Football pro is accused of sexual abuse.
The abuse scandal surrounding football star Deshaun Watson could be a turning point in the NFL’s mostly lenient handling of the misconduct of its professionals. The league, surprisingly, appealed the quarterback’s six-game ban by a previous US federal judge, and could get a much larger sentence. The $230 million Cleveland Browns playmaker has been accused of sexual abuse. 24 women had sued Watson after he allegedly sexually molested them. Meanwhile, Watson settled out of court with 23 of them. So far there has been no admission of guilt. The criminal case is already settled, two juries in Texas waived an indictment. And as has happened so often in the past in similar cases in the major US leagues, Watson did not appear to have to fear any severe sanctions in sports either.
Because the 26-year-old allegedly violated the league’s rules of conduct, he was suspended for the Browns’ first six games of the season. The former federal judge in charge of the case described Watson’s behavior as “more outrageous than anything that has previously been examined by the NFL”. However, she rejected a harsher sentence, citing precedents and league policy. At least the National Football League does not want to be satisfied with this penalty. The league appealed the decision. The NFL requires a ban of at least one season and a fine of at least $8 million.
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