SALT LAKE CITY — Two witnesses have come forward to dispute allegations listed in a lawsuit against Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) and its founder Tim Ballard.
The lawsuit was filed by Bree Righter, a licensed clinical social worker and former Marine who said she was sexually assaulted and eventually injured while training to go undercover with OUR at the nonprofit's gym in Draper.
Video from the incident shows her getting accidentally kneed in the eye during a training exercise. Righter said she had to have surgery to remove bone fragments from her face and that her eye socket was replaced with a silicone and titanium implant.
"I have no peripheral vision," Righter said. "It is all double vision, and I will live with this for the rest of my life."
WATCH: Lawsuit says Tim Ballard refused to call ambulance after woman's traumatic head injury
According to the lawsuit, "Ballard was present and refused to call an ambulance because he wanted no record of the event occurring."
In response, two witnesses told FOX 13 News they do not remember Ballard being at the gym that day.
At the time, both witnesses had partnered with OUR to lead the training. They said they do not work with OUR anymore.
"I don't remember anybody, let alone Tim (Ballard), ever talking about denying any sort of medical attention," said witness Jeremy Locke. "I do remember being around the mat, because I remember her getting hurt."
The videos depicting Righter's injury do not show Locke surrounding the mat, but he said he must have been just "off camera" or "off frame."
A second witness said he treated Righter after the incident. He asked to remain anonymous, stating he still does uncover work to fight human trafficking with another organization.
"I was there as a volunteer instructor. I'm a physician's assistant by trade," he said. "I was there first thing in the morning before anybody else showed up, and I was the last one to leave... I never left the building, so I would be really surprised if (Ballard) came and went without me noticing."
Both of the witnesses said they did not want to speculate on why Righter's version of events differs from their memory.
"Bree specifically asked to be in that first group (during the training exercise), because we asked for volunteers. I recommended she don't join that group," said the anonymous witness. "I think that was why she got hurt, because I let her be on the mat with those three guys that were obviously bigger than her."
Both witnesses said Righter signed a waiver and that she was driven to the hospital – but not taken by ambulance.
Suzette Rasmussen, an attorney for Righter, released the following statement:
"At trial, the facts will show that an ambulance was not used... Tim Ballard, who orchestrated the 'required training,' was either present or was in the building when her eye socket was smashed in."