A day after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell held a news conference to address the numerous accusations surrounding domestic violence and NFL players, the New York Daily News is reporting that a "Dallas Cowboys special-teams player was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at the team's hotel in Texas" and was still allowed to play.
According to the Daily News, the alleged assault took place Sept. 20, one day after Goodell vowed to get tough on players. A Grapevine, Texas, police spokesman told the Daily News that the alleged assault took place at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center.
"We have a sexual assault report we are investigating at this time, and it does involve C.J. Spillman," Sgt. Robert Eberling, a police spokesman, told the Daily News. Eberling added: "He is involved in the investigation. We are looking into the matter."
Since the video leak of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice's domestic assault of his now-wife, Janay Rice, the NFL has been under intense scrutiny as to how it handles players charged in violent crimes. For weeks Goodell was silent on issues involving his players, including Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer, who allegedly broke his girlfriend's nose during an argument, and Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who has been charged with child abuse. Goodell's silence had many groups, including the National Organization for Women, calling for Goodell's resignation, the Daily News notes.
"The same mistakes can never be repeated," Goodell said during his first press conference in New York on Sept. 19 since new allegations had surfaced. "We will get our house in order first. We will do more."
On Sept. 26, the Daily News notes, famed civil rights attorney Gloria Allred informed the NFL via letter that a client she was representing had filed a police report claiming that an NFL player had sexually assaulted her. The letter also claimed that a Cowboys official accompanied Spillman when he met with police later that day.
"Thereafter, the accused was then allowed by his team to play the following day," the letter added, the Daily News notes. "We have asked the NFL whether or not this alleged rape was reported to them and if they approved this accused individual's playing in the game notwithstanding the allegations that had been made against him."
Allred told the Daily News that while she wouldn't be discussing the allegations, an NFL lawyer asked to interview the alleged victim. Allred did not say whether or not her client would agree to the meeting but reportedly asked that the NFL act in "good faith."
"In considering whether our client will or will not be agreeable to meeting with your representative, we would like to be assured that the NFL is acting in good faith and that it is conducting an investigation which encompasses not only the rape allegations, but also why the player and the team involved did not report these matters immediately to the NFL as required by your NFL Personal Conduct Policy," Allred wrote, the Daily News reports.
"In other words, my client and I are not an NFL team and the NFL does not get to make all the rules in this situation. This is not a game of football or a sporting competition. It is real life, and it concerns a serious allegation of sexual violence against a young woman." Allred added.
The Daily News notes that Spillman's agent declined to discuss the allegations and that as of Thursday, the Cowboys had not disciplined Spillman.
Read more at the New York Daily News.