bad happens in life, somebody has to pay ($$$$$) for it! He was found guilty and is paying for it in jail.

I do not think it is a money thing. She appears to be financially fit. I think she just wants someone to answer for this boy's erratic behavior that was ignored. I think the responsibility lies with his parents. He was a brat who always got everything he wanted. He could not have her. Parents have got to start saying NO to their kids. Just because you can give them everything does not mean you should. My husband and I are upper middle class, and my kids have a lot less than they could. We have decided to tell them NO.

Gosh, people on this board are so insensitive. What would you do if you lost your daughter because someone who a clearly erratic and abusive alcoholic was allowed to continue his downward spiral despite the fact that coaches and University officials knew about it? He had two arrests for alcohol - that alone should have gotten him kicked off the team.

I went to a major University with a Final Four capable basketball team. My senior year the breakout Freshman basketball player got into an altercation with a girl at a party. He was suspended. Alcohol related arrests would have garnered the same result.

The school was clearly negligent. Let her teach them a lesson. Unless, of course, you want to continue to allow University sports programs to not hold their players (or coaches...Penn State...) responsible for misconduct.

Her daughter is gone and the one responsible is convicted. This lawsuit is trash. He was a grown man with drinking and anger problems. His coaches are not responsible for his actions off the field. I am sure he has been dismissed from the team for the murder.

But that's not the way other sports programs work, robiscole. If you get in trouble off the field or don't keep up a certain GPA at my alma mater, you are kicked off the team. Period. End of story.

And my University's lacrosse team is still far better than UVA.

PH-

Keep foolin yourself, mommy and daddy give a big enough contributions to the endowment can you be absolutely sure that some folks wouldn't just pretend "it never happened".

BTW, lacrosse is so irrelevant when you are talking college basketball and football. both in money generated and fan abundance

How exactly am I fooling myself? All your comment does is support my own - why should the school get away with brushing it under the rug? I think she should pursue it.

Lacrosse is a big deal at my alma mater and at UVA. But your comment is irrelevant really - it shouldn't make a difference. Sports teams should have codes of conduct, regardless of how prominent the sport.

PH-

I agree with you that the mom should pursue it. I really could care less if they were an athlete and/or student. The school's have some culpability regarding their student's behaviors. I am suggesting that perhaps there is no such thing as the "ivory tower", can you say 100% that "other schools" don't work that way? I think that they do not, and there's ton of press that reaffirms this. We all love our alma maters but don't be so naive to think it is that pure.

My comment about the lacrosse was in rebuttal to your irrelevant comment about your school's prestigious la crosse program over UVA. Was it really necessary? Most people could care less about lacrosse. I would extend your suggestion about a sports team code of conduct, and make and ENFORCE a student code of conduct.

Her lawsuit suggests that everyone around this guy should have realized that he was such bad news that he needed to be removed from the athletic program.

In which case it also should have been obvious to anyone that he shouldn't be dated - a far more intimate relationship which calls for an even higher level of emotional functioning.

There was an enormous amount of personal responsibility involved in this - her daughter's choices and the young man's choices - and generally we don't hold an employer (which is what the university essentially was) responsible for personal crimes committed by their employees after work.

We hold universities responsible for NCAA infractions - that's a contract into which they've entered to level the collegiate playing field - but not for an athlete holding up a liquor store in their free time. A school will generally then remove that athlete because it tarnishes the school's image, not because they're liable for the student-athlete's crime.

We can't confuse NCAA vigilance - or image control - for legal liability. An athlete playing for a school does not make the school liable for everything that athlete does.

The point I was making in regards to my sports teams was that if a school like mine that has a lot at stake when it comes to their sports programs has learned to the right thing regardless of the negative outcome on the season, then there is no excuse for other schools that don't do the right thing.

Of course, there really never is an excuse, but in the world of Universities and sports, there is a lot of pressure to sweep things under the rug and, unfortunately, many schools cave to the pressure.

Metta, great point. Of course there is a ton of personal responsibility here. But I just think that the school could have done a little more given the fact that he was pretty clearly unraveling.

Honestly, if this wasn't a love affair gone wrong and it was a school shooting instead, everyone's tune would be a little different.

In regards to NCAA infractions there are a lot of infractions that can be swept under the rug without it getting to the NCAA. In my school's case, they could have intervened and no one would have known the different. They did the right thing because it was the right thing to do.

What they could have done is kick him off the team and expel him from the school, that's what!

But you know it makes more sense to keep this insane douche bag around so they can win at a "game". Makes much more sense. (/sarcasm)

Hope she wins her lawsuit because that's something that will get the behavior of the school to change and the next time some jock starts going off the deep end they will just throw him/her out. It's sad that the safety of the students does not matter to them but a hit in the pocket book does, but I guess that's the way it is in the world today.

