More lawsuits filed vs. QB Watson
A 16th woman has filed a lawsuit accusing Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and harassment.
The claims in the latest suits field Monday and Tuesday in Harris County are similar to those in the earlier cases in which the women accuse Watson of exposing himself, touching them with his penis or kissing them against their will while he got a massage. The most recent lawsuit was filed by a woman who alleges Watson assaulted her in July 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. Seven lawsuits were filed Monday and two more Tuesday while the others were filed last week.
Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, has called the allegations “meritless,” while the NFL player has broadly denied he acted inappropriately.
Hardin, said in a statement that his law firm has “strong evidence” showing that one of the lawsuits alleging sexual assault is false and that it “calls into question the legitimacy of the other cases as well.”
The women, who have sued separately, haven’t been identified in the lawsuits. They’re represented by Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee, who’s said he planned to submit evidence from several of the women to investigators.
Authorities have declined to comment on the allegations.
The NFL has said it’s investigating the allegations against Watson.
Watson has asked to be traded from the Texans, who had a 4-12 record last season.
The Eagles and former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco agreed to a one-year contract with $3.5 million guaranteed and the opportunity to earn up to $4 million more in incentives, ESPN reported. Flacco, 36, who spent last season with the Jets and 2019 with the Broncos after playing the first 11 seasons of his career with the Ravens and winning a Super Bowl in the 2012 season, likely will back up starting QB Jalen Hurts.
Colleges: Oregon State’s trustees unanimously accepted the resignation of university president F. King Alexander, concluding he was unable to rebuild trust at the school because of his role in the mishandling of sexual misconduct cases during his previous tenure at LSU. An investigation into LSU’s response to the misconduct cases found system-wide flaws in the school’s reaction to allegations during Alexander’s tenure there from 2013-19. Alexander told the board last week he was never interviewed by the law firm that did the investigation. Also revealed was a 2013 investigation into the former football coach, Les Miles, who was banned from contacting female students after a report found he had acted inappropriately with a few of them.
NBA: Hornets PG LaMelo Ball, a leading contender for rookie of the year, underwent surgery to repair a fractured right wrist and remains unlikely to return to the lineup this season, according to reports . ... The Heat announced plans to open two sections in their lower bowl only for fully vaccinated fans starting with an April 1 game against the Warriors. Masks will still be required, even for the vaccinated fans, but social distancing rules will be slightly relaxed in those areas. The NBA told teams last week that such sections would be allowed.