NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will be forced to testify at the appeal of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Roger Goodell to testify at Ray Rice appeal hearing, per report
The NFL commissioner will be forced to reveal what the league actually knew about Rice when suspending him.
Goodell had previously declined to testify. Instead, the NFL made Adolpho Birch, senior VP of labor policy, and Jeff Pash, NFL general counsel, available for the appeal, according to reports. Goodell, however, was heavily involved in the situation and his testimony appeared crucial to Rice actually getting due process in his case.
Must Reads
More than a month has passed since video surfaced of Rice punching his fiancé in an Atlantic City casino elevator, knocking her unconscious. The NFL, which had previously suspended the running back two games, issued an indefinite suspension, and the Ravens released him outright.
Rice and the NFLPA have appealed the ruling, claiming he was denied due process and punished more than once for the same crime. A central question in Rice’s appeal is whether arbitrator Judge Barbara Jones would force Goodell to testify under oath. With Goodell now forced to testify, it opens up the possibility of the public learning exactly what the league knew and didn’t know when making its decisions on Rice.
Goodell will testify at the appeal hearing on Nov. 5 and 6.
See More:
