The NFL plans to contest the lawsuit filed against the league on behalf of Aaron Hernandez’s daughter and stressed Friday that any attempt to cast Hernandez as a victim is misguided.
On Thursday, Boston University released the results of its postmortem examination of his donated brain that found Hernandez had a severe case of CTE, the brain disease linked to concussions that can lead to violent behavior and suicide. Hernandez, of course, committed suicide in April while serving a life sentence for murder.
The lawsuit, filed by lawyer Jose Baez in U.S. District Court, claims the NFL and the Patriots failed to protect players’ safety. The league, though, says the lawsuit is flawed.
NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart: “We are reviewing the (Hernandez) lawsuit. On first blush, we believe it contains significant legal issues.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 22, 2017
NFL's Joe Lockhart says league believes lawsuit filed for Aaron Hernandez family will face legal issues, NFL intends to contest vigorously.
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) September 22, 2017
The NFL also cautions against accepting the notion that Hernandez is some kind of victim.
NFL's Joe Lockhart says "any attempt to paint Aaron Hernandez as a victim" is misguided.
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) September 22, 2017
“His personal story is complex, it doesn’t lend itself to simple answers,” said NFL spokesperson Joe Lockhart, per Pro Football Talk. “He was convicted of a homicide and his well-documented behavioral issues began long before he played in the National Football League. ... The real victims are the friends and family of those he killed, along with his young daughter.”