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Deshaun Watson Sexual Misconduct Allegations: What We Know so Far

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Culled from Complex News Letter

This week, seven women filed lawsuits against Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson alleging sexual misconduct—including one woman who said the NFL star forced her to perform oral sex on him. The civil lawsuits, filed in Harris County, Texas District Court, describe a similar pattern. These women, who perform professional massage services for work, were contacted by Watson. They scheduled massage sessions. When these women showed up to the sessions, Watson ultimately engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior, court papers allege. The women described feeling scared; some described worrying about his physical size, while others expressed fear because of his prominence.

These lawsuits have also called out the NFL, saying it’s “notorious in its own right for a culture that fosters sexual harassment and sexual assault. Despite its lip service and a strong ad campaign to the contrary, many of its players have been accused of committing heinous sexual crimes against women. The NFL is no stranger to scandal, certainly when it comes to offenses against women.”

Watson has denied mistreating women. Here’s what we know about the allegations so far.

The alleged March 30, 2020 incident

In a March 16 lawsuit, this woman said that Watson contacted her in late March 2020, asking to schedule a massage. Like other women who have filed suits against Watson, she “found it somewhat peculiar that a NFL player would request a massage from her, because she is not yet a well-known masseuse and it was her belief that a player like Watson likely had access to an entire team of trainers and the like,” according to the lawsuit. But she was trying to grow her business, and so she agreed.

Before their scheduled March 30 session at her house, he asked if “she was going to be alone,” court papers state. When Watson arrived, she left him in the room. After she went back in, he was on the massage table, “completely naked with only a small towel covering his groin area.” He had brought this towel. He “aggressively” told her how to perform the massage, instructing her “only to use her hands,” and “repeatedly stated that he wanted her focus to be on his groin area.” Less than a half hour later, she felt very uncomfortable, as “it became apparent that Watson wanted a massage for only one reason—sex,” court papers state.

Watson “continued to aggressively attempt to steer the conversation to how [she] was not rubbing him the way he wanted. Several times he specifically kept trying to direct her to his penis. At one point, he purposely exposed the tip of his penis from under the towel. Watson was at this point fully erect, and moved his body so he could expose himself more. As a result of his moving of his hips, Watson purposely touched the Plaintiff’s hand with the tip of his erect penis,” court papers state.

She stopped the massage and asked him to leave. He responded: “I know you have a career and a reputation, and I know you would hate for someone to mess with yours, just like I don’t want anyone messing with mine.” She took Watson’s statement as a threat. He later texted her to apologize. Although she didn’t respond, she received direct messages on Instagram from two other pro football players several weeks later, who told her that “Big D” had referred them to her, the lawsuit states.

The alleged June 2, 2020 incident

In this March 18 lawsuit, a woman stated that she and Watson spoke on the phone after he contacted her, asking about a massage. He allegedly told her: “I make a lot of massage therapists uncomfortable and it’s really hard for me to find someone who will meet my needs.” Watson said he wanted massage work specifically targeting his glutes. The woman, who “routinely” provides massages to high-profile athletes, including NFL players, assumed it would be a professional session.

Before their June 2 session started, Watson asked to shower. She left the room and when she came back, he was “completely naked, exposing his buttocks.” He repeatedly refused her requests to cover up and would “purposely move to knock the towel off.”

During the session, Watson “exposed his penis to Plaintiff several times. Watson laughingly told Plaintiff she could move his penis out of the way.” He wound up getting an erection. “Multiple times he moved his body in such a way to make his penis touch Plaintiff,” court papers maintain.

The alleged August 28, 2020 incident

According to a lawsuit filed on March 17, Watson reached out to this woman, a single mom in Atlanta, in August 2020 about a massage. Watson allegedly flew this woman to Houston from Atlanta for an Aug. 28 massage session. Prior to the session, he told her “he wanted to specifically focus on his glutes and his groin area and asked if she was comfortable with working on those areas. He then asked about quads and the Achilles.” The woman “indicated she understood Watson’s requests.”

