Steelers Nation was hit with a bombshell, or a potential bombshell, ten days before they the Steelers were set to begin training camp in Latrobe.
As reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and numerous other media outlets, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been named as a co-defendant in a civil sexual assault suit filed in Reno, Nevada.
The other co-defendants are employees of Harrah’s Lake Tahoe hotel, the location where the alleged incident was said to have taken place.
The suit names Roethlisberger as the perpetrator of the alleged incident, and charges numerous other hotel employees with participating and wide-spread and far-reaching coverup.
The Allegation
The woman, a former employee of Harrah’s hotel, claims that she was assigned to guide Ben through the American Century Golf competition which took place last summer. The plaintiff claims that the Steelers quarterback lured her up to her room under the premise of needing to have a broken TV fixed.
The plaintiff further claims that when it became apparent that the TV was working fine, the alleged assault took place.
The woman filing the claim further contends that she notified her superiors in hotel management, and that a coverup ensued.
No Criminal Charge, No Criminal Complaint
Ben Roethlisberger’s attorney David Cornwell vigorously disputed all charges. He pointed to the fact that neither a criminal complaint nor criminal chargers were ever filed in relation to the incident, and pledged that Roethlisberger would fully cooperate with any investigation, and that he would be fully exonerated.
Amatur Analysis
Steel Curtain Rising quite obviously does not retain lawyers to provide legal analysis. (Although, sometimes it seems like we should. Or as Ken Beatrice, former DC area sports host for WMAL and later WTEM used to say, “I apologize for not having gone to law school so as to better bring you the sports news.”
Nonetheless, we can offer some analysis of the facts:
- The complaint is very detailed.
What that fact might seem to make the case more compelling, the fact that the suit alleges a cover-up that involves eight people actually makes it seem less plausible.
- No Criminal Complaint Was Ever Filed
This is where the law would come in handy. At face value, this would seem to seriously undermine the case. Yes, the burden of proof in civil suits is less than in criminal suits, but what would the motive be in not reporting a case like this to the police?
Moreover, one would think that a wise lawyer would know that the potential repercussions of filing a bogus civil suit would perhaps be far less severe than filing a false criminal charge. (But any lawyers out there are more than welcome to offer their analysis.
Steel Curtain Rising has no additional facts on this case, and will not offer any additional analysis. We do hope that for the sake of everyone involved that these chargers were completely false, and that Ben is completely exonerated.
