A day after word broke that Raiders employee Randy Hanson has sued the team and coach Tom Cable for assault and battery due to an incident that left Hanson with a broken jaw, Cable has gotten some good news.
He won’t be disciplined by the league for the Hanson incident, or for subsequent claims of domestic violence made by a former wife and a former girlfriend.
Per the Associated Press, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Wednesday that the allegations made by Hanson warranted an evaluation. But the league ultimately opted not to punish Cable due to the absence of criminal charges.
Hanson’s lawyer likely would contend that the decision not to punish Cable has something to do with the fact that any action against Cable would lend credence to Hanson’s legal claims. Though we’re not prepared to make such a cynical suggestion, we’re surprised that the league would close the book on Cable just as civil proceedings regarding Hanson’s claims are commencing.
If Hanson prevails, it will mean that a jury found that it was more likely than not that Cable assaulted Hanson. Such a finding from a neutral, objective body should be enough to get the league to take some type of action against Cable.
We’re not saying that Cable should or shouldn’t be punished; we’re only saying that the outcome of the civil proceeding should be a major factor in the final disposition.