Sexual Assault Allegations in Professional Sports
Content Warning: This article contains content related to sexual assault and other topics that may be triggering.
As the campus is grappling with how St. Lawrence has handled the sexual assault suit that an anonymous professor has filed against assistant professor Ernesto Moralez and the University, it brings to light issues with the handling of sexual misconduct and assault cases. These issues are not only prevalent in academic and workplace environments but in professional sports as well.
In professional sports, there is a large issue with players continuing to play despite facing multiple allegations, with many able to settle their suits civilly or continuing to play after serving their sentence. While sometimes players manage to keep these allegations under the radar, those who don’t often are not faced with major disruptions to their careers.
In 2022, the Cleveland Browns signed quarterback Deshaun Watson to a five-year $230 million fully guaranteed contract after trading three first-round, one third-round, and one fourth-round picks to the Houston Texans. This came as a shock to many, as Watson had been accused by over two dozen women of sexual misconduct during massage appointments.
Some of the suits filed have alleged that the Houston Texans turned a blind eye to Watson’s actions, providing non-disclosure agreements to him and facilities where some of the massage appointments took place. The result of this was an eleven-week suspension, mandatory therapy, and behavioral counseling. When he started his first game for the Cleveland Browns, he was booed as he took the field, as many fans showed their disagreement with his signing.
However, since Watson has settled with 23 of the women who accused him of sexual misconduct and assault, and two Texas grand juries did not indict him on charges, there are no legal charges he has to face. This made it considerably more viable for the Browns to sign him and give him a stage to play on, despite the allegations alleged against him. Watson apologized to the women who accused him of the impacts he may have had on them, but he continues to maintain his image of innocence. Regardless, had Watson been convicted criminally, it might not have stopped him from continuing to play, as other athletes have continued their careers after criminal convictions.
One of the most notable examples of this is Mike Tyson. Tyson was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1987-1990, winning his first 19 fights by knockout, until February 10, 1992, when he was convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to six years in prison. After serving three years in prison, he was released on parole and regained serving three more years in prison. After he was released, he continued his career, winning another heavyweight title. His sexual assault conviction did not get in the way of the furthering of his professional boxing career. What did, however, was when Tyson bit Evander Holyfield’s ear during their fight. Biting is clearly against the regulations of boxing and resulted in Tyson losing his boxing license in the state of Nevada, a ruling that other state boxing commissions uphold.
Breaching the integrity of the sport warrants such reprimands, however, there are no such provisions for someone who breaches the integrity of humankind. Tyson was still given a stage to fight on and remained popular because of it. He was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011 and recently, in 2020, he started the Legends Only League. In this league, retired professional athletes can compete in their sports against each other. Despite a criminal conviction in his sexual assault case, Tyson has been able to continue to build his career both inside and outside the ring.
While it can be difficult for teams or organizations to drop athletes accused of sexual misconduct or assault due to contract agreements, there is no reason they should be given a stage to compete on when it is not forced. Sports are one of the few things that transcend differences between people. When players continue to play after sexual assault allegations and convictions it sets an example for young people and everyone watching for how such cases are handled. If change is to be achieved in the prevention of sexual misconduct and assault, then we must hold athletes accountable for their actions and not give them a stage to perform on.