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Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is being investigated by the NFL as he faces 22 civil lawsuits alleging various incidents of sexual misconduct, and two of his plaintiffs have gone public and gotten even more specific about their experiences.
In Friday’s long-form Sports Illustrated cover story by Jenny Vrentas, licensed massage therapists Ashley Solis and Lauren Baxley spoke out about Watson’s alleged misconduct in detail, and were critical of how the NFL is handling its investigation.
Baxley’s account of her interviews with NFL personal conduct investigators Lisa Friel and Jennifer Gaffney doesn’t paint the league in the best light, as they fell short in their questioning when compared to the Houston Police Department:
“My forensic interview [with HPD] was very respectful and trauma-informed. They let me speak uninterrupted, whereas with Lisa Friel and the [other NFL investigator], they would cut me off, they would question things, they would circle back. […] Trying to trip me up. They didn’t, but they were really looking for the weaknesses that they thought they could exploit.”
As for Solis, she was incensed that one of the questions the NFL asked her was about her attire going into her massage sessions with Watson.
The attempted implication was that Solis was wearing suggestive attire, but Vrentas punctuated the lengthy piece with Solis’ actual answer: “I wear what I always wear when I massage: yoga pants and a T-shirt.”
Solis also said that the league was “taking a stand” against women and sexual assault survivors when it ruled Watson could participate in Texans practices.
“Watson deserves a fair day in court. But the NFL and Roger Goodell have failed me. And they have failed the other women by choosing inaction,” Solis added.
Since coming forward publicly, both Solis and Baxley have experienced various forms of trauma and heckling. Solis said her private studio apartment was broken into not long after her April press conference where she first went public with her allegations against Watson, and Baxley’s therapist diagnosed her with complex PTSD.
Although Watson has reported to Texans training camp, that was more to avoid getting fined, as opposed to actually intending to play. Prior to the wave of allegations leveled at him, Watson had requested a trade out of Houston, but until the NFL concludes its investigation, his career is in limbo.
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