Former Federal Judge Announces Decision on Deshaun Watson
Former Federal Judge Announces Decision on Deshaun Watson: On Monday, Deshaun Watson’s suspension was given the long-awaited decision. The NFL should ban Watson for six games after he broke the league’s personal conduct rules, according to a decision by former federal judge Sue L. Robinson.
Watson was charged with sexual assault and wrongdoing in 24 civil cases, and the NFL initially sought a one-year penalty for him. Watson’s legal team countered that because he wasn’t legally accused in any of those situations, he shouldn’t be punished at all.
Robinson ultimately met with the two sides in the middle, but the six-game punishment seems to favour Watson and the Browns.
How did Robinson arrive at her conclusion? In a 16-page document made public on Monday, she provided an explanation of the decision. You may read the memo in its entirety here.
Details of Deshaun Watson’s suspension
Robinson provided a clear justification for her decision. She felt that a six-game minimum penalty for players who breach the personal conduct code, as stipulated by the agreement between the NFL and NFLPA, was fair and that going beyond that limit would not be appropriate.
The NFL’s personal conduct policy was created to be flexible; it states that a six-game suspension is the standard punishment but that it can be increased by “aggravating factors,” which include, but are not limited to, violence involving a weapon, choking, repeated striking, or when an act is committed against a person who is particularly vulnerable, such as a child, pregnant woman, or an elderly person, or when the act is committed in the presence of a minor.
Robinson maintains that Watson’s penalty by the NFL was an overreach even if she felt Watson fit the requirements for several aggravating elements. According to prior examples, Robinson stated that the “non-violent sexual behaviour charges” against the Browns quarterback weren’t sufficient to demand a lengthy ban.
Robinson nevertheless criticized Watson’s conduct in spite of this. She said that the league had established that Watson constituted a “real threat” to the concerned massage therapists and that his “pattern of conduct is more heinous than any previously assessed by the NFL.”
But once more, Robinson based her choice on NFL policy, regulations, and precedence.
Robinson added, “As I have mentioned, it is the NFL’s policy and it may decide the regulations. The evidence of these therapists that they felt uncomfortable and experienced mental distress as a result of their massage sessions with Mr. Watson is genuine, and I accept the notion that a workplace with sexualized behavior is not a safe environment.
To determine whether to appeal Robinson’s ruling, the NFL has three days. The league declared in a statement that it will “make a decision on the following actions” in the upcoming days.