Brandon McManus was supposed to be the starting kicker for the Washington Commanders this season. However, a lawsuit was filed against him and one of his former teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars, by two flight attendants, referred to as Doe 1 and Doe 2 in court documents, that accused him of sexual assault during a team flight to London in 2023.
As a result of these allegations, which McManus has denied, the Commanders decided to release him. No other NFL team wanted to sign him, either, as a result of the accusations. He is currently a free agent.
A Florida Judge Dismissed the Lawsuit Against Brandon McManus
On Tuesday, it was reported by Michael DiRocco of ESPN that a Florida judge had dismissed the lawsuit against McManus. Per his report, “Judge Michael S. Sharrit granted a motion from McManus’ attorney Tuesday by ruling that per Florida law the two women’s use of pseudonyms — Jane Doe I and Jane Doe II — does not meet ‘exceptional case’ criteria required to warrant party anonymity. Sharrit also wrote that ‘fairness requires Plaintiffs be prepared to stand behind their charges publicly in the same way Defendant McManus must openly refute them.'”
In other words, the judge dismissed the lawsuit because the two defendants refused to file their case against him using their real names. When they first filed the suit, they chose to remain anonymous due to fear that they would be put in physical danger if their names were made public.
It should be noted, though, that this dismissal does not mean that McManus has been exonerated or that he is free from future lawsuits. In fact, the two women are expected to file a new suit within 10 days.
Brandon McManus Should Expect a New Lawsuit Brought Against Him Soon
According to DiRocco’s report, the judge gave the plaintiffs 10 days to file a new lawsuit against McManus with their real names listed on the complaint. Tony Buzbee, the attorney who is representing the two women, said that they would do so.
“Most defendants in sexual assault cases file these types of motions thinking that the victims won’t proceed if they have to publicly reveal their names. We anticipated this ruling. To be clear, these women have no intention to run and hide, and will comply with the court’s order in a timely fashion. We look forward to continuing to pursue this important case.”
So, McManus does not currently have a lawsuit filed against him, but it sure sounds like he will again soon. With the 2024 NFL regular season set to start in just a few days, it is hard to imagine that he will be on any team’s roster this year.
Depending on the outcome of the upcoming suit, he may not be on another NFL roster again.
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