Yeardley Love’s family has filed a civil lawsuit against the University of Virginia and school athletic officials, alleging that they contributed to Love’s death by neglecting to stop George Huguely V’s drinking.
Huguely, a former U.Va. lacrosse player from Chevy Chase, was convicted in February of second-degree murder for beating Love, his former girlfriend, to death in her off-campus apartment in May 2010.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Louisa County Circuit Court, names the Commonwealth of Virginia, U.Va. lacrosse Coach Dom Starsia, Associate coach Marc Van Arsdale and Athletic Director Craig Littlepage as defendants.
The suit says the university and the officials repeatedly took “no action” to discipline Huguely, suspend him from the lacrosse team or refer him to alcohol-abuse treatment, despite repeated alcohol-related incidents.
In the years prior to Love’s death, Huguely was convicted of possession of alcohol by a minor, public intoxication and resisting arrest, the lawsuit and other court records show. He also engaged in several other alcohol-fueled attacks, including choking Love, according to the suit and testimony from his criminal trial.
His teammates testified at trial that they were concerned about Huguely’s drinking and were planning an intervention.
U-Va. and its officials “had a duty” to protect students and should have known about and taken action as a result of Huguely’s repeated infractions involving alcohol, the lawsuit claims.
“It was well known to the players and coaches on the UVA men’s and women’s lacrosse teams that Huguely’s alcohol abuse and erratic, aggressive behavior was increasingly getting out of control, especially his obsession with Love and his aggressiveness and threats to Love,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit is seeking $29.5 million in damages.
The suit is the second civil lawsuit the Love family has filed. Last week, the family filed a suit against Huguely, arguing that he maliciously killed Love and his negligence led to her death.
Huguely is scheduled to be sentenced in August. A jury recommended a sentence of 26 years in prison.
