NFL Announces Tough New Policy On Domestic Violence

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (from Atlanta Falcons' Flickr feed)
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (from Atlanta Falcons’ Flickr feed)

Back in July, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice two games for beating his then-fianc?e unconscious in an Atlantic City hotel–a decision for which he was deservedly reamed. Well, on Thursday afternoon Goodell not only admitted that he erred in handing out such a lenient punishment, but backed it up by implementing one of the most sweeping policies on domestic violence in North American professional sports. Under this new policy, anyone affiliated with an NFL team–including players, coaches, and general managers–who commits an act of domestic violence will face a minimum six-game suspension without pay for a first offense and a lifetime ban for a second offense.

In a letter to the league’s 32 owners, Goodell acknowledged that he’d badly mishandled the Rice case, saying that it “led the public to question our sincerity” and gave the impression that the NFL didn’t understand “the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families.” With the bluntness that NFL fans have become used to seeing from Goodell during his eight-year tenure, the commissioner said of the two-game suspension:

“I didn’t get it right. Simply put, we have to do better. And we will.”

This new policy goes a long way toward getting it right. A first offense could potentially draw more than six games if it involves a weapon, choking, or repeated blows. A longer suspension is also possible if the employee was involved in a domestic violence incident before joining the league, if the victim is a pregnant woman or the act took place in front of a child. Second-time offenders can request reinstatement after one year, but there is no assurance that the request will be granted. The policy is not retroactive, meaning that there is no prospect of a longer suspension for Rice.

Goodell directed the owners to distribute a memo to all NFL personnel that begins with the following statement:

“Domestic violence and sexual assault are wrong. They are illegal. They are never acceptable and have no place in the NFL under any circumstances.”

These changes didn’t come without some prodding. Following harsh criticism from several quarters–including Senators Richard Blumenthal, Chris Murphy and Tammy Baldwin–the NFL started taking a look at revamping its approach to domestic violence earlier this month. However, according to ESPN, it was criticism from inside the league–including from some owners–that led to this new policy.

The league also announced that it will bulk up the domestic violence portions of its programs for rookies and add new educational components to its high school, college and youth football programs dealing with domestic violence. It will also identify people who are potentially at risk for domestic violence and offer preventative counseling. NFL personnel and their families will also have access to resources that will offer appropriate assistance, both inside and outside the NFL.

The NFL Players Association was somewhat guarded in its response to this new policy, saying that it would protect players’ rights to due process. According to Sports Illustrated legal analyst Michael McCann, the NFLPA could potentially challenge this new policy because it wasn’t collectively bargained. Given the black eye that the league has taken as a result of the Rice fiasco, hopefully this can be resolved without litigation.

This new policy was at least a decade overdue. And it’s a shame it took such a disgraceful episode to make it happen. But at least the NFL is making more than a cosmetic response.

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Darrell Lucus.jpg Darrell Lucus, also known as Christian Dem in NC at Daily Kos, is a radical-lefty Jesus-lover who has been blogging for change for a decade. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook.

Darrell is a 30-something graduate of the University of North Carolina who considers himself a journalist of the old school. An attempt to turn him into a member of the religious right in college only succeeded in turning him into the religious right's worst nightmare--a charismatic Christian who is an unapologetic liberal. His desire to stand up for those who have been scared into silence only increased when he survived an abusive three-year marriage. You may know him on Daily Kos as Christian Dem in NC. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook. Click here to buy Darrell a Mello Yello.