Nearly precisely one yr in the past, Ashley Solis, a 28-year-old licensed therapeutic massage therapist, filed the primary lawsuit in opposition to Watson, saying that he purposely touched her hand along with his erect and uncovered penis throughout a March 2020 therapeutic massage appointment at her residence. Over the following weeks, related allegations in opposition to one in all skilled soccer’s brightest younger stars piled up at a shocking tempo.
Watson has denied any wrongdoing, and Hardin has stated any sexual acts that occurred throughout therapeutic massage appointments had been consensual. Hardin stated earlier this week that he was “delighted” the grand jury was set to decide about whether or not Watson would face prison fees, and confidently asserted that he didn’t imagine his consumer could 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 have a look at a number of the current controversies confronting the N.F.L., its executives and groups:
The truth that the grand jury choice, 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 needed their accounts of misconduct in opposition to a star athlete to be taken critically. And Watson sought not simply to be cleared of wrongdoing, however to place himself to be traded from the Texans with a purpose to resume his N.F.L. profession with a distinct workforce.
The N.F.L.’s free company interval opens on March 16, the day the league’s new yr begins.
Watson, one of many N.F.L.’s greatest younger quarterbacks, has not performed in a recreation for the reason that last 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, partially as a result of he had not been criminally charged.
The Texans stated in an announcement final March that they might “proceed to take this and all issues involving anybody throughout the Houston Texans group critically” and that the workforce wouldn’t remark additional till the league’s investigation had ended, a course of with no public timeline.
Watson participated within the workforce’s coaching camp held final summer time, liable to being fined $50,000 per missed day. The Texans selected to go away him on the inactive listing for your complete 2021 season, transferring ahead with Davis Mills and Tyrod Taylor as their quarterbacks, once more profitable simply 4 video games.
David Montgomery contributed reporting from Houston.
