Dr. Clif CleavelandTo date, the National Football League has appeared to treat charges of domestic violence against players as a matter of public relations. Three recent episodes highlight the issue.
On July 15, Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy was found guilty of assaulting and threatening bodily harm to a female. He was given a 60-day suspended sentence and 18 months of probation. The judgment was appealed and trial before a jury is scheduled for November. Team officials permitted Hardy to play pending the outcome of that trial until benching him on Sept. 14.
Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was charged with third-degree assault after punching his fiancée in the face on March 27. In May, he entered a pretrial program that could erase all criminal charges after one year of good behavior. Rice was fined by the NFL and suspended for two games for “conduct detrimental to the NFL.” Subsequently, the NFL announced tougher penalties that included a six-game suspension for players convicted of domestic violence.
But following the release earlier this month of a video of the assault that took place in an elevator, the Ravens fired Rice, and the NFL suspended him indefinitely. Controversy continues as to whether or not NFL officials had access to the incriminating video prior to its release to the public and, if they did, why they thought a two-game suspension was enough.
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was booked on September 13 and charged with beating his son with what has variously been described as a switch or a branch from a tree. The Vikings did not permit him to play in the game on the following day. Peterson’s attorney stated that his client was meting out discipline to his son in the same manner that he had been punished as a child.