Ezekiel Elliott Officially Appeals Six-Game Suspension
DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has officially appealed his six-game suspension, according to the NFL Players Association.
"Our Union has appealed the NFL's six-game suspension of Ezekiel Elliott. We will represent Ezekiel, as we do all players, to ensure that the NFL is held to its obligation of adhering to principles of industrial due process under the collective bargaining agreement," the Players Association said on Twitter.
According to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star Telegram, Elliott's appeal will partially center around his accuser, Tiffany Thompson's testimony, and her threats.
Most of the threats have already been floating around for quite some time. However, one of them could paint an even bigger picture of the key to Elliott's appeal.
Elliott's father, Stacy, retweeted the quotes and said his son is ready to prove his innocence.
"My son's legal team is ready to fight! Let's deal!!! You will know the set up and POLT!"
In a statement released on Friday, the NFL says they suspended Elliott for a violation of the Personal Conduct Policy.
"Over the course of the last year, the league conducted an extensive investigation. League investigators interviewed more than a dozen witnesses, including Ms. Tiffany Thompson, who had alleged multiple instances of physical violence in July 2016, and Mr. Elliott. The league also consulted with medical experts. League investigators examined all available evidence, including photographic and digital evidence, thousands of text messages and other records of electronic communications.
Pursuant to the Personal Conduct Policy, Commissioner Goodell sought the views of four external advisors to assist him in evaluating potential violations. These experts range in experience from law enforcement, judicial and public service, and other specialized subject areas.
The advisors participated in a meeting on June 26, 2017 in New York City with Elliott, who was represented by his legal team and the NFL Players Association. The group also reviewed the league's investigative reports and materials, the expert medical reports, and multiple NFL Players Association submissions on Elliott's behalf.
In a letter to Elliott advising him of the decision, Todd Jones, the NFL's Special Counsel for Conduct, said these advisors "were of the view that there is substantial and persuasive evidence supporting a finding that [Elliott] engaged in physical violence against Ms. Thompson on multiple occasions during the week of July 16, 2016."
After reviewing the record, and having considered the views of the independent advisors, the commissioner determined that the credible evidence established that Elliott engaged in conduct that violated NFL policy."
The NFL has ten days to grant an appeal hearing.
Elliott was involved in numerous off-the-field incidents since he became a member of the Cowboys.
A woman in Ohio accused him of abuse in 2016, however, police in Ohio declined to charge him with any crime. She broke her silence to TMZ.com in July, saying the incident changed her life forever and calls her relationship with the Dallas Cowboys RB "very toxic."
She posted photos on her Instagram account last year showing bruise she alleged were the result of domestic abuse.
In a conference call on Friday, NFL external advisor Peter Harvey said: "I reached a conclusion Mr. Elliott engaged in physical force that resulted in injury."
Harvey also said their investigation determined that Thompson took photos of her injuries a day after she was with Elliott.
In a letter to the running back, the NFL says there was an altercation on July 17 in which Elliott used physical force that caused injuries to Thompson's arms, neck and shoulders. The letter further states that the injuries are portrayed in several photographs and were confirmed by forensic analysts to have been taken by Thompson the following day.
Furthermore, the letter states that several of the injuries were depicted in photographs taken by the Columbus Police Department and Thompson's family.
In a separate incident on July 21, the letter states that Elliott caused harm to Thompson's face, neck, arms, knees and hips, and Thompson took photos of those injuries later that afternoon.
In both incidents, the NFL says that medical experts determined the injuries displayed appear recent and consistent with Thompson's description of the incidents and how they occurred.
In the letter to Elliott, the NFL outlined how he violated the Personal Conduct Policy.
"Even when a player is not charged with a crime, "'he may still be found to have violated the policy if the credible evidence establishes that he engaged in conduct prohibited by this Personal Conduct Policy,'" the statement reads. "As this policy states, '(i)t is not enough simply avoiding being found guilty of a crime. We are all held to a high standard and must conduct ourselves in a way that is responsible, promotes the values of the NFL, and is lawful.'"
On the conference call, Harvey said a prosecutor in Ohio believed Thompson's story but didn't have sufficient evidence to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Harvey also stated that Elliott's representatives suggested in a meeting with him that the victim "maybe fell down the stairs," or was injured in a fight with another woman at a bar, or someone else may have caused the injuries. He stated that the investigative team didn't have any witnesses to back up those suggestions and that they learned no punches were thrown in that particular fight.
The letter states that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell found that Elliott provided no persuasive evidence with respect to how Thompson's obvious injuries occurred.
In the letter to Elliott, the NFL said they will not consider the St. Patrick's Day Parade incident as a basis for additional discipline under the policy but that he needs to understand that his behavior was "inappropriate and disturbing."
Elliott was caught on video pulling down a woman's shirt at the St. Patrick's Day parade in Dallas.
The letter ends with Commissioner Goodell informing Elliott that another violation of this nature may result in Elliott's suspension or banishment from the NFL.
In a statement after the suspension was announced, Elliott's representatives blasted the league for their "factual inaccuracies and erroneous conclusions."
The statement said that the NFL "cherry picks so called evidence to support its conclusion while ignoring other critical evidence."
This is a developing news story.
