Caesars Fires Back at Ben Roethlisberger Accuser Andrea McNulty, Calls Lawsuit a "Low-Grade Novel"

NEW YORK (CBS) Caesars Entertainment Corp. of Las Vegas fired back at Andrea McNulty, who claims she was sexually assaulted by NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger at Harrah's Lake Tahoe resort and who is suing Caesars claiming they tried to cover the assault up and fired her because of it, reports said.

In her suit against Caesars, McNulty claims that after the alleged assault by Roethlisberger in July 2008, she went to the hotel security chief to report it but was told she was "overreacting" and that "most girls would feel lucky to get to have sex with someone like Ben Roethlisberger," the Las Vegas Sun reported.

Caesars attorneys responded by pointing the finger at McNulty, saying that any damages claimed by McNulty "were caused by the contributory negligence of plaintiff in greater part than any negligence by defendants," according to the Sun.

McNulty's suit also claims that the assault was covered up by the hotel because of a friendship between the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and Harrah's Lake Tahoe President John Koster, and that Caesars officials retaliated against her "through character assassination," which ultimately resulted in a nervous breakdown, hospitalization and her resignation, the paper reports.

Caesars attorneys further responded by saying that McNulty's lawsuit more closely resembled a "low-grade novel rather than a legal document...with plaintiff as the heroine and defendants and/or their employees as the villains," according to the Sun.

Roethlisberger has denied the allegations made against him in a separate suit filed by McNulty, noting that no police report was ever filed. Roethlisberger's attorneys have also produced witnesses who claim that McNulty bragged about having sex with the star quarterback, allegations that McNulty denies.

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF BEN ROETHLISBERGER ON CRIMESIDER