College basketball player breaks teammate’s nose over seating on flight, lawsuit says
A redshirt freshman on the University of New Mexico’s men’s basketball team is suing the college and his coach, saying staff ignored threats and violent behavior from a starting player accused of breaking his nose after he became upset over flight seating.
Shane Douma-Sanchez and another student-athlete were attacked by the player when the team’s flight landed in Palm Springs, California, for a tournament in November 2024, according to the lawsuit provided to McClatchy News.
At the time, Douma-Sanchez was recovering from shoulder surgery stemming from a basketball injury that “sidelined him for the season,” a complaint filed Dec. 30 says.
On the plane that was taking the team to Palm Springs for the 2024 Acrisure Series tournament, the player “became upset about the seating arrangements and targeted two injured and defenseless teammates — Shane Douma-Sanchez and John Doe,” according to the complaint.
After the flight left Albuquerque, the player threatened to punch Douma-Sanchez in the face, then “followed through on his threats,” the complaint says.
The teammate struck Douma-Sanchez’s face, breaking his nose, and hit his injured shoulder when the plane landed, according to the complaint, which says he also punched the other player, only identified as John Doe, in the shoulder.
The lawsuit accuses the team’s coaching staff of doing nothing to prevent the assaults, which stopped when other players intervened.
Afterward, the player threatened Douma-Sanchez on the way to a Palm Springs hotel, where he later violently confronted Douma-Sanchez and John Doe at their hotel room, according to the complaint.
The complaint says coaches “disregarded incidents of hazing and violent behavior, fostering an unsafe environment and undermining the integrity of collegiate athletics.”
The University of New Mexico, on behalf of head coach Richard Pitino, who’s named in the lawsuit, told the Albuquerque Journal that it’s investigating the alleged assaults.
A spokesman told McClatchy News on Jan. 2 that the university is aware of and is reviewing the lawsuit.
“While it is our practice not to comment on specific details of ongoing legal matters, we want to assure the public that we have robust policies and procedures in place to address any concerns raised by any member of our community,” the spokesman said via email.
“We will provide updates as appropriate while respecting the privacy and rights of all individuals involved,” the spokesman added.
Douma-Sanchez’s attorney, David Adams, told McClatchy News in an emailed statement Jan. 2 that “retaliation, professional consequences, and often social backlash results from bringing claims against people in power or against large institutions.”
“By taking a proactive stance against hazing and violence, student-athletes like Shane help build a culture of transparency and accountability within the elite bounds of collegiate coaching,” Adams said.
Harassment and hazing
After Douma-Sanchez joined the University of New Mexico’s basketball team as a walk-on after graduating high school, he was hazed and harassed by the player accused of assaulting him, the complaint says.
The player, a university recruit who’s a starter and only referred to as “the assailant” in the lawsuit, received a scholarship to play for the university and earns a sixfigure income, according to the complaint.
The complaint says that before the player attacked Douma-Sanchez, he called him a “fat native” and wouldn’t let him on the basketball court.
Douma-Sanchez is a member of the Laguna Pueblo, a Native American tribe located near Albuquerque, according to the complaint.
The player also told Douma-Sanchez and other teammates that he is a gang member “as a means of further intimidation.”
Player misses tournament, seeks medical care
After the assault on the plane, the player is accused of threatening Douma-Sanchez on a bus ride to the La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs, where the team was staying for the Acrisure Series, the complaint says.
The 2024 Acrisure Series featured 20 men’s and women’s Division I basketball teams.
At the resort, the player aggressively confronted Douma-Sanchez and John Doe in a room they were assigned to share, hours after they arrived, according to the complaint.
When Douma-Sanchez opened the door of his room after hearing a knock, he found the player threatening to fight him, the complaint says.
The player came inside and “turned his aggression toward John Doe, assaulting him and throwing him into the bathtub and punching him before other UNM players intervened to remove (him) from the room,” the complaint says.
Douma-Sanchez reported the violence he and John Doe faced to his coaches, who gave him two options: stay at the hotel or fly home, according to the complaint.
He flew home, missed the tournament and spent Thanksgiving in a hospital, where he sought medical care for injuries from the assault, the complaint says.
Doctors confirmed Douma-Sanchez had a broken nose and had a newly injured shoulder, the same shoulder he hurt earlier, according to the complaint.
The player accused of attacking him played in the tournament, KRQE News 13 reported in December.
“I think they had the best interest of the team at the time, which was winning basketball games, because that’s what we were there to do,” Douma-Sanchez told the TV station in an interview.
On Dec. 2, the University of New Mexico said it was “aware of an alleged incident involving members of our men’s basketball team and are carefully reviewing and assessing all of the facts,” according to KRQE News 13.
With his lawsuit, Douma-Sanchez seeks an unspecified amount in damages — including for personal injury, past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering and more — and a trial, the complaint shows.
“Coaches must build a positive team culture, where players feel safe, supported, and empowered to excel both on and off the court, to protect the student athletes and the integrity of collegiate athletics,” Adams told McClatchy News.