Nearly precisely one 12 months in the past, Ashley Solis, a 28-year-old licensed therapeutic massage therapist, filed the primary lawsuit towards Watson, saying that he purposely touched her hand together with his erect and uncovered penis throughout a March 2020 therapeutic massage appointment at her dwelling. Over the following weeks, comparable allegations towards one among skilled soccer’s brightest younger stars piled up at a surprising tempo.
Watson has denied any wrongdoing, and Hardin has mentioned any sexual acts that occurred throughout therapeutic massage appointments have been consensual. Hardin mentioned earlier this week that he was “delighted” the grand jury was set to decide about whether or not Watson would face legal fees, and confidently asserted that he didn’t imagine his shopper can be charged.
Perceive the N.F.L.’s Current Controversies
A wave of scrutiny. The preferred sports activities league in America is going through criticism and authorized points on a number of fronts, starting from discrimination to athletes’ accidents. Right here’s a take a look at a few of the latest controversies confronting the N.F.L., its executives and groups:
The truth that the grand jury resolution, which might not have decided of guilt or innocence, held such significance for these concerned mirrored the stakes of the case. The ladies who spoke with the grand jury on Friday wished their accounts of misconduct towards a star athlete to be taken significantly. And Watson sought not simply to be cleared of wrongdoing, however to place himself to be traded from the Texans to be able to resume his N.F.L. profession with a special group.
The N.F.L.’s free company interval opens on March 16, the day the league’s new 12 months begins.
Watson, one of many N.F.L.’s greatest younger quarterbacks, has not performed in a recreation for the reason that remaining week of the 2020 common season. Disenchanted with the Texans after a desultory 4-12 season amid entrance workplace dysfunction, Watson requested a commerce. However the effort to resolve the rift between Watson and the franchise took a again seat to the avalanche of lawsuits filed final March that accused Watson of sexual misconduct.
Since then he has been in N.F.L. limbo. The league opened its personal investigation however didn’t choose to punish Watson or sideline him, partly as a result of he had not been criminally charged.
The Texans mentioned in an announcement final March that they’d “proceed to take this and all issues involving anybody throughout the Houston Texans group significantly” and that the group wouldn’t remark additional till the league’s investigation had ended, a course of with no public timeline.
Watson participated within the group’s coaching camp held final summer time, vulnerable to being fined $50,000 per missed day. The Texans selected to go away him on the inactive record for your complete 2021 season, transferring ahead with Davis Mills and Tyrod Taylor as their quarterbacks, once more successful simply 4 video games.
David Montgomery contributed reporting from Houston.
