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Sexual Assault Suits Against Watson

Will Deshaun Watson play for the Texans this year?

August 9, 2021, 12:21 PM EDT

After Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson reported for training camp, the Texans promptly commenced the process of trying to trade him. With no one willing to offer the pay the price the Texans are seeking, the Texans apparently are pivoting to Plan B.

As noted by Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, the Texans “have not given up” on Watson playing for the Texans in 2021.

“They’re not taking lowball offers,” Robinson adds. “This is why they aren’t being overly communicative with teams. Barring a strong offer, Texans brass will try to get him back into the fold before the season begins.”

Meanwhile, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle has reiterated something he has believed for a while: Watson will never play another down for the Texans.

The wild card in all of this is Watson’s legal situation. Watson’s camp believes a grand jury is inevitable. If he’s indicted on only one felony charge via a procedure that entails a one-sided presentation of evidence with no representation by Watson, he’ll surely land on paid leave. That’s why teams are hesitant to even approach Houston’s expectations.

Another factor, frankly, traces to Patriots coach Bill Belichick. It’s believed that, like so many former Belichick lieutenants, new Texans G.M. Nick Caserio doesn’t want to do a deal that Belichick would regard as a bad one. So Caserio would instead prefer to do no deal at all, at least not for now.

Chances are that Watson eventually will be cleared to return to the NFL. He could miss a season or two until that happens. And there’s a lingering possibility that he could be convicted of a felony sexual misconduct charge and imprisoned.

Regardless, the Texans aren’t inclined to make a bad deal. They’d rather make no deal. And they’d rather Watson play for them until it’s time to make a deal.
 
From the article CND posted above:

Another factor, frankly, traces to Patriots coach Bill Belichick. It’s believed that, like so many former Belichick lieutenants, new Texans G.M. Nick Caserio doesn’t want to do a deal that Belichick would regard as a bad one.
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I have not been Caserio's biggest cheerleader. But this statement is just moronic. Caserio is going to do what he thinks is in the best interest of the team. Not what the Hoodie thinks.
 
Ktexan68 said:
If Watson feels like he will likely go to prison, I wouldn't be surprised if he says screw it and plays for the Texans this season, knowing he won't play again anytime soon, if ever.
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From my perspective it seems as though nothing consequential will happen for a long time where DW4 is concerned. Be it his legal troubles or him playing for the team this season.
 
Lucky said:
I have not been Caserio's biggest cheerleader. But this statement is just moronic. Caserio is going to do what he thinks is in the best interest of the team. Not what the Hoodie thinks.
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At least we hope it's this way.

If Belichick is in Caserio's head in any sort of way beyond experience, this franchise is screwed.
 
If you read between the lines.. All I saw was Moon creating exit paths off the sinking ship that is Deshuan Watson.

Said he wanted to talk to him, but was sure to point out he's not part of his inner circle, and then basically said the side Deshuan always portrayed to him never reflected a person with 2 dozen sexual assault allegations (Gee welcome to the club Moon.. On draft night, I never even thought about the **** we're dealing with now, just thought the only damn knock was inaccuracy WTF!? ) Warren Moon is jumping off the sinking ship. Watson stock is falling faster in this city/country than Enron's did..
 
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Carr Bombed said:
If you read between the lines.. All I saw was Moon creating exit paths off the sinking ship that is Deshuan Watson.

Said he wanted to talk to him, but was sure to point out he's not part of his inner circle, and then basically said the side Deshuan always portrayed to him never reflected a person with 2 dozen sexual assault allegations (Gee welcome to the club Moon.. On draft night, I never even thought about the **** we're dealing with now, just thought the only damn knock was inaccuracy WTF!? ) Warren Moon is jumping off the sinking ship. Watson stock is falling faster in this city/country than Enron's did..
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Lol, was with an Enron sub before the fall (already sold my stock options). Oh the stories I could tell… yep, I’m a Walter Mitty..
 
Deshaun Watson accusers call out NFL for investigation
https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-news-deshaun-watson-accusers-call-out-league-investigation/#

22 women have accused Houston Texans star Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct, and now two of them have spoken their truth about their interactions with the NFL during the investigation into the quarterback. Ashley Solis (the first woman to file suit) and Lauren Baxley spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Jenny Vrentas about their sessions with NFL investigators Lisa Friel and Jennifer Gaffney, and they were both critical of the way their interviews were handled.

Here’s Solis:

“This woman asked me what I was wearing, which honestly really pissed me off,” Solis told Sports Illustrated in what was her first interview with a media outlet. “She explained that that’s something that she has to ask—which I don’t believe at all. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be wearing that would suggest that I don’t want you to put your penis on my hand. Do I need to wear a turtleneck?”
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And here’s Baxley:
“My forensic interview [with HPD] was very respectful and trauma-informed,” Baxley says. “They let me speak uninterrupted, whereas with Lisa Friel and the [other NFL investigator], they would cut me off, they would question things, they would circle back.” Baxley believes that they were “trying to trip me up. They didn’t, but they were really looking for the weaknesses that they thought they could exploit.”
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Baxley also described the NFL’s investigators as “patronizing” and “victim-blaming” during her interview. The 33-year-old was the first woman to file a report with Houston police on the matter.

