YOUNGSTOWN - A federal judge has scheduled a mediation conference for Jan. 23 to determine if a settlement can be reached in one of the civil rights lawsuits against Ursuline High School and the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown.

The case involves several allegations, including the physical assault of a female student and a culture of hazing during a football camp trip in June 2025. The court has referred the case to U.S. Magistrate Judge Carmen E. Henderson to lead the settlement discussions. This upcoming meeting is a step in the legal process that could resolve the dispute before it reaches a trial.

The lawsuit includes an allegation that a 14-year-old female student was assaulted by an older football player during a summer gym class. According to the legal filing, the player allegedly picked up the girl and violently dropped her before dragging her approximately 30 feet across an athletic turf field. This incident reportedly caused the student to suffer severe turf burns on her back and other physical injuries.

The families involved in the lawsuit claim that this assault was part of a larger pattern of misconduct at the school. They allege that the female student had been subjected to ongoing sexual harassment and stalking by the same player before the physical attack. The complaint further states that school administrators discouraged the family from contacting the police and failed to report the incident to the state child protective services as required by law.

Mediation is a formal type of assisted negotiation where a neutral third party helps the people involved in a lawsuit reach a compromise. Unlike a trial, where a judge or jury decides who wins, mediation is designed to help both sides find an agreement they can both accept. In federal courts, this is often called alternative dispute resolution because it provides a way to settle a case outside of the standard courtroom battle.

Magistrate Judge Henderson will act as a neutral party during the session to facilitate a productive conversation between the parties. During the conference, she will help the families and school officials identify their common goals and look for compromises that might end the legal conflict. The mediation process is private and confidential, which means that anything said during the meeting, including settlement offers, cannot be used as evidence later if the case does go to trial.

Before the full mediation session begins, the court has set up a series of preliminary telephone calls for January 20. Magistrate Judge Henderson will speak with the attorneys representing the families at 10:00 a.m. Following that call, she has scheduled separate times to speak with each group of defendants throughout the rest of the day. The pre-mediation calls allow the judge to learn more about each side's position and identify the major hurdles to a settlement. By speaking with the parties separately, the judge can gain a better understanding of what each side needs to resolve the matter.

The full, in-person mediation conference will then take place on Jan. 2 at 9:30 a.m. in a Courtroom. The court requires that the people with authority to settle the case, such as school administrators and insurance representatives, be present or available to make final decisions.

In addition to the assault on the female student, the lawsuit was filed by two families, identified by the pseudonyms Doe and Roe, regarding a football camp trip in June 2025. They claim that during the trip, several older players subjected younger teammates to a culture of hazing that included physical abuse and sexual assault. The families argue that the school principal, coaches, and the Diocese of Youngstown failed to protect the students despite being aware of the risks.

The defendants, including Principal Matthew Sammartino, Head Coach Daniel Reardon, and several assistant coaches, have denied any wrongdoing. They have asked the court to dismiss the claims, arguing that they followed proper procedures and acted in good faith.

If the January mediation conference does not result in a settlement, the case will continue its current path toward a potential trial. The parties will continue the discovery process, gather more evidence and take sworn statements from witnesses. The court has scheduled a follow-up telephone conference for April 27 to check on the progress of the case.