After arriving at the Houstonian Hotel, Club, and Spa, where Watson had a suite, he “immediately got completely nude on the massage table with his penis completely exposed. Plaintiff firmly told Watson that he needed to use a towel to cover himself as that was the appropriate way of conducting a professional massage. Watson refused,” per the lawsuit.

“Watson told her he ‘gets hot easily’ and for that reason he wanted to remain completely nude.” While she thought something was “off,” she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. But shortly thereafter, “Watson kept aggressively redirecting Plaintiff towards his anus. Watson asked Plaintiff to use more and more oil on his anus.” She was uncomfortable. “Watson then got more specific and asked Plaintiff to work on the inner part of his anus,” the civil suit says.

The woman ignored him and started to work on his inner thighs, but he got “more aggressive, now telling Plaintiff to go higher and higher, towards his penis.” She said no, but “Watson kept insisting, saying ‘come up more and go here towards his genitals.’”

“It was at this point that Watson moved in her direction, causing Plaintiff’s hand to touch Watson’s genitals.” He flipped onto his back, completely exposing his penis. She told him that he needed to cover himself. He refused to, and she stopped the session, saying she had to go. “Watson grabbed her hand and started to rub her arm, pulling her towards him, saying ‘it is okay, it is okay.’” The woman pulled away from Watson, reiterating that she needed to leave. Watson got into the shower and she left, the suit states. ​​​​​​​

The alleged September 9, 2020 incident

In a March 18 lawsuit, one woman, who’s a licensed esthetician, said she had “several” interactions with Watson. The first was in September 2020 and the second in October 2020. The her boss said that Watson had reached out, asking for the woman’s photograph. Watson told her boss that he wanted to give her a massage. The woman thought this was “odd” and said no.

The boss said that Watson asked for her phone number so he could directly schedule an appointment. They wound up scheduling an appointment; before he got there, Watson texted her “incessantly,” asking if anyone else was at the spa. He asked to use the spa’s back entrance.

After he got there, the woman told him she was going to leave the massage room so he could disrobe. He said he did not want her to leave and insisted she stay. Although “bewildered by his contact,” the woman turned around so she wouldn’t see him naked, court papers allege.

Watson, who started complaining right away and “aggressively dictated the session,” asked if he could turn from his stomach onto his back. “When he flipped over, Watson had an erection and asked Plaintiff what she was going to do about his erection.” She told Watson that his behavior wasn’t appropriate, but that she was “scared and confused.” The session wound up ending “without further incident.”

During their October 2020 appointment, however, Watson “escalated his behavior.”

“During the session, Watson tried to put his penis in Plaintiff’s hand and asked Plaintiff if she would touch his penis,” court papers state. He “moved his body in a way that caused Watson’s penis to touch Plaintiff’s hand.” He also tried to kiss her on the mouth. She ended the session early and left.

The alleged September 24, 2020 incident

A lawsuit filed on March 18 alleges that Watson contacted this woman in September. They scheduled a session that would take place at a room in a Houston salon on the 24th. She left the room before the session started so he could undress; when she got back, only his backside was covered with a small towel.

“Watson began to aggressively dictate how he wanted the session to go, and wanted Plaintiff to instead concentrate on his groin area,” the suit states. Watson then got on his back, and the towel “was now only covering his penis.”

“Watson stated several times that he wanted to remove the towel so he could be completely naked. Watson asked Plaintiff if he could be naked, and even asked Plaintiff if it was okay if he got aroused,” the suit charges.

She told him to cover himself and tried to professionally finish the session. At one point, however, Watson “became aroused and got an erection” and “he continued to move his body in a way that would repeatedly cause his penis to touch Plaintiff’s hand.” Shocked, she moved away. Still on his back, “Watson then ejaculated.” The woman left the room, court papers state.

The alleged October 19, 2020 incident

This woman, in her March 18 lawsuit, said that she and Watson agreed to an appointment, which would take place at the woman’s office in Houston. Although Watson was initially respectful, that “changed very quickly.” After the session started, Watson began “staring” at her “in a provocative manner and told her not to raise the towel so high.” He then started to pull the towel down in an effort to expose himself.

