Deion Sanders’ son, Shilo Sanders, has filed for bankruptcy in an apparent attempt to avoid liability for a nearly $12 million judgment from a Texas court over an incident in which he was accused of assaulting a school security guard in high school.
Shilo, a defensive back on the Colorado football team that is coached by his father, was accused of assaulting John Darjean, a security guard at Focus Academies in Dallas, in 2015, according to court documents first revealed by the Colorado outlet Westword last week.
In a lawsuit filed in 2016, Darjean claimed he had “sustained severe and permanent injuries including a broken neck, damage to his cervical spine, permanent neurological injuries and irreversible incontinence,” as a result of the alleged assault from Shilo.
Deion was the CEO of Focus Academies, and the head coach of Triple A Academy, the high school where Shilo was attending at the time.
Shilo had reportedly been taken to in-school suspension for violating the school’s no-phone policy and called his mother, Pilar Sanders.
Deion and Pilar Sanders divorced in 2013.
Deion was reportedly looped into the situation on the phone via an assistant coach in Darjean’s office.
When Deion heard that Shilo was talking to Pilar, he requested Darjean take the phone away from his son.
“You’re my brother in Christ, I need you to go get the phone…as soon as you get the phone from him, give me a call back,” Deion was said to have told Darjean, according to a court filing earlier this year, as covered by Westword.
When Darjean attempted to take Shilo’s phone, Shilo allegedly elbowed the security guard in the chest and knocked him to the ground.
Darjean sued in 2016 in Texas state court.
The case finally went to trial in 2022. Shilo did not attend court for the case, and it was ruled that he had committed assault and battery.
He was ordered to pay Darjean $11.89 million.
“The Court finds that Shilo Sanders’ actions were the proximate cause of John Darjean’s injuries/damages,” the judgment said in 2022, according to USA Today.
“The Court further finds that Shio Sanders’ actions were a substantial factor in bringing about the physical and mental injuries sustained by John Darjean, without which such injuries and damages would not have occurred.”
Shilo filed for bankruptcy last October, disclosing only $320,000 in assets, despite the fact that he has seemingly had many lucrative NIL opportunities.
“Contrary to the schedules, Shilo has admitted acquiring vast amounts of high-end and expensive clothing,” a court filing from Darjean’s attorneys said earlier this year, according to Westword. “For example, on his YouTube Channel posted on May 4, 2023, he states, ‘Alright we at the Louis (Vuitton) Store I am trying to spend at least $50,000 today.’”
Darjean also accused Shilo of shielding NIL income through Big 21, LLC, which he owns.
In a court filing in February, Shilo’s lawyer wrote, “Shilo is the honest but unfortunate debtor looking to get his fresh start in life, free from the oppressive burden of his debts, including the default judgement to the Plaintiff.”
Shilo argued in the February filing that he was acting in self-defense.
“What I seen was the student didn’t want to give (Darjean) his phone so (Darjean) kept on asking for it,” a witness statement filed by Shilo’s attorney said, according to USA Today. “Then (Darjean) reached for it and (Shilo) pushed the adult and (Darjean) began to push him and choked him. (Shilo) was yelling,’I can’t breathe,’ and was crying and yelling; and that’s when adults came over and pulled (Darjean) off of (Shilo).”
