By Henry Muzzy
On December 2nd, Stefon Diggs was accused of choking and strangling his private chef. The woman went to the police on December 16th regarding the incident and is seeking a felony charge against Diggs. Diggs has referred to the woman as his “assistant.”
The alleged assault reportedly stemmed from a dispute over money Diggs allegedly owed her. According to the report, Diggs walked into her unlocked bedroom and physically assaulted her after the disagreement about payment. During the alleged attack, he reportedly responded “lies” when she claimed she had not been paid.
After the alleged assault, Diggs left the home and stayed at a friend’s house. The woman initially did not want to file charges but eventually decided to do so on December 22nd. Her name has not been released to the public for privacy reasons.
To be clear, Diggs has denied all of the allegations.
In the National Football League, the decision about whether a player can continue playing while facing legal trouble is largely up to the commissioner. Players are often still allowed to play while their legal cases are ongoing. Even if a player is convicted of a crime, depending on the severity, they may only face fines or suspensions. Compared to many other professional sports leagues, the NFL’s policy on player discipline is often considered one of the loosest.
I spoke with freshman Jacob Wallach about how he feels about players who face legal trouble continuing to play in the NFL. He said, “I feel like they shouldn’t be able to play, especially Stefon Diggs who allegedly assaulted someone. He clearly has a negative attitude toward people.”
Additionally, Junior Zachary Surchin was asked about his opinion on this controversy, expressing how “Professional athletes are role models whether they want to be or not, so the league should hold them to a higher standard.”
In Diggs’ case, he is still able to play in games as a regular player. Since he has not been convicted or sentenced to jail, he remains eligible to play. Unless he is suspended by the league or jailed, he can continue playing. If he were to be convicted, a fine and/or a temporary suspension would be very likely.
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