The NFL is appealing a disciplinary officer’s decision to suspend Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for six games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy , giving Commissioner Roger Goodell or someone he designates authority to impose a stiffer penalty.
Former federal judge Sue L. Robinson issued her ruling Monday after Watson was accused by two dozen women in Texas of sexual misconduct during massage treatments while he played for the Houston Texans.
In her 16-page report, Robinson described Watson’s behavior as “more egregious than any before reviewed by the NFL.”
Issuing a longer suspension for Deshaun Watson would break with N.F.L. precedent, an arbiter concluded. “In other words, because the N.F.L. has a history of placing a low value on the well-being of women, it must continue to do so,” @louisahthomas writes. https://t.co/lR6iaeFg2V
— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) August 3, 2022
