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Judge Rabeea Sultan Collier ruled that the latest plaintiff to file a civil lawsuit against Deshaun Watson has 24 hours to amend her petition to include her name if she wants to go forward with the civil lawsuit.
The new plaintiff filed the lawsuit in Harris County District Court (Texas) last Thursday, claiming an incident of sexual misconduct that allegedly took place in December 2020.
The ruling was made in an emergency hearing held in the 113th District Court in Harris County (Texas) Monday.
During the hearing, Watson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, asked the court to order counsel to provide the name of the plaintiff and ‘sanctions for making us go through this.’
The lawsuit was filed under the pseudonym Jane Doe and is the 26th known suit to be brought against the quarterback, accusing him of sexual misconduct or sexual abuse.
The plaintiff’s attorney is not Tony Buzbee, who brought 24 lawsuits against Watson, 23 of which have been settled.
Judge Rabeea Sultan Collier ruled that the latest plaintiff to file a civil lawsuit against Deshaun Watson (pictured) has 24 hours amend her lawsuit to provide her name
However, during the hearing, Hardin revealed that his team had redlined one of Buzbee’s cases, claiming that the latest lawsuit had copied it ‘in toto’.
‘And the relevance to that is that Mr. Buzbee’s case is [one of the cases] in which the court ordered him to replead and give us the name,’ Hardin said.
‘There is no question they would not know they had to tell us the name. And we spent 72 hours trying to get us to give them the name. And therefore, we would like to ask for the name and we would like sanctions for making us go through this.’
In April 2021, 22 women who had filed lawsuits against Watson had to amend their petitions to include their names after two judges ruled they must do so to continue their lawsuits. One of the lawsuits that had been filed against Watson was dropped.
In April 2021, 22 women who had filed lawsuits against the quarterback had to amend their petitions to include their names after two judges ruled they had to to continue their cases
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Michelle Kornblith insisted her client and her team had no issue providing the accuser’s name to the defendant but wanted assurances it would not be made public for safety purposes.
‘We actually have no problem letting them know who our plaintiff is but we would request either a confidentiality order or a protection order,’ Kornblith said.
‘We’re already getting hate emails and mail from the minute this was filed and we’re concerned for her safety. And like I said, we have no problem telling him who the plaintiff is, so long as we know she’ll be safe.’
However, Judge Collier did not rule on the possibility of sanctions during the hearing Monday.
The new accuser, a massage therapist, claims Watson pressured her into a sex act during a massage session in December 2020.
‘It’s taken her some time to come forward,’ attorney Anissah Nguyen told Fox 8 WJW in Cleveland.
‘She’s doing it for herself and other women who have been victimized by Deshaun Watson. She knows that by speaking out she is going to have to deal with the hard conversations.’
The new accuser claims Watson pressured her into a sex act during a massage session in December 2020
The lawsuit states: ‘Watson continually pressured (the) plaintiff into massaging his private area. He removed his towel and offered to let her get on top.
‘(The) plaintiff refused to have sex with Watson, however, he was able to pressure her into oral sex.’
The lawsuit continued that Watson paid the plaintiff $185 more for his massage, giving $300 for her services with an hour massage priced at $115.
The plaintiff ‘has suffered from severe depression and anxiety’ following the alleged incident, the lawsuit adds.
Watson is currently serving an 11-game suspension for off-field conduct violations related to ‘predatory’ behavior involving more than two dozen women who alleged sexual assault and other inappropriate behavior. He was also assessed a $5million fine.
Watson settled 23 of the lawsuits against him during the offseason, but one still remains active, according to Buzbee.
Watson settled 23 of the lawsuits against him during the offseason, but one still remains active, according to the plaintiffs’ attorney Tony Buzbee (pictured)
The 26-year-old was originally suspended six games by an independent arbitrator before the NFL appealed the perceived light sentence. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had the right to rule over the appeal, but instead tapped former New Jersey attorney general Peter C. Harvey to handle the duties.
Ultimately, though, the NFL and players’ union reached a compromise before Harvey issued his decision.
As part of the deal, Watson is required to ‘promptly undergo a professional evaluation by behavioral experts and will follow their treatment program.’ He previously told reporters that he was already undergoing counseling.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the latest lawsuit does not impact Watson’s standing.
The three-time Pro Bowler returned to the Browns’ training facility this week for the first time since his suspension began on Aug. 30.
Watson is currently serving an 11-game suspension for off-field conduct violations related to ‘predatory’ behavior and was also given a $5million fine by the NFL
‘We will monitor developments in the newly-filed litigation; and any conduct that warrants further investigation or possible additional sanctions would be addressed within the Personal Conduct Policy,’ McCarthy said in an email.
Watson is only permitted to attend meetings with the Browns and work out as he moves toward a possible return.
He is not allowed to practice until Nov. 14, and as long as he fulfills conditions of his settlement with the league, he can return fully on Nov. 28 and would be eligible to play on Dec. 4 when the Browns visit the Texans.
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