Watson told her to work his inner thighs. The woman said she didn’t do that kind of work, but he insisted they hurt, so she agreed. He eventually turned onto his back and she continued to work on the rest of his body. She thought the situation was weird, but gave him the benefit of the doubt. Watson left. Around Nov. 2, Watson texted her about another session. When he arrived, “Watson, without any notice, kissed Plaintiff.”

She quickly left the office, went to her friend’s store next door, told the friend what had happened, and, after composing herself, went back into her office. Watson had already disrobed and “exposed himself.” She told him that wasn’t normal, but needed the business and money “as a single mom,” and continued with the session.

She declined to massage his buttocks and genital area, but he “would also move his body in a way that would cause his penis to touch Plaintiff’s hand.” She declined his offer to pay more to massage those areas. He became upset and left, court papers allege.

The alleged December 28, 2020 incident

In a lawsuit filed on March 17, the woman stated that Watson reached out to her in December and scheduled a massage session for the 28th of that month. She and her mom went to an office, as planned, and they set up the massage room. Her mom left and saw Watson enter the office building. The woman left Watson in the room so he could undress. When she came back, Watson was on the table with a tiny towel on his backside, according to court papers.

She “started getting uncomfortable but did not want to upset the much taller and stronger Watson who is 6’2 and weighs over 200 pounds,” the suit states. While she tried to keep the session professional, Watson “soon aggressively started dictating the massage and where he wanted Plaintiff to touch him on his body,” insisting on his “inner glutes” and “inner thighs.”

“Watson made clear, repeatedly, that he was a professional football player who could help or hurt her career.”

After Watson flipped onto his back, he “began to coerce” her “to massage his inner groin area.” She said she had a “special tool” she had to use, but he refused, saying he wanted this area massaged with her hands. Not long after he asked for his abs to me massaged, Watson “got more aggressive, forcefully telling her to move her hand down to his pubic area.”

“Watson instructed her to slide her hand across his genitals,” the suit says. The woman began shaking, and it was clear that she was scared. “Watson kept coercing and intimidating Plaintiff and it was at this point that Watson coerced Plaintiff to move her mouth towards his penis, forcing Plaintiff to perform oral sex on him,” the suit states. “Plaintiff did not consent to any of this conduct. Plaintiff blacked out for a few minutes from the fear,” court papers state.

Watson denies wrongdoing

In a March 16 tweet, Watson vehemently denied abusing women. “As a result of a social media post by a publicity-seeking plaintiff’s lawyer, I recently became aware of a lawsuit that has apparently been filed against me. I have not yet seen the complaint, but I know this: I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect,” he wrote in a note comprising his tweet. “The plaintiff’s lawyer claims that this isn’t about money, but before filing the suit he made a baseless six-figure settlement demand, which I quickly rejected. Unlike him, this isn’t about money for me—it’s about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that.”

Rusty Hardin, Watson’s lawyer, told ESPN after the first two lawsuits: “I’m real comfortable with the kind of person that Deshaun Watson is, and I don’t like to publicly comment until I get all the facts… the allegations are really inconsistent with the kind of person he is.”

Hardin released a statement Friday, which said: ““I’m extremely proud to represent Deshaun Watson and wholly stand behind him against what we believe are meritless allegations. However, we will wait to comment in detail until we’ve completed our review of the numerous, evolving allegations…We will respond next week and ask you to keep an open mind until we do so.”

The NFL opens an investigation

The NFL told the Texans on Thursday that it was probing the allegations against Watson. In a statement Thursday, the Texans said they would cooperate, NFL.com reported. “The NFL informed us today that they will conduct an investigation into the allegations made in the civil lawsuits filed against Deshaun Watson,” the Texans said. “We will stay in close contact with the league as they do.”

Watson has not been charged

Asked for comment on the allegations, a spokesperson for the Houston Police Department said: “We cannot confirm suspects who are not charged.” The Department doesn’t confirm investigations against any individual unless that individual is charged and or arrested, authorities also said.

