On Monday morning, retired federal judge Sue L. Robinson handed down the initial suspension for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. The six-game suspension, given the sheer number of women who have claimed that Watson engaged in unwanted sexual advances against them, will make nobody who believes that the NFL doesn’t care about violence against women feel any better about the entire situation.
It is important to note that Robinson’s ruling is not the NFL’s ruling. Robinson was jointly hired by the NFL and the NFLPA to administer punishment in this case. She had spent three days in June listening to testimony from the NFL, the NFLPA, and Watson’s legal team in June, in her home state of Delaware. The NFL had reportedly been pushing for a stronger suspension all along, and the league can appeal Robinson’s ruling. In settlement talks, the NFL had offered a 12-game suspension and a fine of at least $8 million. Had Robinson ruled that Watson committed no violation, the league could not have appealed it. The process would have been over.
Legal optimists might say that Robinson basically put this back in the NFL’s hands to make such an appeal. Others may say, and with great justification, that Robinson completely misread the nature of Watson’s alleged violations.