The NFL didn’t make Friel or Gaffney available for any interviews, instead putting out stock lines about how it’s not policy for them to comment on investigations and how they’re “grateful” for the woman who have come forward against Watson.
The Rest of the Story
 
A must-read long and extremely in-detail Sports Illustrated story of the above events (I would have to say that the League's sole approach and focus was not to impartially attain and assess the true facts of events, but was only intended to protect their own personal "golden goose investment".........Deshaun Watson):

***************************************************************


‘This Woman Asked Me What I Was Wearing’
“Patronizing,” “victim-blaming” interviews, the league-owned media arm’s eager speculation on Watson’s football future and inaction from the NFL as the women who cooperated with the league’s investigation twist in the wind.

Jenny Vrentas1 hour ago

By the time Ashley Solis met with NFL investigators, via Zoom call in April, she had already cleared many of the hurdles that come with bringing serious allegations against a high-profile celebrity. The 28-year-old licensed massage therapist was the first woman to file a suit against Deshaun Watson, describing sexual misconduct by the Texans quarterback. She forfeited her privacy by naming herself even before the courts required it, opening her up to a torrent of online abuse. She also met with Houston police to file a report. Even after all that, Solis was taken aback by questions posed by NFL investigators.

“This woman asked me what I was wearing, which honestly really pissed me off,” Solis told Sports Illustrated in what was her first interview with a media outlet. “She explained that that’s something that she has to ask—which I don’t believe at all. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be wearing that would suggest that I don’t want you to put your penis on my hand. Do I need to wear a turtleneck?”

While Lisa Friel and Jennifer Gaffney, the former prosecutors who now run the NFL’s personal-conduct investigations, needed a detailed account of her March 2020 massage appointment with Watson, Solis says their approach left her “worried my words were going to be used against me.”

Lauren Baxley, a 33-year-old licensed massage therapist who is also among the 22 plaintiffs suing Watson, spoke to SI in a separate interview, her first since filing suit. She says that Friel and Gaffney also asked her about what she was wearing during her June 2020 appointment with Watson. She perceived the overall tone of the league’s investigators as “patronizing” and “victim-blaming,” as she says they also questioned her response to Watson’s behavior, including why she froze and did not end the session. (Freezing, along with fight or flight, is a common physiological response to danger.) Baxley was the first of the plaintiffs to file a report with Houston police, on April 2, and says she was disappointed in the NFL’s handling compared with the adult sex crimes unit of Houston PD’s special victims division.

“My forensic interview [with HPD] was very respectful and trauma-informed,” Baxley says. “They let me speak uninterrupted, whereas with Lisa Friel and the [other NFL investigator], they would cut me off, they would question things, they would circle back.” Baxley believes that they were “trying to trip me up. They didn’t, but they were really looking for the weaknesses that they thought they could exploit.”

The NFL did not make Friel or Gaffney available for interviews, saying it is the investigators’ policy not to comment during ongoing investigations. In an email, a league spokesperson wrote, “We are grateful to the women who came forward to share their experiences, and we recognize how difficult talking about these issues may be as we try to understand the facts of the matter.” Rusty Hardin, Watson’s attorney, did not respond to emails from SI requesting an interview with Watson and seeking comment on the civil suits, specifically those filed by Solis and Baxley. Hardin has previously said that all 22 plaintiffs are lying about Watson’s conduct and that any sexual acts that took place during Watson’s massage appointments were consensual.

Solis and Baxley have not made any public comments since the early April press conference when they became the first two plaintiffs to name themselves (Solis read a prepared statement that day, and Baxley asked one of her lawyers, Cornelia Brandfield-Harvey, to read aloud a letter Baxley had written to Watson). But last week both women agreed to an interview request from SI. They expressed frustration with how the public focus on Watson’s sports career has seemed to minimize their accounts, and they shared more details on their sessions with Watson, the aftermath of coming forward and dissatisfaction with the NFL’s investigation and inaction. (Brandfield-Harvey was on the call for both interviews, but spoke only once, to confirm the date of Baxley’s NFL interview.)

The NFL’s statement at the beginning of training camp that there are “no restrictions” on Watson’s participation in team activities came more than three months after Solis and Baxley gave detailed accounts to league investigators about the star quarterback’s conduct. It also came in light of the NFL’s stated commitment to investigating and punishing players for off-field misconduct—and a recent history of following through in several high-profile cases—including use of the Commissioner’s Exempt List to remove players from the field while allowing them to collect salary during investigations. And it came while the women who have cooperated with the NFL have had their lives upended.

“I want to rehumanize us,” Solis says, “and make people remember what this is really about.”

THE WHOLE STORY
 
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The NFL isn't interested in correcting anything, they are interested in making money. Watson's *potential* QB abilities are worth dollars to the NFL, which is of far more value to the NFL than doing the right thing. This also applies to player safety concerns.

Why is anyone surprised at this? The NFL has always been this way.
 
