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.
Judge Sue L. Robinson’s decision says Deshaun Watson’s “pattern of behavior was egregious,” but notes that behavior was “nonviolent sexual conduct” in explaining the decision to suspend him six games, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 1, 2022
Our Touchdown Wire colleague Laurie Fitzpatrick put it about as tactfully as it can be put.
I'm sure the women feel attacked, whether they were hit or beat, it's still violent to them.
— Laurie Fitzpatrick (@LaurieFitzptrck) August 1, 2022
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, “Sexual violence means that someone forces or manipulates someone else into unwanted sexual activity without their consent. Reasons someone might not consent include fear, age, illness, disability, and/or influence of alcohol or other drugs. Anyone can experience sexual violence including: children, teens, adults, and elders. Those who sexually abuse can be acquaintances, family members, trusted individuals or strangers.”
The NSVRC also points out that sexual violence can include unwanted sexual contact/touching, showing one’s genitals or naked body to other(s) without consent, and masturbating in public.
According to a recent report from the New York Times’ Jenny Vrentas, Watson did all of those things on multiple occasions. At least one woman withdrew her complaint against Watson, per Vrentas, because of “privacy and security concerns.
Again per the NSVRC, there are many reasons why victims may choose not to report to law enforcement or tell anyone about what happened to him/her. Some include:
- Concern for not being believed
- Fear of the attackers getting back at him/her
- Embarrassment or shame
- Fear of being blamed
- Pressure from others not to tell
- Distrust of law enforcement
- Belief that there is not enough evidence
- Desire to protect the attacker
The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center issued a statement.
The Cleveland Rape Crises Center sent the following statement to ESPN, saying it is "disappointed" with Sue L. Robinson's ruling on Deshaun Watson: pic.twitter.com/5RYtWJXLp1
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) August 1, 2022
If Robinson believed that what Watson did was non-violent, perhaps she should have looked more specifically into the actual definitions of sexual violence. Sadly, it seems that she did not.
