NEW YORK — The National Football League has hired three women to shape its domestic-violence policies and programs as it deals with the fallout of its handling of an assault by running back Ray Rice on his partner.
Lisa Friel, formerly the head of the Sex Crimes Prosecution Unit in the New York County District Attorney’s Office; Jane Randel, co-founder of “NO MORE,” a national domestic violence awareness initiative; and Rita Smith, the former executive director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, were named to the unit by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Anna Isaacson, who served as the NFL’s vice president of community affairs and philanthropy, added the role of vice president of social responsibility. She’ll oversee education, training and support programs relating to domestic violence, sexual assault and “matters of respect,” Goodell said.
“We are continuing to develop our organization to strengthen our ability to address the wide range of issues we face and other changes in our office will be announced soon,” Goodell said in a memo to teams and staff, which the league shared with the media. “Our goal is to make a real difference on these and other issues. We know that we will be judged by our actions and their effectiveness.”
The NFL is facing a public relations crisis as groups such as the National Organization for Women have called for Goodell’s ouster over his handling of the punishment of Rice.
The Baltimore Ravens terminated the contract of their top rusher and the NFL suspended him indefinitely after video from inside a New Jersey casino elevator was posted on the website TMZ showing Rice punching Janay Palmer, who was his fiancee at the time of the assault in February. The video showed Rice knocking out Palmer, who has since married Rice.
Goodell originally gave Rice a two-game ban after an earlier video showed Rice hauling his unconscious fiancee out of the elevator. Goodell said when increasing the punishment that no one at the NFL saw the video of the punch until last week.
Rice was expected to appeal his indefinite suspension on Monday.
Goodell hired former FBI Director Robert Mueller to examine the league’s handling of the case after the Associated Press reported that a law enforcement official sent a copy of the video from inside the elevator to the league in April.
Friel, a 28-year prosecutor who since 2011 has been a vice president at T&M Protection Resources, will focus on the process of evaluating incidents of domestic violence or sexual assault. Randel and Smith will oversee the development of new workplace policies and programs, and identify resources the NFL can use to address related issues.
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Ray McDonald, who was arrested two weeks ago and charged with felony domestic violence, played Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
Greg Hardy, another defensive end who is appealing a conviction for assaulting his former girlfriend, was deactivated by the Carolina Panthers an hour before they played the Detroit Lions yesterday. Hardy was given a suspended 60-day jail sentence in July.
Hardy will practice this week, but the team has not made a decision on his status for this week’s game against Pittsburgh or the rest of the season.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said general manager Dave Gettleman is doing “due diligence” on Hardy’s situation, and Rivera indicated the team’s front office has been in consultation with the league office.
Minnesota Vikings All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson was also deactivated for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots. Peterson was indicted Sept. 12 by a Texas grand jury on a charge of hitting his 4-year-old son with a tree branch in May.
The Vikings said in a statement Monday that Peterson would be activated for their next game, at the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 21, to “allow the legal system to proceed so we can come to the most effective conclusions and then determine the appropriate course of action.”
The NFL has said it’s reviewing Peterson’s indictment under its personal conduct policy.