I love that the mom is suing the boy's family. They have LOADS of money and they SHOULD have to pay for their son's stupidity...after all, they are the one's that raised him!

Figures Cuccinelli would defend this scumbag - after all he's an avid member of the war on women....

Sue these scumbag coaches who speak about honor and respect and act differently - these a$$es acted the same as those at Penn State. AND THEY WILL NOT CHANGE UNTIL YOU HIT THEM WHERE IT HURTS MOST - in the pocket!!!!

Same as VA Tech - sue them to protect the students - NO BETTER WAY TO LIGHT A FIRE UNDER THEIR BEHINDS TO EFFECT SOME CHANGE!!!!!

The University cannot arrest him for any assault. The coaches and administrators cannot either. The people that ask why he was not arrested - ASK THE COPS.

Did the police get involved at all? I didn't see that in the article. Women please start calling in the police and this stuff might get a little better. Nobody should have to put up with abuse. If you take it the next women will get it worse until someone dies.

Shows how the legal profession can induce stupidity - and there is no limit to the level the lawyers can induce.

It's not the legal profession, it's the payday promise. Attorney tells the client we will sue for $30 million. To avoid legal cost and other losses associated with the publicity, the school will offer to settle for a cool million. Attorneys go back and forth and finally settle for $2 million so long as the school does not have to admit responsibility and the client signs a confidentiality agreement. My fees are, say 50%. So the client sees this as a $1 million dollar payday.

If the client is interested in justice, they say "no way", because the money isn't the real issue.

We'll see what happens...

Figures Cuccinelli would defend this scumbag - after all he's an avid member of the war on women....

Sue these scumbag coaches who speak about honor and respect and act differently - these a$$es acted the same as those at Penn State. AND THEY WILL NOT CHANGE UNTIL YOU HIT THEM WHERE IT HURTS MOST - in the pocket!!!!

Same as VA Tech - sue them to protect the students - NO BETTER WAY TO LIGHT A FIRE UNDER THEIR BEHINDS TO EFFECT SOME CHANGE!!!!!

He should have been suspended from school for getting arrested twice for alcohol. That would have been a start.

It's college, not high school. You don't get suspened from college for drinking...come on.

He was arrested twice for alcohol related incidents. He should have been suspended from the team. It wouldn't have been allowed at my alma mater and our sports programs are as premier as it gets.

Why do any of you think that a suspension from the team would of changed this outcome? People always looking at someone else to blame (sue).

The unfortunate woman could of filed for a restraining order, could of left the school to insure her safety.

I am not saying that she should of had to do these things, but when your life is in danger you also have responsibility in protecting it. You can't hold everyone else responsible for your own in-actions.

I'm not a person to blame or sue. You can look at my other posts on the vine and see where I usually stand on these issues.

But, that said, I do think there was a some negligence here. They clearly overlooked a pattern of bad behavior. They didn't even do the logical, bare minimum punishment for his arrests which would have been suspension from the team. Most sports programs have rules around GPA and getting arrested. I think it says a lot that they didn't do ANYTHING at all.

I don't know if it would have changed to course of events, but it would have been something. They would have at least been able to prove that they took some form of action. Stupid on the part of the University.

The university is not responsible for the behavior of the students. If I am on the math team at college and I strangle some gal, is the math team then responsible? This is nothing but a frivolous lawsuit. My heart goes out for the woman, but quit listening to the money grubbing attorneys and do what is right. You know that no one owes you money for this. No one owes you a thing.

Wow, some of the comments are moronic. That's right Bill, the girls should have left school because she was being abused...don't punish the abuser, just tell the victim to run away??!!! And jp, yeah we get it's university and you can't kick people out for drinking, but how about the assaults? I agree with PH, the school was negligent. Everybody can be pointing a finger and calling it a money grab, but if it was your child that was murdered, every damn one of you would be going after the same thing!

They COULD have kicked him off the team. They could NOT expel him from the University. They could not ban him from being there.

Lacrosse is not an 'asset' to a college's athletic department. In fact, very few colleges across the country even have a lacrosse team. Those that do, don't see any significant revenue from those teams as attendance is usually free or a very nominal admittance when compared to football or basketball games.

The victim has to file charges--not someone who witnessed the victim being assaulted. So, no charges were filed because the girls themsleves didn't file charges. Ask them why. Should they too be sued?

