Ben Roethlisberger Settles Lawsuit Accusing Him of Rape
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has settled a lawsuit that accused him of raping a hostess at a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2008.
Lawyers for Roethlisberger's accuser, Andrea McNulty, confirmed the settlement Friday but would not discuss its terms, the Reno Gazette-Journal reports. Neither party would say if the settlement included a payout.
A judge in Reno, Nev., dismissed the Ben Roethlisberger rape lawsuit on Dec. 27 after both sides agreed. The dismissal followed dueling allegations of bad behavior by both Roethlisberger and his accuser.
The Ben Roethlisberger rape lawsuit accused Roethlisberger of luring Andrea McNulty into his hotel suite, ostensibly to fix his television. Instead, McNulty claimed Roethlisberger forced her onto the bed and raped her, according to the Gazette-Journal.
McNulty also accused hotel co-workers of a cover-up. Her lawsuit asked for $380,000 to help pay for medical expenses in connection with the alleged rape.
In rape cases, civil lawsuits may be filed by alleged victims to recover the costs of medical care, counseling, and even time lost from work. They can also seek money for psychological pain and suffering.
Civil lawsuits may also give alleged rape victims a way to make a public statement that a crime occurred, if criminal charges are not filed. McNulty never filed a criminal complaint because she feared she'd be fired from her job, the Associated Press reports.
Roethlisberger's lawyers denied McNulty's claims. They also alleged McNulty was emotionally unstable, bragged about having sex with Roethlisberger, and was trying to extort money from the two-time Super Bowl champ.
After the Ben Roethlisberger rape lawsuit was filed in the 2008 case, another woman -- a 20-year-old college student -- publicly accused Roethlisberger of rape in 2010, the Gazette-Journal reports. No criminal charges were filed, but Roethlisberger was suspended for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.
Related Resources:
- Roethlisberger settles lawsuit by woman who accused him of '08 rape at Tahoe hotel-casino (The Associated Press)
- Making Sense of the Roethlisberger Sexual Assault Lawsuit (FindLaw's Injured)
- Browse Criminal Defense Lawyers by Location (FindLaw)
- How Can You Lose Criminal Case But Win Civil Trial? (FindLaw's Injured)