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Heather Ramsey, the one girl on the varsity board, shared her ideas.
“Clearly as a girl, it’s essential that we hearken to ladies which can be brave sufficient to convey ahead claims and that we actually examine these critically,” Ramsey mentioned. “However now we have a judicial course of in place, so we actually would not need to make selections for our metropolis earlier than now we have all of that data.”
“I believe he’s responsible of dangerous judgment, I do not know if he’s responsible of any crime,” mentioned Andy Stewart, chair of the varsity board.
“I actually don’t have sufficient data to make a judgment name,” mentioned college board member Willie Mitchell.
In an off-the-cuff Fb ballot by The Instances with 65 votes, nearly all of folks (66%) mentioned “No,” the road shouldn’t be renamed, whereas the remainder (34%) mentioned “Sure,” it ought to.
Amongst those that say no is Leslie Frierson, Watson’s fourth-grade trainer at Centennial Arts Academy and now principal on the college.
“I don’t have an opinion about something associated to the authorized points, however I do have an opinion about Deshaun, and I do know that he has coronary heart,” Frierson mentioned. “What he has meant to the Gainesville group — I imply, it’s important and it’s legendary. He actually modified the face of highschool athletics for lots of our children.”
Brittny Peters, who was additionally in opposition to the identify change, did have one thing to say on Watson’s authorized points. “I simply really feel that since no felony prices ever stood he ought to be presumed harmless,” she mentioned.
In March, two separate Texas grand juries declined to indict Watson on felony complaints stemming from the allegations. That very same month, he signed a five-year contract with the Browns for $230 million, probably the most assured cash in NFL historical past.
Watson is way and away the largest sports activities star to return out of Gainesville.
Different names embody Tommy Aaron, who gained the Masters in 1973, and Micah Owings, who pitched in Main League Baseball. However even mentioning them in the identical breath as Watson is sufficient to elicit cries of blasphemy.
As Frierson put it, “He’s only a league of his personal.”
On Tuesday, Watson reached an settlement to settle 20 of the 24 civil lawsuits that had been filed by ladies who accused him of sexual assault and harassment. Watson has been accused by therapeutic massage therapists of harassing, assaulting or touching them throughout appointments when he was taking part in for the Houston Texans.
Tony Buzbee, lawyer for the 24 ladies, mentioned the phrases of the settlements are “confidential” and that his authorized crew “gained’t remark additional on the settlements or these circumstances.”
The settlement comes after The New York Instances reported earlier this month that “Watson engaged in additional questionable habits than beforehand identified,” in response to a evaluate of authorized data.
Watson booked therapeutic massage appointments with not less than 66 totally different ladies in a 17-month interval from October 2019 to March 2021, in response to the report, and likewise gave among the ladies a nondisclosure settlement.
That’s the reason some say the road ought to be renamed.
“I simply don’t really feel that somebody with 24 sexual allegations in opposition to him is somebody who ought to characterize a significant college system in our area,” mentioned metropolis resident Ashley Pratt.
“Our tax {dollars} to the varsity system, residing inside Gainesville Metropolis limits, mustn’t assist any type of sexual misconduct and with there being settlements made, I really feel that is sufficient to assist a avenue identify change.”
Related Press contributed to this report.
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