The women say the flight “quickly turned into a party” because McManus and other players violated air travel safety rules. According to the indictment, McManus allegedly “recruited” three other flight attendants and offered them $100 bills to drink and “indecently dance for him.”
In a statement Sunday night, McManus’ attorney, Brett R. Gallaway, responded to the commanders’ decision to release his client.
“Brandon would like to thank the Washington Commanders for the opportunity to be a part of the organization,” he said. However, we reiterate that the allegations against Brandon are completely false and, importantly, contradicted by undisputed evidence and the plaintiffs’ prior inconsistent statements and omissions. While we are disappointed with the team’s decision to release Brandon, we will defend and clear Brandon’s name and reputation through legal action before he has a chance to defend against these fabricated allegations. We intend to defeat these claims, fully exonerate him and look forward to seeing him back on the field where he belonged.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Monday that the league was aware of the situation when news of the lawsuit broke and had been in contact with the chiefs, who acknowledged that they were made aware of the lawsuit in an evening statement. that day. “We take allegations of this nature very seriously and are looking into the matter,” the statement said. The Jaguars, who are named as defendants in the lawsuit, said they were aware of the complaint and acknowledged the “importance of the claims.”
According to court records, Jane Doe 1 accused McManus of trying to kiss her while she was strapped into a jump seat during the in-flight turbulence. The woman allegedly put her hand up to block McManus’ unwanted advances.
The lawsuit alleges that McManus groped Jane Doe twice while serving food on the flight, in the first instance when she made eye contact with another Jaguars player who appeared embarrassed by his teammate’s behavior. The second incident happened in the same way, according to the lawsuit: Jane Doe was serving the second meal on the flight, and McManus again grabbed her by the waist and “rubbed his clothes but stopped his penis several times.”
Jane Doe II McManus did the same with her during her second in-flight service. According to the complaint, he grinded on Jane Doe II and she was unable to push him away because she was holding a tray in the gallery aisle. When Jane Doe II turned to face McManus, he “smiled and walked away,” the indictment alleges.
The women say they experienced “pain, suffering, psychological and emotional distress, mental illness, shame and humiliation.” They are seeking more than $1 million in damages and a jury trial. McManus and the Jaguars have until June 17 to respond to the complaint.
Jaguars is accused of negligence for failing to properly hire McManus, educate him about inappropriate sexuality, monitor his in-flight behavior, create and enforce a zero-tolerance policy on inappropriate behavior, and create a safe environment for the flight crew.
In an interview with “The Junkies” on 106.7 The Fan on Thursday, Tony Boothby, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, accused McManus of bringing alcohol on the team’s plane, which the NFL prohibits.
“I know alcohol was brought onto the plane, and I know there was some back and forth between the flight attendants and certain players, including Mr. McManus,” Boothby said. “I know you can’t pour alcohol, but can you at least pour my chaser?” He was saying. – Such stupidity. There will be witnesses who will talk about drunkenness and how drunk some individuals were and how drunk they rushed into the flight.
The NFL bans alcohol in team facilities and while traveling to games, a rule emphasized in a 2022 memorandum after then-Commander quarterback Taylor Heinecke was photographed with a beer in hand during a postgame flight. The Florida court indictment also said the women could smell marijuana coming from the plane’s lavatory.
Buzby told 106.7 that Lisa Friel, the NFL’s investigative special counsel, contacted him shortly after the filing in hopes of speaking with his clients. Buzbee also entered. Instagram post Before filing the lawsuit last week, his company tried to settle the case outside the court system.
“Our efforts at settlement were filled with arrogance, ignorance and stupidity, similar to how Deshaun Watson’s team responded when we tried to settle those issues pre-indictment,” he wrote.
McManus signed a one-year deal with the Jaguars in 2023 after spending the previous nine seasons with the Denver Broncos, where he helped lead them to Super Bowl 50 in the 2015 season. New Commanders general manager Adam Peters was Denver’s assistant director of college scouting at the time.
McManus signed a $3.6 million contract with the Chiefs in March to replace Joey Sline. By releasing McManus, the Chiefs would have to eat up to $1.5 million in dead money from his signing bonuses on the salary cap. Although based on the forfeiture language in the contract and the fact that McManus did not disclose the alleged incident to his commanders before signing it, it may be less likely.
Boothby said in an interview with The Junkies that he worked with another attorney before the plaintiffs turned to him, but after taking over, they gave McManus’ agent and the Jaguars a letter.
“I didn’t get a solid address [for McManus]We sent it to the agent. And once we sent it to the agent, we got his attention very quickly,” Buzby said. “We also sent it to the Jaguar firm, but I think we only sent it to them about a week before the lawsuit was filed.”
For six more years, Washington relied on Dustin Hopkins, but a series of nostalgia issues forced him to be fired early in the 2021 season and replaced. There was a failed experiment with Chris Blewitt that season (three missed field goals in two games), a temporary stint with Brian Johnson before Slye recovered from injury and McManus was good twice.
Washington is looking for another kicker now, with limited proven options available this offseason.