UNM Basketball Walk-On Says Teammate Punched Him, Warns of Possible Lawsuit

A University of New Mexico men's basketball player says he was punched by a teammate during the team's trip to California, and he has now notified the school that he may take legal action over how the matter was handled.

Shane Douma-Sanchez, a second-year walk-on guard, told KRQE-TV in an on-camera interview on Tuesday that an argument during the Nov. 26 flight to California carried over once the team got off the plane. He said a teammate punched him in the face, fracturing his nose, and also struck him in his injured shoulder, which was in an arm sling. Douma-Sanchez recently had shoulder surgery that will keep him from playing this season.

He flew home to Albuquerque from Palm Springs on Nov. 27 and went to a hospital on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, to have his injuries examined. The rest of the team remained in Palm Springs for the two-game Acrisure Classic.

His attorney, David Adams, says he sent a tort claims notice to UNM's Risk Management Division on Nov. 29 under the subject line "Urgent Notice Concerning Student Safety." KRQE displayed a copy of the letter, which the Albuquerque Journal has not obtained. According to the broadcast, it begins, "It is with a saddened heart we sent this letter," and asserts violations of New Mexico law and the UNM student-athlete handbook. It also says Lobo coaches were negligent in their duty to protect players and calls the incident a "very serious matter involving possible felony criminal charges."

As of Tuesday night, no criminal charges had been filed. Neither Douma-Sanchez, his family nor Adams has spoken with the Journal, which left email and phone messages for the attorney on Tuesday.

Head coach Richard Pitino said at a regularly scheduled press conference on Tuesday that he is aware of the allegation. "The university has issued a statement. We will follow those protocols," he said. "There's not a whole lot I can talk about. We are handling any discipline matters internally."

UNM confirmed Monday night that it is investigating and said it takes student safety seriously. On Tuesday, as media sought more detail, the university said it follows the student and student-athlete codes of conduct along with state and federal law, and that a matter can move along different or multiple pathways toward an examination of the facts. It said it must protect the integrity of how it gathers and reviews accounts before making definitive statements, and that it will not comment on specific students or their interactions because their records are protected by federal law.

A Journal reporter traveling with the team in California spoke at various points with players, coaches, assistants, staff, players' relatives and fans, and none mentioned an incident on the flight. Several people in the travel party told the newspaper they were unaware Douma-Sanchez had injuries requiring a hospital visit until the team returned home Saturday.

Douma-Sanchez, a Del Norte High School graduate, did not appear in a game last season, redshirting to preserve a year of eligibility. He and the teammate he says punched him both remain on the Lobos roster.