The Washington Commanders have preemptively got in front of a potential PR disaster by releasing their recently signed kicker, Brandon McManus, Monday morning. McManus, who kicked for the Jacksonville Jaguars last year, is facing a sexual assault lawsuit filed last month. The lawsuit, filed in Florida, was brought by two women who worked as flight attendants on a charter flight for the Jaguars.
The unnamed women alleged that the flight quickly turned into a party where McManus and others disregarded their personal space and violated federal and air travel safety laws. One woman claimed that McManus offered them $100 to dance with him and twice grinded against her while she served food and drinks. She also alleged that he attempted to kiss her forcefully.
The second woman alleged that McManus also grinded against her and “smirked and walked away” when she confronted him. Both women have also sued the Jacksonville Jaguars, accusing the team of failing to intervene and control the behavior of those involved.
McManus, who kicked for the Denver Broncos for nine seasons, denies these allegations. In a statement released through his attorney, he expressed gratitude to the Commanders for the opportunity and maintained that the accusations are false and contradicted by evidence and prior inconsistent statements from the accusers.
“Brandon would like to thank the Washington Commanders for the opportunity to be a part of the organization,” his statement read. “However, we reiterate that the allegations against Brandon are and remain absolutely false and, importantly, are contradicted by indisputable evidence and the accusers’ own prior inconsistent statements and omissions. While we are disappointed with the team’s decision to release Brandon before he had the opportunity to defend against these fabricated claims, we will aggressively defend and clear Brandon’s name and reputation through the legal process. We intend to defeat these claims, fully exonerate him, and look forward to seeing him back on the field where he belongs.”
This situation will likely take time to resolve, and it seems McManus will not get another NFL opportunity until the matter is settled.
