Peterson appeal denied by arbitrator
(SportsNetwork.com) – Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson lost an appeal to have his indefinite suspension overturned, the NFL announced Friday.
The players union said it was considering legal action over the decision.
NFL-appointed arbitrator Harold Henderson ruled that Peterson’s indefinite suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy was not unfair or inconsistent, as Peterson’s appeal argued, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.
League commissioner Roger Goodell announced last month that Peterson would be suspended without pay at least through the remainder of this season after the star running back pleaded no contest to a charge of misdemeanor reckless assault for striking his 4-year-old son with a wooden tree branch in May.
Henderson ruled Peterson “was afforded all the protections and rights to which he is entitled” and found “no basis to vacate or reduce the discipline.”
The NFL Players Association said in a statement that it expected Peterson’s appeal to be denied because of what it called Henderson’s “relationship and financial ties to the NFL.”
Henderson is a former longtime NFL executive who dealt mostly in player and labor relations during his time with the league.
“The decision itself ignores the facts, the evidence and the collective bargaining agreement,” the union said. “This decision also represents the NFL’s repeated failure to adhere to due process and confirms its inconsistent treatment of players.”
The union said it was “considering immediate legal remedies.”
Last month, it accused Goodell and the NFL of denying Peterson due process by “making up the process and punishment as it goes” while calling for the case to be heard by an independent and neutral arbitrator.
Under the NFL suspension, Peterson will not be considered for reinstatement prior to April 15 and he will forfeit six game checks.
The union argued that Peterson was penalized under a revised personal conduct policy issued in late August, months after the incident occurred.
The NFL beefed up the language in its policy in response to mounting criticism over the Ray Rice case.
Rice won his appeal against the NFL last month, overturning his indefinite suspension for punching his now-wife inside an Atlantic City casino elevator in February.
The former Baltimore Ravens star, whose original two-game ban was changed to an indefinite suspension after video of the incident surfaced, is free to sign with any team.
Peterson hasn’t played since the Vikings’ season opener Sept. 7. The two-time NFL rushing champion was originally charged with reckless or negligent injury to a child, but pleaded no contest to the lesser misdemeanor offense after working out an agreement with the Montgomery County (Texas) district attorney.
The 2012 NFL MVP avoided jail time and was placed on probation while receiving a $4,000 fine and an order to perform 80 hours of community service.
Categorized in: NFL
Tags: Minnesota, Minnesota Vikings, Vikings