Deshaun Watson has been suspended for the next six games due to allegations of sexual misconduct
On Monday, NFL disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson issued a six-game suspension for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
As a result of 24 women accusing Watson of sexual assault, legal lawsuits have been filed, and he will miss the entire season as a result. There were 20 settlements in June for the cases against Watson.
For the first time ever, an NFL player has received a six-game ban for claims of nonviolent sexual conduct, Robinson said in her ruling, adding that “Mr. Watson’s pattern of conduct is more egregious than any previously reviewed by the NFL.”
Brian McCarthy, a spokesman for the NFL, told that Robinson held Watson liable for “multiple violations of the NFL Personal Conduct Policy,”
NFL standards identify sexual assault as a form of assault; conduct that puts another person in danger, and conduct that detracts from the integrity of the NFL are all examples of such conduct, she added.
In a 15-month span beginning in late 2019 and ending in the winter of 2021, Watson was accused by more than 60 massage therapists who had worked with him.
Watson, according to Robinson, “had a sexual purpose — not just a therapeutic purpose.” when scheduling massage appointments.
Robbins believes that Watson was aware or should have known that any contact between his penis and these therapists was unwelcome.
Two Texas grand juries declined to indict Watson on criminal charges earlier this year, clearing the way for his return to the field of play.
The NFL Players Association will hear Watson’s appeal within three days of the ruling being handed down. It is also possible for the league to make an appeal on its own behalf.
After a six-game ban, the NFL says it is “reviewing Judge Robinson’s imposition of a six-game suspension and will make a determination on next steps.”
After resigning from the bench of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, Robinson began working for the NFL.
Watson had a “an excellent reputation in his community prior to these events,” Robinson said, noting that he had cooperated with the inquiry and paid restitution in the case.
Watson, on the other hand, has not expressed any regret, according to her, despite the fact that he has explicitly denied doing anything improper during the massage sessions. When the first lawsuit was filed in March of 2021, it was not immediately apparent to her that he would notified the NFL of this, either.
“Mr. Watson had a reckless disregard for the consequences of his conduct, which I find equivalent to intentional conduct.” Robinson stated in an email.
When the allegations against Watson first surfaced, he was playing for the Houston Texans. His five-year contract with the Browns was signed in March of this year.