Tom Brady: NFL Claims 'To Take Tough Stances' On Domestic Violence
BOSTON (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady took a shot at how the NFL handles domestic violence cases.
Speaking to WWEI on Monday, Brady said the league claims to take "tough stances" on those issues.
"Like I said, the NFL, they claim to take tough stances and this is their situation," Brady said about the controversy surrounding New York Giants kicker Josh Brown. "This is their situation to deal with. I'll let them deal with it."
Brown was initially suspended for one game the Giants' season-opening victory over the Dallas Cowboys, in punishment for his May 2015 arrest at his family home in Woodinville, Washington, on suspicion of assaulting his wife by grabbing one of her wrists as she tried to reach for a phone, leaving an abrasion and bruising. No charges were filed but the detective gathered detailed statements from Molly Brown who also provided her husband's written admissions of abuse in diary and email entries.
However, the NFL placed Brown on paid leave last Friday after he disclosed in journals and emails released by Washington state authorities that he abused his wife repeatedly.
The NFL said its investigators asked to see these records but were denied, but police said a formal request was never filed. The league has reopened its investigation.
The journal was part of was part of 165 pages of documents that were turned over to authorities by Brown's former wife, Molly, after his arrest. She had accused him of more than 20 instances of domestic violence.
Brady called domestic violence a "horrible issue."
"I grew up with three sisters, I was very fortunate to learn from a loving father and a loving mother how to treat and respect women," Brady told WEEI. "I have a daughter of my own and domestic violence is a horrible issue. It's a tragedy when it happens. Any type of abuse of bullying people who can't defend or fight for themselves, I have no respect for that."
Brown originally received a lesser suspension than Brady did for "Deflategate" where the Patriots quarterback was suspended for the first four games of the season.
"I think it is the league's issue. Obviously, there is a lot of controversy with that. I'm trying to stay out of all that. I will let them handle it. I think that is their responsibility," Brady told WEEI. "I certainly don't condone any part of domestic violence. I think it is a terrible, terrible thing. I think they league, they have to handle those types of things."
The NFL has also been criticized for handling other domestic violence cases, including Greg Hardy and Ray Rice.
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