Attorneys for more than two dozen Iowa and Iowa State athletes who were ensnared in a state gambling sting filed a civil lawsuit Friday seeking unspecified monetary damages from the state and its public safety and criminal investigation agencies for violating the athletes’ rights and smearing their reputations.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Des Moines and names as plaintiffs 17 athletes from Iowa, eight from Iowa State and one from Ellsworth Community College. They request a jury trial.
Most of the athletes who faced criminal charges connected to the 2023 investigation agreed to plead guilty to underage gambling and pay a fine and in return had a count of identity theft dismissed.
But Iowa State football players Isaiah Lee, Jirehl Brock and Enyi Uwazurike and wrestler Paniro Johnson did not accept plea deals and in March had all charges against them dropped because the Division of Criminal Investigation was found to have misused tracking software that detected open mobile betting apps on cell phones in ISU athletic facilities.
GOP secretary of state who spoke out against election denialism wins JFK Profile in Courage Award
New focus will bolster housing market
Event to promote love of reading to be held in Kunming
Zendaya wows in a glamorous vintage backless dress as she attends Anna Wintour's star
China, Republic of Congo mark 60th anniversary of ties
Across China: Chinese people pay tributes to legendary ancestor
Von der Leyen makes bid for 2nd EU term
Zendaya's Met Gala style: Her biggest and boldest fashion statements so far
China's growth against odds raises world's hopes
At least 10 casualties reported in a hospital knife attack in China
China brings opportunities rather than risks to world, expert says