Bauer, woman settle suits in sexual assault case
-
Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer and the San Diego woman who first accused him of sexual assault, triggering the investigation that led to an unprecedented suspension from Major League Baseball, have settled their civil lawsuits outside of court, with no money exchanged between the two parties.
The woman accused Bauer of sexually assaulting her during two encounters in the spring of 2021, prompting the former Cy Young Award winner to be placed on administrative leave that July. The woman was later denied a permanent restraining order in Los Angeles Superior Court, and the district attorney’s office declined to file criminal charges against Bauer. But MLB — which has the authority to apply punishment outside the criminal justice system and spoke to other women who made similar accusations — handed Bauer a 324-game suspension in April 2022, twice longer than the previous high under its domestic violence policy.
An independent arbitrator shortened the suspension to 194 games in December and ruled that Bauer be reinstated, prompting the Dodgers to release Bauer, who is currently pitching in Japan.
Bauer sued the woman for defamation in April 2022, and the woman countersued for sexual battery four months later. Court proceedings had been scheduled to begin in February, but both sides have agreed to drop their respective cases. The woman, Lindsey Hill, will receive $300,000 in insurance policy proceeds that will be sent in a trust account to her lawyers’ offices, according to an email from Hill’s lawyers that was provided by a representative with Bauer.
“Trevor Bauer and Lindsey Hill have settled all outstanding litigation,” Bauer’s attorneys, Jon Fetterolf and Shawn Holley, wrote in a statement on Monday. “Both of their respective claims have been withdrawn with prejudice, effective today. Mr. Bauer did not make — and never has made — any payments to Ms. Hill, including to resolve their litigation. With this matter now at rest, Mr. Bauer can focus completely on baseball.”
ESPN did not name the woman in this case in previous reporting, and generally does not identify individuals who say they have been sexually assaulted, but her legal team identified her in comments on Monday.
One of Hill’s attorneys, Bryan Freedman, wrote the following in a statement: “In April 2022, Trevor Bauer sued Lindsey Hill for defamation. In what turned out to be an outstanding resolution for Lindsey, neither Lindsey nor anyone on her behalf paid anything to Bauer. Not a single dollar. Even better, Lindsey received $300,000 from her insurance company. Based on that payment, Lindsey agreed to settle the lawsuit. Now that the lawsuit is over, Lindsey looks forward to helping others.”
Bauer, 32, subsequently released a near-four-minute video on YouTube alleging that Hill’s legal team approached him “multiple times” about a financial settlement that his side consistently declined. Bauer said in the video that the defamation lawsuit allowed his legal team to uncover additional cell phone material that was “deliberately and unlawfully concealed” from his lawyers, most notably a video of the woman “lying in bed next to me while I’m sleeping, smirking at the camera without a care in the world — or any mark on her face” on the morning after the second alleged incident.
“I think it paints a pretty clear picture of what actually happened the evening of May 15th and why the video was originally concealed from us,” Bauer added.
Hill’s initial declaration for a temporary restraining order included documentation that she was diagnosed at a San Diego-area hospital with an acute head injury and assault by manual strangulation — along with other injuries — from being choked unconscious during what she described as consensual rough sex that went too far. Kelly Valencia, the forensic nurse examiner who performed the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) exam on Hill later that night, testified during the initial hearing in August of 2021 and said the bruising she documented outside the woman’s vagina was unlike any she had seen in her 40-plus years of experience.
“It was frankly alarming,” she said.
Bauer referenced the cell phone video and previously deleted text messages from Hill as “critical information” that allows him to “clear my name.”
“Over the last two years, I’ve been forced to defend my integrity and my reputation in a very public setting, but hopefully this is the last time I have to do so, as I’d prefer to just remain focused on doing my job, winning baseball games and entertaining fans around the world,” Bauer said in his video. “So today, I’m happy to be moving on with my life.”
-
Andrea Adelson
Florida State freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard was released from the hospital Thursday, nearly six weeks after he was shot in the back of the head while driving his aunt home.
In a statement, Florida State said Pritchard is alert, responsive and able to communicate. He is being moved from Tallahassee Memorial Hospital to Brooks Rehabilitation in Jacksonville for the next stage in his recovery.
On a video posted to Instagram Stories by quarterback Tommy Castellanos, the entire FSU team cheered Pritchard as he was wheeled on a stretcher out of the hospital for the trip to Jacksonville.
“We are thankful for the efforts, thoughts and prayers of so many people and ask that you continue to support Ethan and his family as this process continues,” the school said in a statement.
Pritchard was shot Aug. 31 in what the authorities have described as a case of mistaken identity. He was dropping his aunt and a child off following a family party in Havana, Florida, about 16 miles from Tallahassee, near the Georgia state line.
Four people were arrested last month in connection with the shooting.
“I am so thankful for everyone who has prayed for my son,” said Earl Pritchard, Ethan’s father. “There have been a lot of ups and downs over these last 39 days, and it is remarkable that Ethan and I were able to leave the hospital together today.”
Earl Pritchard also thanked Florida State coach Mike Norvell for checking in every day and being a constant presence in the hospital.
“His players and staff have continued to make us feel part of the team,” Earl Pritchard said. “I can’t fully express how much those moments have meant to me and Ethan.”
Earl Pritchard also thanked the hospital and Florida State sports medicine staffs as well as the staff at Seminole High in Sanford, Florida, where Ethan played, for the support.
“I also want to thank Gadsden County Sheriff Morris Young and the FDLE for their hard work and dedication to pursuing justice for Ethan,” Earl Pritchard said. “My heart is filled with gratitude for the outpouring of support for so many people, and I’m so appreciative for every single one of you.
“Ethan has a long journey ahead of him, but I know he will continue to fight and he will do so with the full support of our FSU and Seminole County families and all who have been impacted by his story.”
-
Alden Gonzalez
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers removed high-earning reliever Tanner Scott from their National League Division Series roster on Thursday and replaced him with fellow left-hander Justin Wrobleski, a move that makes Scott ineligible for the next round.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed after Wednesday’s 8-2 loss in Game 3 that Scott was unavailable, a big reason why Clayton Kershaw was forced to come back out for what became a five-run eighth inning by the Philadelphia Phillies. Scott underwent what Roberts described as a lower-body abscess incision on Wednesday night.
“Minor procedure,” Roberts said before Thursday’s Game 4. “I don’t know a whole lot about it, to be quite honest with you, but I do know that he’s recovering well.”
The Dodgers signed Scott to a four-year, $72 million contract over the offseason, but his first year in L.A. has been a massive struggle. Scott, 31, posted a 4.74 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP while allowing 11 home runs in 2025, the same amount he allowed over the previous three years combined. By the time the postseason rolled around, Scott had fallen out of favor. Roberts did not utilize him in any of the first four playoff games.
Scott started to show signs of an issue during Tuesday’s workout in L.A., Roberts said, though he added: “I don’t think we knew exactly the extent of it.” He described Scott’s procedure on Wednesday as “an “urgent matter.” The hope is Scott can still contribute, in some way, to the Dodgers’ playoff run.
“I still feel that the World Series, if we’re fortunate enough to get there, earn our way there, then he’ll be available,” Roberts added.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024