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Former Baylor football coach Art Briles was not negligent in the case involving a former female student who reported being physically assaulted by one of his players in 2014, a federal judge ruled Friday.

U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman dismissed the gross negligence claims against Briles, along with former athletic director Ian McCaw and Baylor University, saying that “no reasonable jury can conclude” based on the evidence presented at trial that the defendants were “grossly negligent.”

The plaintiff, former Baylor student Dolores Lozano, had claimed that the three defendants’ negligence after she reported her first assault in March 2014 made her subject to further abuse by football player Devin Chafin, whom she had been dating.

“This case was always about Ms. Lozano getting her day in court,” Pitman said Thursday, but after hearing the evidence, Pitman said there simply wasn’t enough there to convince a jury. That leaves the Title IX claim and one negligence claim against Baylor as the only matters to be given to the jury, which reconvenes Monday. Lozano has alleged that the school’s overall failures to address and properly respond to reports of sexual violence at that time put her at greater risk for assault and was a violation of Title IX.

McCaw and Briles testified Thursday. McCaw said when he received a report of Lozano’s allegations from one of his staff members in 2014 that he took appropriate action and made sure she had been given information on how to further report it. Briles said he simply didn’t know anything about Lozano or her reports against Chafin until she filed her lawsuit, which was in 2016. He said he had never communicated with Lozano.

Reid Simpson, an attorney for Briles, was on the courthouse steps standing before reporters Friday morning on the phone with Briles to share the news. “I appreciate you,” Briles could be heard saying over speakerphone.

“Everything that’s been said about him is not true,” Simpson said. During the trial, Simpson’s questioning of witnesses often came back to a series of questions about whether there was any evidence that Briles covered up sexual assault, deterred victims from reporting assaults, or tried to interfere with investigations, and the witnesses denied any of those actions.

When asked if Friday’s ruling would help Briles’ overall reputation in the wake of the investigations in 2016 that led to his firing, Simpson said, “I hope it helps.”

McCaw’s attorney, Thomas Brandt, said he was pleased with the ruling, but he said the decision means “nothing” in regard to the wider sexual assault failings at Baylor and McCaw’s involvement.

The law firm Pepper Hamilton that investigated the school’s handling of sexual violence reports in 2015 and 2016 had access to dozens of reports and used five of them — all involving football players — in their presentation to the Baylor regents in May 2016. Lozano’s domestic violence case was not among them.

In her opening statement to jurors Monday, Baylor attorney Julie Springer acknowledged the school’s history with sexual violence victims and the 2016 results of the investigation that uncovered failures in addressing, responding to and reporting incidents of sexual violence throughout the university.

“There is no questions that bad things happened and mistakes were made at Baylor. Baylor accepts and accepted responsibility for those failures,” she said. “This case is not one of the cases in the [investigation] findings. In Dolores Lozano’s case, Baylor got it right.”

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Michigan star TE Loveland ruled out vs. Trojans

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Michigan star TE Loveland ruled out vs. Trojans

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan star tight end Colston Loveland has been ruled out of Saturday’s game against No. 11 USC with an undisclosed injury.

Loveland suffered an apparent shoulder injury in last weekend’s win over Arkansas State. Michigan coach Sherrone Moore hasn’t specified the nature of the injury.

A preseason All-American, Loveland leads the Wolverines with 19 catches for 187 yards; no other Michigan pass catcher has more than nine receptions.

The No. 18 Wolverines also changed starting quarterbacks this week, moving from Davis Warren to Alex Orji. Warren had thrown six interceptions in three games, including three last weekend. He threw two picks in a 31-12 loss to Texas on Sept. 7.

Orji has only seven career passing attempts but has rushed for 58 yards in a relief role this season.

Moore said this week that he wants to see Orji “take the reins” of the Michigan offense with his opportunity.

“Excited for him,” Moore said. “I know he’s chomping at the bit.”

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Sources: Nats demote All-Star after all-nighter

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Sources: Nats demote All-Star after all-nighter

The Washington Nationals demoted All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams to the minor leagues after he stayed out all night at a Chicago-area casino, leaving only hours before a Friday day game against the Chicago Cubs, sources told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.

The 23-year-old Abrams led off for the Nationals and went 0 for 3 with a walk and strikeout in Friday’s game, which started at 1 p.m. CT. He was informed of the demotion Friday night, sources said. He will be sent to West Palm Beach, home of the Nationals’ minor league complex.

Because Abrams has been with Washington for the entirety of the season, the demotion will not affect his service time. Players earn a full year of service with 172 days on the major league roster, and Abrams already has exceeded that threshold.

Abrams could, however, file a grievance through the Major League Baseball Players Association to fight for lost pay if he believes the demotion unjust. He would lose around $30,000 of his $752,000 salary for missing the season’s final week. Abrams will be arbitration-eligible this winter, entering the system for the first of four times as a Super 2.

Acquired as one of the centerpieces of the Juan Soto trade two years ago, Abrams parlayed a breakout first-half into an All-Star selection, hitting .268/.343/.489 with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases over the Nationals’ first 89 games. He struggled significantly in the second half, slashing .203/.260/.326, and Abrams’ defense has been a weakness throughout the season.

Still, the Nationals did not intend to send him to the minor leagues until they learned of his time spent at the casino, which was first reported Friday by CHGO.

“I just want it to be known it wasn’t performance-based,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez told reporters Saturday. “It’s an internal issue. I’m not going to give specifics.”

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Clemson DE Woods (leg) sidelined vs. NC State

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Clemson DE Woods (leg) sidelined vs. NC State

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson defensive end Peter Woods will not play for the 21st-ranked Tigers against NC State on Saturday because of a leg injury.

The team announced Woods’ status about 90 minutes before kickoff. Woods, 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, got hurt two weeks ago on a chop block below the knee in a 66-20 victory over App State. Woods came back in briefly after getting checked then missed the second half.

The Tigers were off last weekend.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has said Woods’ playing status was day-to-day. Swinney said Woods had not missed a practice. But Woods came out to the field for warmups in sneakers and sweatpants while other defensive linemen went through drills.

Woods leads the Tigers with 2½ tackles for loss.

Third-year sophomore Jahiem Lawson is listed as Woods’ backup on the depth chart.

NC State will be without starting quarterback Grayson McCall, who was hurt last week in a win over Louisiana Tech. Freshman CJ Bailey started for the Wolfpack.

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