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Houston’s Mayor Admits His City Is Broke, Even Firefighters Aren’t Being Paid

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The Democratic mayor of Houston recently admitted that his city is suffering from a large deficit because of overspending done by previous administrations. To address the $160 million shortfall, the mayor has proposed 5% spending cuts to all non-essential city services while maintaining funding for police and fire departments.

During a recent City Council meeting, Mayor John Whitmire openly acknowledged the severe financial situation, stating, “I think we can all agree on that, we are broke.”

This admission highlights the severity of Houston’s budget deficit, showing the urgent need to take decisive action and address the city’s financial struggles.

The city of Houston is struggling with the serious budget deficit, the new Democratic Mayor underscores the seriousness of this concern. The reality of the seriousness of Houston’s financial challenges has ignited discussions regarding potential solutions and the broader implications for the city’s fiscal health. Mayor Sylvester Turner, the previous mayor, had established that he was leaving the city with a $420 million budget surplus.

Despite this, subsequent assessments have shown that Houston is faced with a $160 million deficit due to sustained overspending. Chris Hollins, the city’s Comptroller, gave insight on the ongoing financial challenges,

Saying that Houston is spending between $150 million to $200 million more annually than  it is generating in revenue. Mayor John Whitmire said, “It was broken when I got here.” He has also alluded that there may be a possible tax increase and fees to help make up the budget gap. Whitmire recently promised to give “$650 million for seven years of back pay,” to Houston firefighters.

He said, “I don’t like a 5 percent cut now, but you have to make tough decisions and the folks put me in this position to make tough decisions, and I’m going to do my job.”

Whitmire said, “I’m not going to play games with people’s lives,”  “I’m not going to play politics with people’s lives. So we have a responsibility to settle with the firefighters and protect Houstonians.”

Councilman Willie Davis said, “This is going to come down to a financial sacrifice by the city. Now we can either be $1.2 billion broke, or we can be $650 million broke.”

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11 Communication Students Awarded Scholarships at TSU’s Commweek

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Each student received $1,000 through the SOC scholarship initiative.

Scholarships alleviate financial stress and contribute to academic success, diversity, and equitable access to education. They are a valuable resource for college students, opening doors that might otherwise remain closed due to financial barriers. The 2024 Commweek – the 42nd Intercultural and Communication Conference of the School of Communication (SOC) at Texas Southern University ended Friday, April 12 with a cheerful outcome. 11 communication students walked away with a fat check as beneficiaries of the SOC Commweek Scholarship initiative.

The recipients of the 2024 Commweek scholarships are Christopher Jarmon, Rachel Frank, Benjamin Clark, Racheal Lewis, Briannah Dilworth, Courtney Roberts, Precious Johnson, Douglas Gordon, Briana Williams, Zoria Goodley, and Erin Slaughter. Each student received $1,000 from the SOC scholarship initiative, aimed at helping students overcome financial obstacles while pursuing their academic goals. The funds can be used to cover tuition, textbooks, other educational expenses, and living costs like housing, transportation, and food.

Dr. Chris Ulasi, the Interim Dean of the School of Communication, explained that the scholarship funds were made possible through grants and donations from corporate and local businesses. These contributions were specifically designated for talented and economically disadvantaged students within the School of Communication. “Many of these students rely on financial aid to support their education. Therefore, we prioritized collaborating with private and corporate partners to support this initiative,” Dr. Ulasi stated.

Themed “Amplifying Diverse Voices in Media and Communication,” Commweek kicked off on April 8 and concluded with an Awards Gala on Friday, April 12, 2024, where scholarships were presented. Throughout the week, scholars, students, professionals, and civic leaders engaged in discussions on topics with cultural, political, economic, and social significance, as well as communication dynamics.

The School of Communication (SOC) at Texas Southern University is a dynamic academic institution that fosters interdisciplinary learning. With four departments and two graduate programs – Communication Studies, Entertainment Recording Industry Management (ERIM), Journalism, and Radio, Television, and Film (RTF), along with a Master of Arts (MA) in Communication and Master of Arts (M.A.) in Professional Communication and Digital Media (PCDM) – SOC has been a leader in training culturally responsive professionals and scholars for nearly five decades. Graduates are equipped to navigate diverse urban and international environments with inclusivity and a deep understanding of historical context.