DaveWH- apparently you do not live on the East Coast. Lacrosse, more commonly known as LAX is THE sport here, kids begin playing as early as 4. Starting in middle school. LAX players are the gods & goddesses of the school. Travel teams, scholarships-it is a big money maker. It is a huge asset to a college, homecomings are planed around it, great rivalries abound. Outside this area, LAX is almost unheard of, sort of like water polo on the West Coast. Water Polo, however doesn't come close to the cult sport LAX is in the Mid-Atlantic.

It might be THE sport, but it is still a non-revnue producing sport. They may be gods or goddesses in the small world of lacrosse, but at UVA, trust me on this one, football and basketball matter much more to the university than lacrosse ever will.

Lacrosse goes back a long time at UVA,probably longer than at some other places. I believe a fellow classmate of Jim Thorpe at the Carlyle Indian School is credited with having introduced Lacrosse to UVA.

In at least 40 years I don't believe any other athlete at UVA had ever done anything like this crime. During my time there in the early 1970's the varsity athletes then seemed at least as good a group as the general student population.

I understand what jdjster7 posted, but he is obviously out of touch with reality. Sandusky could have easily been exposed (no pun intended) as the CREEP ~ PEDOPHILE he is, MANY YEARS AGO, had the school administration, along with the individual adults and the coaches etc done their job in PROTECTING the kids first, and in turn would have kept their own reputations clean.

I agree with crisis4ever, in that Huguely could have EASILY been reeled in by coaches, and those in authority. He indeed could have been EXPELLED. What's really sad, is that it is now TOO LATE, for Miss Love. I hope this tragedy will help in setting a new standard of how such wild and out of control students should be dealt with. Behavior like this should never be glossed over.

I don't know how this family will get their $$ should they be awarded, but I do believe that those who turned a blind eye and a deaf ear should have some kind of accountability. In the end of it all, I hope the Love family can find some peace. The Huguely family is also suffering. I can't even imagine (nor do I want to imagine) losing my child to death, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, nor would I ever want to suffer the heart ache of watching my childgo through a trial, conviction, and sentencing. It's a HUGE loss and heartache all the way around. Peace to all the survivors.

Drinking and violence is NOT limited to UVA. It's on many campuses. It reflects the mentality of a younger generation, who start their mal-adjusted behavior before they get to college. Again, it reflects the parent's influence as they grew up.

Drinking at college has long been part of the experience, the first taste of adult freedom, but it is only in recent history that the violence against others has taken the forefront. You can call it whatever you will, but these are broken people, not functioning within societal norms, and they were broken before they came to college or into the work force. And we as a society have to accept responsibility for that brokeness in that we have made it politically incorrect to tell children that they are wrong, that there are moral absolutes, that deviant behavior carries serious penalties which are unpleasant. We have stripped parents of authority at home, teachers of authority in the classroom, for fear that they will be deemed as child abusers. Sorry, but "Mommy doesn't like that behavior.", or "That makes Mommy sad." does not convey the consequences for behavior in a concrete way. Instead, we raise children to believe that they can do whatever they wish and it will be excused, justified, rationalized, and if it is not, then all the child has to do is register complaint with another adult and the adult is being chastised instead of the child. Those who believe that corporal punishment for young children is abuse and only teaches violence.....well, I would be really interested in a study about how many of these young people, who commit violence on others-particularly random acts of violence, actually experienced any sort of negative feedback or penalty for their behaviors. It seems that these children, by and large have come from comfortable backgrounds with many advantages which leaves everyone wondering why and how???? On the surface, the actions make no sense.

Oh please. Drinking and violence have gone hand in hand for generations. The only reason why you think it's more prevalent today is because you can read about it in a 24/7 news cycle.

He should have been suspended for his alcohol related arrests.

Yes PH agreed!

I can't believe some posters here think the school/coaches are not culpable! College students are children in their care AND the athletes are given easy pass to breeze through regardless of their behavior.

Past violence against women and two alcohol related arrests?!? Think about the many many more deserving students who could take his place at that well-respected university!

ROB-898387 ~~ No ROB, are you serious????????? when you say "unfortunately she'll probably win something too..." UNFORTUNATELY??????? What's really unfortunate is the fact that this little creep of a human killed this young girl. THAT'Swhat's unfortunate. I do indeed hope that there is some monetary compensation for the Love family. I also hope that those who could have done more (but didn't) be found accountable on some level. Waaaaaaayyyyyyyy too many athletes get away with abuse. This law suite by the Love family will at least bring attention to the fact that when abusive and out of control behavior by these little punks runs rampant, THOSE WHO CAN DO SOMETHING SHOULD DO SOMETHING.

and, reni, what would that have been? this sick, privileged, entitled murderer couldnt stand being rejected by his girlfriend. he planned her murder, threatened her directly with it ( and she did not report the threat to anyone) and executed her. why are you ranting against rob, who (other than the civil action against the killer) is simply expressing incredulity that we have come to this -- suing everyone in sight, without regard to common sense or justice.

