Shilo Sanders Granted Protective Order in Bankruptcy Case

In a recent legal development, Judge Michael E. Romero issued a limited protective order in the ongoing lawsuit involving Shilo Sanders, a former NFL hopeful. This order restricts the use of designated discovery material solely for the merits of the case, barring its use for any unrelated purposes.

The protective order came in response to a request from Shilo Sanders’ attorney, Keri Riley, who expressed concerns about the potential misuse of discovery evidence, including details of Sanders’ name, image, and likeness (NIL) business dealings.

Riley emphasized the risk of such information being exploited in a “smear campaign” on social media, potentially damaging Sanders’ reputation and future earnings. This request follows Sanders’ decision to file for bankruptcy after being hit with a substantial $11.89 million default judgment in favor of John Darjean, a school security guard.

The incident at the heart of the lawsuit dates back to 2015 when Shilo Sanders, then a 15-year-old high school student, allegedly assaulted Darjean after the guard attempted to confiscate his mobile phone on school officials’ orders. Darjean has claimed that the assault left him with permanent injuries.

Riley highlighted the sensitivity of financial disclosures in this context, mentioning, “We don’t want a situation where we’re producing bank statements from 2023, and now we see an Instagram post saying, `Oh look. Four times last month, instead of paying (Darjean), he went to go and get avocado toast.'”

However, Darjean’s attorney, Ori Raphael, contested the need for enhanced privacy for Sanders in the public bankruptcy court, arguing that Sanders should not be entitled to any special protections.

“Nothing is special about what he’s done,” Raphael stated, underlining that Sanders’ decision to declare bankruptcy does not warrant extraordinary treatment regarding the disclosure of his financial activities.

Judge Romero’s ruling ensures that the designated discovery evidence remains confidential unless it becomes part of the public court records, aiming to prevent misuse on platforms like social media. The case continues to unfold, highlighting the complex interplay between privacy concerns and public interest in high-profile bankruptcy proceedings.