Star logo

Editor’s note: This article contains graphic details of sexual assault. 

A day after former Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura settled a civil lawsuit that stemmed from a 2018 sexual assault case, Texas State signed him to play quarterback for the Bobcats. 

De Laura settled the civil lawsuit on Jan. 16, 2024 after three years in the court system. The plaintiff filed the civil lawsuit on Dec. 2, 2021, which details information from the sealed 2018 juvenile case. 

According to the 2021 civil lawsuit, in October 2018 de Laura and St. Louis High School football teammate Kamo’i Latu, now a senior safety for University of Wisconsin, pleaded guilty in juvenile court to second-degree sexual assault. The alleged assault occurred at St. Louis High School in Honolulu after de Laura and Latu won the Interscholastic League of Honolulu’s high school varsity football championship. 

The plaintiff’s attorneys filed a civil lawsuit against de Laura, Latu, their parents and the high school for assault, battery, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress. 

The plaintiff and defendants were minors on the date of the alleged sexual assault. 

The judge rejected an initial settlement in the civil case in August 2023, believing the plaintiff should receive more monetary compensation given de Laura and Latu could earn money from their individual Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals for playing college football.  

The plaintiff’s attorney, Randall L.K.M. Rosenberg, responded to an email on Jan. 17 from The University Star stating, “The parties have reached an agreement to resolve the case in its entirety. The terms of the settlement are confidential, and no information regarding the settlement will be provided.” 

The plaintiff, whom the civil case describes as an acquaintance of de Laura, was going to give players of the team symbolic flower leis after the game victory at the high school. She later received a text message from de Laura asking to talk in one of the school’s parking garage staircases. 

According to the civil case, “Defendants physically overpowered her, with Jayden forcing her to fellate Defendant Kamoi by holding her head from behind and pushing it down towards Defendant Kamoi’s crotch. At the same time, Defendant Jayden then forcibly pulled down Plaintiff’s shorts, bent her over at the waist, and began penetrating Plaintiff from the rear. Plaintiff was sobbing uncontrollably in fear and anger and Defendant Jayden began choking her to gain her cooperation… After Defendant Kamoi ejaculated in her mouth, Defendant Jayden shouted, “It’s my turn.”  

The plaintiff confronted de Laura via text message after the incident about the assault and received messages admitting to the assault, according to the civil case. The plaintiff made a police report in December of 2018, showing the police the messages exchanged as proof of the assault. 

De Laura and Latu were later charged and pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault, but neither received jail time. According to an article from Hawaii News Now, which has been following this case, de Laura and Latu were “required to write letters of apology.” 

When de Laura committed to Arizona in 2022, it is unknown whether the university was aware of the civil suit. The University of Arizona athletic department, however, did become aware of the case in fall 2022. 

The department released a statement which said, “In the fall of 2022 after a civil complaint was filed against football student-athlete Jayden de Laura, the University of Arizona first became aware of a 2018 incident involving de Laura which occurred while he was in high school in Hawaii,” the UA statement said. “After reviewing the matter, the determination was made to allow de Laura to continue as a student-athlete and his status remains unchanged.”

De Laura was also placed under arrest for suspected DUI in February 2021 after driving on the wrong side of the street and driving through a stop sign near the Washington State University campus during his time as quarterback for Washington State, according to the Seattle Times. De Laura refused a Breathalyzer and failed a sobriety test and was found not guilty. 

It is unclear whether Texas State Athletics was aware of the case, however, the day after reaching a settlement in the case, de Laura officially signed to play Texas State football. 

The National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-656-4673.