Sexual harassment
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NFL quarterback Watson banned for 11 games, fined $5 million
Cleveland The NFL has increased the penalty for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. The 26-year-old’s ban for sexually assaulting numerous women has been extended from six games to 11, along with a $5 million fine.
The US professional football league confirmed a corresponding agreement between the league and the players’ union NFLPA on Thursday.
Between March 2020 and March 2021, Watson is said to have arranged massages with numerous women, 25 of whom have filed charges. Watson, then still in the service of the Houston Texans, is said to have asked for sexual acts.
On August 1, Watson was initially suspended for six games by disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson, with no financial penalty. The NFL then appealed, demanding that Watson be suspended for at least the next season.
“I am grateful that the disciplinary process has been completed,” said Watson, who is also required to undergo a treatment program under the settlement, in a released statement following the decision. “I apologize again for any upset this situation has caused.”
Watson has signed a five-year, $230 million guaranteed contract with the Browns. The season starts on September 9th. Watson will probably only be back on the pitch for the first time on the twelfth day of the game on November 28 against his former team from Houston.
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