In 2014, Joe Mixon punched Amelia Molitor in the face in a brutal attack that was captured by a camera. After Mixon avoided jail time by accepting a plea deal, Molitor ended up filing a civil lawsuit against the former Oklahoma running back and current NFL prospect last July.
On Friday, Mixon and Molitor released a statement announcing that the lawsuit has been "resolved and dismissed." The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Here's the statement (via USA Today's Tom Pelissero):
"I am happy we were able to bring the lawsuit to an end," Ms. Molitor stated. "Joe and I were able to meet privately, without any attorneys, and talk about our experiences since that night. I am encouraged that we will both be able to move forward from here with our lives. From our private discussions I am satisfied that we are going to put this behind us and work towards helping others who may have found themselves in similar circumstances. I greatly appreciate his apology and I think the feelings he expressed were sincere. We both could have handled things differently. I believe if we had a chance to go back to that moment in time, the situation would not have ended the way it did."
"I'm thankful Mia and I were able to talk privately," Mr. Mixon said. "I was able to apologize to her one-to-one. The way I reacted that night, that's not me. That's not the way I was raised. I think she understands that. Talking together helps move us past what happened. I know I have to keep working to be a better person, and this is another step in that direction. I love working with kids, and I'm looking for more chances to do that kind of work. I want to lead a life that inspires them, and I hope I can lead by example from today forward."
"Going forward, "Ms. Molitor explained, "Joe and I agreed we need to move on from this situation and focus on the future. I'm not planning to attend graduate school. I still plan to speak out and support other people, whether on college campuses or elsewhere, who are faced with overcoming difficult circumstances that have attracted intense public scrutiny. I'm finished talking about what happened that night with Joe. It's time to move on from that. I wish Joe the best of luck in his future."
Mixon's immediate future will involve the NFL. Though some teams have understandably taken him off their draft boards, others will choose to overlook his past due to his talent on the field -- just like the Chiefs did when they drafted Tyreek Hill, just like the Seahawks did when they drafted Frank Clark, and so on.