Thorn said:
The NFL isn't interested in correcting anything, they are interested in making money. Watson's *potential* QB abilities are worth dollars to the NFL, which is of far more value to the NFL than doing the right thing. This also applies to player safety concerns.

Why is anyone surprised at this? The NFL has always been this way.
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I don’t think many are surprised by this. If you’re a young, marketable NFL player the rules are different than if you’re a middle tiered player and/or aging veteran. The rules are interpreted and enforced in an uneven manner.
 
Thorn said:
The NFL isn't interested in correcting anything, they are interested in making money. Watson's *potential* QB abilities are worth dollars to the NFL, which is of far more value to the NFL than doing the right thing. This also applies to player safety concerns.

Why is anyone surprised at this? The NFL has always been this way.
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Yep. Concussions and player safety only became an issue when the public demanded it. The NFL used the same lobbyists, lawyers and consultants as the cigarette industry when they were hiding evidence and using questionable research as they fought the concussion issue for years. The owners have no honor. They are only in it for the money. It's foolish and naive for anyone to convince themselves to believe otherwise.
 
djohn2oo8 said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1426255497280245768
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Amy Dash proposed this direction back in April............much more serious under Texas law than indecent assault. A conviction for Trafficking of Persons is punished by default as a felony of the second degree, with a maximum possible fine under Texas state law of up to $10,000 and prison time of up to 20 years.

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Legal Expert: Deshaun Watson Could Face Human Trafficking Charges
By Wil LeitnerApr 8, 2021

Amy Dash: “This was definitely Tony Buzbee hinting at the possibility that Watson was allegedly sex-trafficking women [at Buzbee's press conference on Tuesday with the first accuser]. For a couple reasons and then I’ll break down the law. First of all, the most obvious being he had a human sex-trafficking expert and survivor there who made a pretty powerful speech. There would be no reason to have a woman there talking about that unless it was relevant to the case. He emphasized certain things, for example, there is an allegation that Deshaun Watson had flown a woman in from Atlanta, and that he had Uber-ed her somewhere, that’s 'transporting'... All throughout the complaints there is this pattern of keywords, that as a lawyer, if you’re sort of pushing the pieces together, it would be become obvious to you what they’re building for some sort of a case, or at least corroborating towards some sort of a case like this was ‘forced’, ‘coercion’, that the victims were allegedly ‘fearful’, and that they were ‘paralyzed by fear’. One of them they said she was locked in a room and couldn’t get out. Some of them they said were threatened. One was allegedly threatened, and her reputation and her career could be messed with… A lot of times with trafficking women, you think it’s like bringing them in with cattle cars or something, and prostituting young women against their will, but trafficking, first of all, doesn’t require any movement. It can be a domestic or a local act. It can be with adults, and it really just requires at its most basic, the ‘recruiting’ – it can be the ‘transporting’, but recruiting would suffice. Recruiting people using force or coercion to do so. The underlying purpose for this recruitment is to have them perform a sexual act for sexual exploitation. In this context where you have a domestic situation where there is a worker who is being paid for something, and they believe that they’re going to go into the situation to be paid for the professional act that they want to conduct, and instead they are allegedly forced or coerced into performing a sexual act, and then being paid for that act instead of the act that they thought they were going to perform -- well, that’s basically forced prostitution and that would fall under the category of ‘human trafficking.’” (Full Interview Above)
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djohn2oo8 said:
sports.yahoo.com

A grand jury investigation has been launched into complaints against Deshaun Watson

One source described the subpoenas as seeking the testimony of a “small handful” of women who have recently filed sexual misconduct complaints against Watson with the Houston Police Department.
sports.yahoo.com sports.yahoo.com
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I was about to post the same. I thought enough time had passed for this to happen already. I was wrong by a few weeks to a month or so. In all fairness my disclaimer at the time was the chance of newer complainants which did happen.

Either way, this is good news. One step closer to a conviction or a no bill. In any case we're closer to an end of the saga.

If there's a no bill I think he's finally a more tradable commodity even with a suspension and civil court proceedings looming.
 
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I guess my next concerns in the matter are:



-How long will it take the gj to make a decision? (I'm assuming far less then 8 weeks.)

-If Dw is no billed what action (if any) will the nfl take as far as suspensions? Will they stand pat based purely on civil proceedings?

If the nfl waits for a civil resolution it hurts the Texans because I fully expect a suspension of some sort. The nfl would be keeping him in limbo as a tradable commodity.

It's best for the team (and us) that he is no billed and given his suspension asap. That would jumpstart trade talks and end this ridiculous soap opera.
 
A team source told Yahoo Sports this week that Watson will continue to remain out of practice drills until he either changes his stance on not playing for the team or a trade develops in the ensuing weeks. That isn’t expected to happen anytime soon, with at least three teams interested in dealing for Watson telling Yahoo Sports that they continue to be concerned about the legal developments surrounding him and whether he will ultimately be available to play in 2021.
link
 
powda said:
Do they? There's an argument to be made everybody wants a cash grab so I'll wait for facts before passing judgment.
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If only people in the SI story hadn't had the same story and they weren't a part of the lawsuits.
 
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