False Rape Case Prompts Lawsuit Against Woman, Fairfield School

FAIRFIELD, CT — Two former Sacred Heart University football players are suing the school and a fellow student convicted of falsely accusing them of raping her. Nikki Yovino, of Long Island, was sentenced in August to one year in prison after pleading guilty to falsely reporting an incident and interfering with police in a plea deal.

Dhameer Bradley and Malik St. Hilaire are seeking more than $15,000 in damages in a lawsuit filed against Yovino and Sacred Heart University on Oct. 10, according to state records. In the lawsuit, the men are claiming slander and libel, negligent infliction of emotional distress and intentional infliction of emotional distress against Yovino. They are accusing Sacred Heart University of breach of contract.

Yovino was arrested in February 2017 after Bridgeport Police said she recanted her original story, which alleged that the two men raped her in a basement bathroom at a house party on Lakeside Drive in Bridgeport on Oct. 14, 2016. Bridgeport Police said Yovino, who was 18 at the time, initially reported in October 2016 that she was sexually assaulted by a Sacred Heart University football player and another man who was a former student. Police said they conducted a thorough investigation and met several times with Sacred Heart administrators.

"Initial statements from witnesses and evidence recovered from the scene suggested that a sexual assault had occurred," Bridgeport Police said in a press release following the arrest. "As the investigation continued, the case detective received more information that contradicted Yovino's statements to police. This information included new witness accounts, text messages and cell phone video. Yovino was confronted with this evidence, and admitted that she, in fact, did have consensual sex with both males."

See also: Former Student Rolls Her Eyes During Sentencing In False Rape Case

The lawsuit claims that Bradley was wrongfully suspended academically, barred from campus and expelled from the football team, which canceled his athletic scholarship, based on Yovino’s accusation. He was therefore forced to pay for the rest of his schooling out of pocket, lost his dream of eventually playing competitive football and lost an entire semester of schooling, according to the lawsuit.

St. Hilaire was also academically suspended and barred from campus resulting in a lost semester of schooling and a loss of tuition and room and board that had been paid to Sacred Heart University, according to the lawsuit.

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