The lawyer representing Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has filed a motion for an emergency hearing to identify one plaintiff who filed a lawsuit against Watson under the name “Jane Doe.”
Rusty Hardin said his team is filing the motion after Tony Buzzbee–the lawyer representing numerous plaintiffs in civil lawsuits against Watson–refused to reveal the identity of his clients. Hardin added Buzbee is using anonymity as a “sword” rather than a “shield” meant to protect his clients:
“When we asked Mr. Buzbee to identify his clients weeks ago, he refused and told us to file a motion,” Hardin said in a statement, via Sarah Barshop of ESPN. “Today we filed that motion. As discussed in our filing, Mr. Buzbee's use of anonymous lawsuits violates Texas law and the basic concept of fairness towards Deshaun Watson.
“While I understand that anonymity often is used as a shield for victims, Mr. Buzbee is using it as a sword. While shielding his clients from public scrutiny, Mr. Buzbee continues to use their anonymous allegations to destroy Mr. Watson. This is simply not right. And we look forward to resolving these matters in court.”
Deshaun Watson faces 22 lawsuits alleging inappropriate conduct and sexual assault.
Just two of the plaintiffs in those lawsuits have been identified. This includes the first woman to file a lawsuit, Ashley Solis, who gave a statement at a news conference on Tuesday.
Solis described her struggles carrying out her practice as a massage therapist after Watson allegedly harassed and assaulted her during a session at her Houston home in March of 2020. She and one other plaintiff have reported the alleged assaults to the Houston Police Department.
Hardin added in his statement Watson cannot appropriately defend himself without knowledge of his accusers. He continues to deny allegations against his client.
Meanwhile, the NFL is also investigating allegations made against Deshaun Watson.
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