Family files lawsuit after homicide of Oklahoma rugby player
More than a year after University of Oklahoma rugby player Joe Pal was found unconscious and seriously injured near campus, his family is turning to civil court in search of accountability. According to News 9 reporter Deanne Stein, the lawsuit comes after prosecutors decided not to file criminal charges in the case, even though the Cleveland County medical examiner ruled Pal’s death a homicide.
The civil filing marks a new phase in the case for Pal’s family, which has continued to push for answers since his death in March 2025. By moving the matter into civil court, the family is now seeking a legal path forward after the criminal case did not proceed.
Family turns to civil court
According to News 9 and Cleveland County court documents cited in the report, Pal had been drinking on the night of the incident and was trying to get home safely. Court records say he was intoxicated when he tried to open the door of a truck, which led to a confrontation with the men inside. His mother, Amanda Pal, told News 9 that she believes her son was not looking for trouble, but was trying to get a ride home on a very cold night.
“I felt like justice let me down. Justice let my son down,” she said. “I want the truth. I want to know what actually happened.”
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Amanda Pal also told the station that the temperature that night was in the 20s and that her son was dressed only in jeans and a T shirt. “The guy said he had asked for a ride home. It was 20 some degrees that night, and he was wearing jeans and a T shirt. I know it was cold, and he was just trying to get home,” she said.
Mother says key questions remain unanswered
According to News 9, Norman police later found Pal unconscious and severely injured in a parking lot near Boyd Street and Classen Boulevard. The station also reported that police body camera footage includes one of the men acknowledging that he struck Pal during the encounter. In the footage cited by News 9, the man says, “I’ll say I over reacted and hit him just one time, just once.”
Amanda Pal told News 9 that watching the video was too painful for her to endure in full. “I was not able to finish it. I think I watched little pieces. It was painful. It was very painful,” she said. Her comments reflect the family’s continuing anguish as they try to understand exactly what happened in the final moments before Pal was taken to the hospital.
According to the report, the Cleveland County medical examiner determined that Pal died from acute blunt force trauma to the head due to assault and classified the death as a homicide. Amanda Pal told News 9 that, in her view, the incident began with a burst of anger that ended in a fatal loss. “Someone got mad and lost their temper, and my son’s gone and I can never get him back,” she said.
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Civil lawsuit now becomes the family’s path for accountability
With no criminal charges filed by the Cleveland County District Attorney’s office, the family is now using the civil case to pursue responsibility in court. According to News 9, Amanda Pal said the lawsuit will not undo the loss of her son, but she hopes it may still lead to accountability and possibly broader change.
“It’ll never bring Joe back, but maybe some change can come from this. And that’s what we want,” she said.
The family is also asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has additional information about Joe Pal’s death to come forward. As the case moves through civil court, the lawsuit is expected to become the main legal avenue through which the family seeks answers about what happened that night near campus.
Sources: News 9 report by Deanne Stein, Cleveland County court documents, Norman police, Cleveland County medical examiner
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