The Detroit News reported late Wednesday night that Lions’ head coach Matt Patricia was indicted for sexual assault as a 21-year-old college student on a visit to Texas during 1996.
The charges were eventually dropped in 1997. There was no trial because, according to the report, Patricia’s accuser didn’t appear in court.
The Lions, in prepared comments, stated they were not aware of this, despite their background checks, but have openly supported Patricia, who, in his own prepared statement, vehemently maintained he was falsely accused.
These are my thoughts on the situation:
Empathy is a word that applies here, but where exactly is based on the word, “if.”
If Patricia was falsely accused, this has to be re-living a nightmare, one that’s reared its head just as he is beginning the most important segment of his professional life. And it’s got to be difficult for his family.
Problem is, there is no certain way of knowing if Patricia is telling the truth.
What was the evidence presented that led to a grand jury bringing back an indictment? According to the Detroit News account, the police report was discarded.
The accuser did not appear in court because, “Victim does not feel she can face the pressures or stress of a trial.”
It’s a common theme, unfortunately, that victims of sexual abuse and harassment often feel more vilified than those who perpetrated crimes against them, so they just give up on trying to hold those responsible accountable. We have no way of knowing if that is the case here. The alleged victim in this indictment has not spoken publicly on the matter.
Undoubtedly, you’re going to have two stances on this. One is going to be Lions’ fans, many excited about Patricia being their new head coach, saying it was a long time ago, that he wasn’t convicted of a crime, and then attempt to sweep it under the rug. They are tired of the #MeToo movement or feel like it has gone too far or more concerned about football than women’s rights. “Innocent until proven guilty!!!” will be their cry.
But lost in that notion is many people couldn’t care less about football, and/or have genuine, deep and justifiable concerns about sexual assault, and how it’s often unchecked. For centuries our society has way too often been tone deaf to the plight of women - and men - in regard to sexual assault.
I don’t claim to be smart enough to know the proper balance. It’s an incredibly complex issue, and I wouldn’t even remotely speculate about exactly happened in this instance. I feel that would be irresponsible.
Undoubtedly, in this climate of blowhards in all walks of life suggesting “fake news,” or some such thing, every time something is reported they don’t like, the Detroit News will be subjected to criticism. But that comes with the territory. I’m sure at their shop they are aware of the consequences, but they should be confident because it was a well-reported piece that definitely falls under the category of news.
Patricia should have let the Lions know of this situation. Legally, he didn’t have to, but there was a strong possibility this was going to come out, and a fire-storm ensue. There are few more high-profile and highly-paid positions in any town as the NFL head coach.
There will be those who suggest this is an example of the Same Old Lions. It’s always something, right? Frankly, I’m stunned their background check on Patricia didn’t net this. Crisis management isn’t traditionally a Lions’ strength. Over-sensitivity, and sometimes vindictiveness, is their modus operandi. Hopefully, the Lions have learned from their sordid past and deal with this better. I’m not holding my breath on that one, though.
Also, I think this is bigger than a lament about the local football team’s failures to win games or mistreatment of a loyal fan base. This cuts right to the heart of a societal issue presenting a frustrating struggle: The balance between “you’re innocent until proven guilty” with women’s safety and rights, and how they’ve been ignored.
Unless there is more yet unreported fire added to this smoke, Patricia is ultimately going to be judged based on whether he wins or loses. If he wins, this will be forgotten. If he loses, it will be a bigger deal. You can call that the sad state of professional sports, but it’s the bottom line.