A police officer cannot arrest on hearsay evidence, probably couldn't even make a case for a warrant.....so if the young ladies did not come forward and make charges against this individual, unfortunately everyone gets to sit back and wait for either that one person to come forward or a horrible tragedy to finally occur. That should not be grounds to sue people who reserved making judgement or accusations without firsthand knowlege. Besides, I am sure that everyone knows of blowhard people who spout on and on about doing this or doing that.....absolutely nothing ever comes but more ranting and shouting....It is often said that the quiet ones are the ones who are supposedly disconnected socially and the wild cards in these sorts of situations. Perhaps the consensus was that over the top behavior and verbage was the safety release valve that would prevent any actual violence, instead of it being bottled up and exploding

If it is shown that the coaches knew of his alcohol and anger issues and failed to suspend him from the team or university until he was getting treatment, then I think she might have a case.

Time for coaches to stop shielding athletes from the consequences of their actions. I won't even mention those coaches that actually encourage their athletes to use steroids, etc.

A law professor once said to a class full of students......"If you are going to sue, sue everyone in sight and something has got to stick." What a sad commentary on our world

bowrag ~~ I completely agree. Your suggestion in turn, may help save someone from themselves (not to mention others) from such a sad outcome as this. Creating a paper trail is VERY IMPORTANT. If a school or other organization has such programs in place to help their students, I think it shows well for them, while helping to turn their students out into the world with skills that keep them on a positive track.

I too, wish a very positive outcome for the Love family. Strength and peace to them.

Rag and Ren, No matter how much your campaign to turn institutions of higher learning into Orwellian police states ever succeeds, it seems highly unlikely that your techniques will ever prevent a single crime by an enraged, murderous, entitled, murderer against someone he wants to eliminate for rejecting him.

JP-345944 ~~ Lets hope that your family and loved ones are able to dodge the bullets of those like this Huguely kid, and not become victims of some terrible crime, then maybe YOU'LL GET NOTHING.

.... and the Queen of England, and Pee Wee Herman.

It's everyone's fault except for the person who actually did it.

Interesting that you don't seem to be able to understand the subtle difference between someone who parties and has a good time, on one hand, and a depraved murderer, on the other. I think the first comment (#1 above) says it all. How in the world could the coaches have prevented this horrific crime?

Only if you live in the good old USA.

RugerSR9c...you raise a good point....

yes, it does appear that "responsibility" lawsuits can be issued against any employer or group

& even if the person doesn't work for that employer or group (as in this particular situation)

students used to keep the bullies & weirdos in line...

no one told us kids to do this...it just happened...kids who were emerging as leaders took charge and life went on...now it seems that bullies and weirdos are taking over the planet

what has happened to all of those fine leaders? ...every generation has them !

I don't think it's the responsibility of students to keep other wackos in line. It's the University that should make sure a safe environment for the students. In this case which this despicable lowlife person had caused trouble and a choking incident ( I would have suspended his $ss out of the University for such actions). Students go to learn. They don't need to be threatened by another student. Can you imagine a person at a work place choking someone and keeping his job?? Would not happen. Well it shouldn't anyway.

Alan-

It starts way before college or even high school. Kids used to start policing their own, so to speak, on the playground. Not allowed any more and we are seeing the results. Conflict resolution has become nothing more than suppressing how you really feel and using your words. Sometimes, words just don't cut it. Lessons are learned in all sorts of ways and one of those ways might just be through fisticuffs. That's how the bullies learned when I was younger. (please, nobody jump on me for promoting violence because that's not the case) Males of any species have to learn respect and that there are ramifications for behavior outside of the expected norm. We are teaching our children that if you can negotiate, you win. No matter how heinous your crime might be.

Hear! Hear! MG. But, as you point out, not enough years for that guy. He is the worst of the worst of mankind, and is a threat to everyone around him -- and will likely always be so. I agree with you, but also agree with the mother's civil suit against the murderer. The rest is tragic.

Figures Cuccinelli would defend this scumbag - after all he's an avid member of the war on women....

Sue these scumbag coaches who speak about honor and respect and act differently - these a$$es acted the same as those at Penn State. AND THEY WILL NOT CHANGE UNTIL YOU HIT THEM WHERE IT HURTS MOST - in the pocket!!!!

Same as VA Tech - sue them to protect the students - NO BETTER WAY TO LIGHT A FIRE UNDER THEIR BEHINDS TO EFFECT SOME CHANGE!!!!!