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TSU Announces 2024 Annual Communication Week

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TEXAS INTERNATIONAL GUARDIAN, HOUSTON, TX – The representation of diverse racial and ethnic groups, as well as sexual and gender identities in the media, is critically important because it accurately shapes decency, fairness, and unity in the community. When media lacks or portrays insensitive representations, it can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and discrimination, further marginalizing these identities.

The School of Communication (SOC) at the Texas Southern University (TSU) has announced its 2024 Commweek, signifying the 42nd Intercultural and Communication Conference. Themed “Amplifying Diverse Voices in Media and Communication”, the conference will be held April 8 – 12, 2024, and will culminate with an Awards Gala on Friday, April 12, 2024, at the University’s Tiger Room.

Ensuring a diversity of voices in the media requires holistic monitoring systems and the wider application of target-based measures for both public and private media. Amplifying diverse perspectives can instigate a richer and more inclusive media landscape that benefits the entire populace. The Intercultural Communication Conference provides a forum for scholars, students, professionals, and civic-minded leaders to explore topics with cultural, political, economic, and social implications as well as communication dynamics. But the theme is necessary and also, it is coming at the right time.

The challenges posed by a lack of diverse voices in media and communication can be seen across social, political, economic, and cultural spheres of influence. These issues can influence the views represented in news coverage and dissemination. Indeed, the diversity of perspectives is key to creating a more inclusive and equitable society.

According to Dr. Chris Ulasi, the Interim Dean of the School of Communication, “The 2024 event will be special because we are equally raising scholarship funds for gifted and economically disadvantaged students in the School of Communication.  Traditionally, a majority of our students rely on some form of financial assistance to fund their education. This is why I am using this opportunity to appeal to individuals, corporations, and community organizations to support this cause.”

According to a release made available to our newsroom, proceeds from this event will,

  • Help SOC students break down financial barriers while pursuing their academic prospects.
  • Help SOC students cover the cost of tuition, textbooks, and other educational expenses.
  • Help SOC students supplement the cost-of-living expenses such as housing, transportation, and food.
  • Create retention possibilities for students who might drop out for financial reasons.
  • Act as incentives and encouragement to students in general.
  • This financial sponsorship will be a catalyst for expanding SOC’s ongoing professional relationship with corporate businesses, community organizations, and individual sponsors.

Dr. Anthony Ogbo, co-chaired by Professor Ladonia Randle, and Ms. Michele Jones, is joined by a team of very engaging and supportive members who meet regularly to finalize the machinery for a successful event.  According to Dr. Ogbo, “The 2024 Commweek is expected to draw a line-up of dignitaries from the business, academic, and government sectors. For instance, the City of Houston’s Vice Mayor Pro-Tem, Council Member Martha Castex-Tatum will lead the conference opening ceremony on Monday, April 8. Also, Dr. Kathleen McElroy, renowned Journalist and Professor at the School of Journalism and Media at The University of Texas at Austin will lead the opening session of the intercultural conference on Thursday, April 10.”

The School of Communication (SOC) at Texas Southern University is a transformational, interdisciplinary academic school with four departments and two graduate programs: Communication Studies; Entertainment Recording Industry Management (ERIM); Journalism; Radio, Television, and Film (RTF); and Master of Arts (MA) in Communication and Master of Arts (M.A.) in Professional Communication and Digital Media (PCDM). For 48 years, the school has been at the forefront of training culturally responsive professionals and scholars who can navigate urban and international settings with a deep sense of inclusivity and an understanding of historical legacy.

Texas Southern University possesses an impressive array of more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs and concentrations, a diverse faculty, 80-plus student organizations, and an extensive alumni network comprised of educators, entrepreneurs, public servants, lawyers, pilots, artists, and more, many of whom are change agents on the local, national and international stage. Nestled upon a sprawling 150-acre campus, Texas Southern University is one of the nation’s largest historically black universities.

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