A ruling on Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott’s appeal of his six-game suspension for alleged domestic violence is now official. Arbitrator Harold Henderson informed both parties Tuesday that Elliott’s suspension will stand. This comes after a three-day appeal hearing that was held from August 29th to the 31st.
Ezekiel Elliott 6 game suspension has been upheld by Harold Henderson, per source
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) September 6, 2017
NFL Upholds Ezekiel Elliott Suspension
Background
The allegations of domestic violence stem from when Elliott’s alleged victim told police that he had abused her multiple times starting on July 17th. The incidents were investigated by Columbus police, but eventually no arrests were made and no charges were filed. However, on July 22nd, the NFL launched its own investigation under the personal conduct policy.
An incident on March 11th was also detailed in Elliott’s eventual letter from the league explaining the initial six-game suspension. This incident occurred at a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dallas where video of Elliot was released of him pulling down a woman’s shirt. The league said that this incident did not factor into the suspension, however they mentioned in the letter that his “behavior during this event was inappropriate and disturbing, and reflected a lack of respect for women.” (Page 5)
After an investigation that took over a year, the league informed Elliott that he will be suspended for six games and warned him about any further violations. They stated that he “should understand that another violation of this nature may result in your suspension or potential banishment from the NFL.” (Page 5)
Owner and general manager for the Cowboys Jerry Jones has consistently voiced his opinion on the case, and has said in more than one instance that there is “no evidence” for Elliott’s suspension. In addition to Jones’s statements, the NFLPA quickly came to Elliott’s defense after an NFL statement said the NFLPA leaked information about the motivations of Elliott’s accuser. The players’ union expressed their opinion on the matter in rather stringent terms with a tweet sent on August 16th.
Aftermath
Before the official ruling on Tuesday, the NFLPA filed a petition to U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on behalf of Elliott stating “fundamental unfairness” against Elliott in the investigation. This petition is seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to be decided before any suspension of Elliott can go into effect. This proves that this ordeal is yet from finished and will play out well into the season.
