2 ex-Maryland players reach settlement to football lawsuit

Published Dec. 17, 2021 5:48 p.m. ET

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Two former Maryland football players have each reached $200,000 settlements in lawsuits accusing former coach DJ Durkin of running a program that subjected athletes to an abusive environment.

The Maryland Attorney General’s Office reached the agreement with former players Gus Little and E.J. Donahue, signed Nov. 27 according to settlement documents.

Earlier this year,

Little and Donahue,

The complaint alleged Durkin created a “toxic culture of cruelty, humiliation, (and) degradation.” The players said they had experienced issues such as anxiety and depression.

Malcolm Ruff, one of the Baltimore-based lawyers who represented the former players,

“There should be more oversight, and there should be absolutely no way that this type of a culture should ever be able to be established and perpetuated against student-athletes,” Ruff said.

Maryland team spokesman Dustin Semonavick didn't respond to an email to The Associated Press for comment, while Maryland attorney general's office communications director Raquel Coombs declined comment beyond the settlement documents.

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