Lawsuit says NFL team enabled Deshaun Watson’s behaviour

HOUSTON –

The Houston Texans had been advised that their former quarterback Deshaun Watson was sexually assaulting and harassing ladies throughout therapeutic massage classes, however as a substitute of attempting to cease him, the group offered him with assets to allow his actions and “turned a blind eye” to his behaviour, based on a lawsuit filed Monday.

The lawsuit towards the group was filed in Houston by one of many 24 ladies who had beforehand sued Watson over allegations of sexual misconduct when he performed for the Texans. Final week, the ladies’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, introduced 20 of the 24 lawsuits have been settled.

Watson, who was later traded to the Cleveland Browns, has denied any wrongdoing and vowed to clear his identify. Watson is dealing with self-discipline from the NFL over the allegations. He’s set to have a listening to this week with NFL disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson, who will resolve if the 26-year-old violated the league’s private conduct coverage. Robinson is anticipated to rule earlier than the Browns open coaching camp late subsequent month.

Of their lawsuits, the ladies accused Watson of exposing himself, touching them together with his penis or kissing them towards their will throughout therapeutic massage appointments. One lady alleged Watson pressured her to carry out oral intercourse.

The lawsuit towards the Texans accuses the group and a few of its workers of getting been advised or being conscious of Watson’s troubling conduct. Joni Honn, the proprietor of a therapeutic massage firm that was contracted with the Texans, advised police investigators that her therapists had been conscious of Watson’s “identified tendency to push boundaries throughout therapeutic massage classes,” based on the lawsuit.

Honn advised the Texans, together with the group’s head coach, that Watson was reaching out to random ladies on Instagram for massages in early 2020, based on the lawsuit.

Magen Weisheit, one other therapeutic massage therapist who labored with the Texans, advised Houston police investigators she and others had been properly conscious of Watson’s conduct throughout therapeutic massage classes. When Weisheit discovered of the allegations made towards Watson by a girl who filed the primary lawsuit towards him, she wrote in a textual content to the lady’s former co-worker that she might attain out to the group’s participant personnel individual however “they do not do a lot in regards to the state of affairs although,” based on the lawsuit.

“Regardless of being truly conscious of what can solely be described as troubling conduct, the Houston Texans turned a blind eye. Worse, the Houston Texans group enabled Watson’s egregious conduct. The Texans additionally protected and shielded Watson – for Watson’s personal safety and the safety of the group itself,” based on the lawsuit.

The lady’s lawsuit alleges the Texans offered Watson with varied assets, together with rooms at a Houston lodge, therapeutic massage tables and a non-disclosure settlement the ladies had been advised to signal, that allowed the quarterback “to additional his misconduct with ladies by turning the therapeutic massage classes into one thing sexual.”

The Texans are additionally accused of getting their head of safety take away from the web an Instagram video from November 2020 during which a girl had detailed alleged misconduct by Watson throughout therapeutic massage classes along with her.

In a press release, the Houston Texans didn’t particularly handle the varied allegations made towards the group.

“We’re conscious of the lawsuit filed towards us right this moment. Since March 2021, we’ve got totally supported and complied with regulation enforcement and the varied investigations. We’ll proceed to take the mandatory steps to deal with the allegations towards our group,” the Texans stated.

Buzbee stated the lawsuit towards the Texans was the primary of many he plans to file towards the group.

“Suffice it to say, the overwhelming proof collected indicating that the Houston Texans enabled Watson’s conduct is extremely damning. We imagine the Texans knew or most definitely ought to have identified of Watson’s conduct,” Buzbee stated in a press release.

The NFL declined to touch upon the lawsuit towards the Texans.

“I by no means assaulted anybody,” Watson stated June 14 in his first public feedback since being launched by the Browns in March. “I by no means harassed anybody or I by no means disrespected anybody. I by no means pressured anybody to do something.”

In March, two separate Texas grand juries declined to indict him on legal complaints stemming from the allegations.

Houston police Detective Kamesha Baker, the lead investigator within the legal investigation, advised Buzbee in a deposition that she believed Watson had dedicated crimes within the 10 legal complaints that had been filed towards the quarterback. Baker additionally stated that Watson’s conduct through the therapeutic massage classes was escalating in such a means she believed that he would commit much more severe crimes, based on the lawsuit.

After the grand juries declined to indict, a number of groups pursued Watson, who agreed to be traded to the Browns. Cleveland signed the three-time Professional Bowler to a five-year, $230 million contract in March.

The 4 lawsuits nonetheless pending towards Watson might nonetheless go to trial, however that would not occur till 2023 on the earliest.

AP Professional Soccer Author Rob Maaddi in Tampa, Florida, and AP Sports activities Author Kristie Rieken in Houston contributed to this report.