Things just keep getting worse for Deshaun Watson, who is now facing 14 lawsuits for alleged sexual assault and inappropriate conduct toward female masseuses. The most recent suit filed Tuesday in Harris County District Court described the star quarterback as a “serial predator.” Though it’s unclear if criminal charges will be filed, the severity and sheer number of accusations suggest Watson and his lawyers have a lengthy legal battle ahead of them.
While the NFL is second to none when it comes to making money, the league’s track record when it comes to handling serious situations like the Watson and Ray Rice scandals is much spottier. The league has never been particularly adept at addressing difficult topics, with teams and owners often going out of their way to avoid challenging subjects such as race, police brutality and domestic violence.
In following with that trend, we haven’t heard a peep from the Texans since accusations against Watson began surfacing last week. Meanwhile, the NFL seems to have taken a similar vow of silence, only offering a vague acknowledgment of a league investigation. Molly Qerim, host of ESPN’s long-running debate show First Take, shared her thoughts on the matter Tuesday, expressing her disappointment in the NFL’s tepid response to Watson’s alleged behavior.
“I personally, as a woman, would like to hear more from the NFL. ‘The matter is under review’ is simply not enough,” said Qerim. “You need to show us that there’s a real process taking place, a real investigation, some transparency that you take these matters seriously.”
Six years ago, the NFL formed a committee led by Lisa Friel with the goal of empowering women and increasing their presence within the league. The NFL was facing negative PR at the time for their gross mishandling of Ray Rice, who was caught on video surveillance punching his wife in a hotel elevator. While a committee devoted to women’s rights was a good idea in theory, Qerim isn’t sure it’s made much difference.
“Are these just talking points or are these actual resources to address this behavior?” asked Qerim. “This happened after the NFL failed women with the Ray Rice situation. We have an opportunity here to be proactive instead of reactive.”
Qerim believes the NFL’s next step should be to place Watson on the commissioner’s exempt list while the league conducts its investigation. “[Watson] needs to lay low and they need to deal with this. And when and if his name is cleared, then he can return. But when I’m seeing 24 total claims against him, you can’t have this man on a football field right now.”
Unhappy with the team’s direction, Watson requested the Texans trade him earlier this offseason, though interest has predictably died down with the 25-year-old now in the throes of a career-threatening controversy.
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