Federal Court to Hear Peterson Suspension Challenge

According to ESPN, U.S. District Court Judge David Doty will hear the NFL Player Association’s challenge to Adrian Peterson’s punishment stemming from his child abuse scandal. The NFLPA alleges that Commissioner Roger Goodell acted outside the scope of his authority when he chose to place Peterson on the Commissioner’s Exempt List and later indefinitely suspended him. They further claim that longtime league executive Harold Henderson was biased in favor of the league when he chose to uphold Peterson’s suspension in December. The NFL claims that Article 46 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement gives the Commissioner “sole discretion” when determining punishments for conduct detrimental to the league. Judge Doty, who has adjudicated numerous NFL labor disputes over the past 20 years, has not yet given a timetable for a decision.

Jason Fixelle is the Sports Highlight Editor for the Harvard Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law and a current second year student at Harvard Law School (Class of 2016).