Former football player sues WSU

Washington State has been named as a defendant in a civil suit brought by former Cougars football player Domenic Rockey stemming from an incident on Oct. 1, 2013, that left Rockey in the hospital.

The suit claims that WSU was negligent by not adequately supervising players and reckless by insisting that players “keep each other accountable.” Rockey contends that enforcing a literal interpretation of that phrase caused a teammate to injure him, which cost medical damages, caused extreme weight loss and affected the walk-on’s chances of earning a scholarship.

The suit alleges that on that date, Emmittwally Su’a-Kalio, who is no longer on the team, punched Rockey in a weight room bathroom after perceiving the plaintiff to be skipping out on a punishment of 75 “up downs” assigned to the team when a another player arrived late.

The punch broke Rockey’s jaw and Su’a-Kalio pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault in Whitman County Superior Court, was sentenced to 240 hours of community service and ordered to pay a fine that included the cost of a blender Rockey used to consume food while his jaw was wired shut.

The civil case was filed in the King County Superior Court and is currently in the Whitman County Superior Court as the parties seek more information through discovery.