THIRTY WOMEN WHO ALLEGED SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AGAINST DESHAUN WATSON SETTLE WITH TEXANS
30 of the women who made or intended to make claims against the Houston Texans for its alleged role regarding sexual misconduct allegations against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, hae reportedly settled on Friday according to Texas attorney, Tony Buzbee.
The terms of the settlements were described as confidential with the former Houston mayoral candidate refusing to comment further on the allegations or the Texans’ alleged role in the case. Only one of the thirty women who made allegations against the Houston Texans had filed a formal lawsuit and the result of the settlement means that the particular lawsuit, filed on the 27th of June, is likely to be dismissed with prejudice as soon as the appropriate settlement paperwork is complete.
The lawsuit alleged that the Houston Texans had at least some knowledge of Watson’s habit of seeking multiple massages with strangers he met on Instagram. According to the suit, the Texans learned this via the owner of Genuine Touch Massage Clinic, a massage therapy business in Sugar Land, Texas, that identifies the Texans as a client on its website.
Buzbee also pointed out that there was a “marked contrast” in the way in which the Houston Texans addressed the allegations brought forward and the way Watson’s team did. Buzbee has, in recent weeks been a victim of comments from Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, who has claimed that Buzbee “has orchestrated a circus-like atmosphere” and has been pushing these cases to “get more publicity”, while the Houston Texans have taken less than a month to reach a settlement for an alleged role in the sexual misconduct allegations.
“We were shocked and deeply saddened when we first learned of the allegations against our then franchise quarterback in March 2021,” Texans owners Janice McNair, Hannah, and Cal McNair said in a statement on Friday. “Although our organization did not have any knowledge of Deshaun Watson’s alleged misconduct, we have intentionally chosen to resolve this matter amicably. This is not an admission of any wrongdoing, but instead a clear stand against any form of sexual assault and misconduct.”
“We hope that today’s resolution will provide some form of closure to the parties involved, our fans, and the Houston community at large. As an organization, we will turn our focus to the future and doing what we can to ensure respect for all.”
Buzbee also reiterated that it takes an incredible amount of fortitude for a victim of sexual misconduct to come forward and emphasized that it is even more difficult when the alleged wrongdoer is famous, rich, or powerful. He also applauded Ashley Solis for coming forward and “her willingness to speak out.” Solis was the first woman to make claims against Watson in March of 2021.
“As I’ve said before, these cases started with one phone call, from one brave and strong woman, Ashley Solis,” Buzbee said. “Because of her willingness to speak out, soon others followed. I admire Ashley Solis and the other women who were courageous enough to make their voices heard. I hope their bravery serves as an example to others who have been subjected to similar conduct. Every story has a hero – in this story that hero is Ashley Solis and the other women who, despite the ridicule, criticism, and vitriol directed at them, endured.”
Two grand juries declined to pursue criminal charges against Watson in March and the 26-year-old quarterback has since moved cities from Texas to Cleveland with the Browns. The Texans dealt the former Clemson Tiger after the first jury declined to indict Watson on criminal charges. Buzbee confirmed that the four cases filed against Deshaun Watson will continue, hopefully in the spring of 2023. Watson had a 23rd civil lawsuit filed against him, and a 24th before he settled with 20 of his accusers last month.
The recent Houston Texans settlement brings the Deshaun Watson saga to an abrupt stop with the only remaining piece of business before the season gets underway in less than 8 weeks being potential disciplinary action from the NFL. The league’s disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson, appointed jointly by the NFL and the NFL Players Association, is currently weighing whether Watson violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Watson had a three-day hearing before Robinson last month with ESPN’s Dan Graziano reporting that the league has been debating a suspension of at least a year for Watson.
If a suspension does come, Watson will have the opportunity to appeal the penalty to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, as per the league’s 2020 collective bargaining agreement. Buzbee said that in the meantime, he and his team will now “continue to do the important work to prepare for” the four filed cases that are slated for hearing in the spring of next year.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Keith Allison. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.