HOUSTON – At an emergency hearing Friday morning, a Harris County judge ruled that one of the plaintiffs suing Texan quarterback Deshaun Watson should identify herself by completing her lawsuit with her name attached.
The original lawsuit, filed by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, was filed on behalf of Jane Doe. Of the 22 lawsuits filed against Watson alleging sexual assault and misconduct, only two women had been publicly identified.
The sentence was handed down by Judge Dedra Davis in District 270 Court. A similar hearing on at least 12 more cases is scheduled for noon and Friday in District 113 Court, according to court records.
Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, filed the emergency motion Thursday, saying, “Mr. Buzbee’s use of anonymous lawsuits violates Texas law and the basic concept of equity.”
“While I understand that anonymity is often used as a shield for victims, Mr. Buzbee uses it as a sword,” Hardin said in a statement. “While protecting his clients from public scrutiny, Mr. Buzbee continues to use his anonymous allegations to destroy Mr. Watson. That is simply not right. And we hope to resolve these issues in court.”
Watson has denied the allegations in the lawsuits.
In a statement Tuesday, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy called the allegations against Watson “deeply disturbing” and noted, “We take these issues very seriously.”
McCarthy said the league began an investigation under its personal conduct policy last month after initial allegations and that the NFL “continues to closely monitor all developments in the matter.”