Lance Armstrong Lawsuit vs. Doping Agency Thrown Out

A federal judge threw out Lance Armstrong's lawsuit against the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

Armstrong had sued the USADA to stop its investigation into his alleged doping and use of performance-enhancing drugs. If Armstrong is found to have cheated, he could be stripped of his Tour de France victories, face a lifetime ban from competitive cycling, and his legacy will likely be forever tarnished.

The U.S. District Court in Texas refused to get involved in the matter and the judge essentially said the matter should be resolved within USADA's own internal protocols and not in a U.S. court, reports CNN.

In throwing out Lance Armstrong's lawsuit, Judge Sam Sparks said that the court could not interfere as Armstrong had an agreement to arbitrate the dispute with the USADA, reports CNN. The USADA is a quasi-government agency and in competing in events like the Tour de France, Armstrong apparently agreed to abide by the USADA's arbitration rules.

Judge Sparks stated that Armstrong had not "exhausted his internal remedies" and suggested that even had Armstrong gone through USADA arbitration, the matter may not be appropriate for a U.S. court, reports CNN. Instead, Judge Sparks said the dispute was best resolved through international arbitration by experts in the matter.

Lance Armstrong's lawsuit serves as a good reminder to most employees, home buyers, tenants, and anyone else signing a contract. If you read the fine print in the contract, you may discover that you too have agreed to arbitrate a dispute. What this usually means is that you can't sue to resolve any disputes. Instead, you will be forced to resolve the matter informally through an arbitrator. So make sure you are okay with this, before signing.

Related Resources:

• Lance Armstrong Lawsuit Against USADA Dismissed by Judge (Bloomberg)
• Employment Arbitration Agreements (FindLaw)
• Roger Clemens Not Guilty on All Charges (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)