NFL to meet with Antonio Brown accuser Monday: report
Player's ex-trainer, Britney Taylor, has accused him of rape, sexual assault
The NFL plans to meet Monday with a woman who says she was raped by New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown.
A person with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed the meeting to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
Britney Taylor accused Brown of rape and sexual assault in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in the Southern District of Florida. Brown has denied the allegations by his former trainer.
Darren Heitner, a lawyer representing Brown, said Brown and Taylor had "a consensual personal relationship." He told the AP on Tuesday his client plans to countersue.
'Speaking out removes the shame I have felt'
Brown was active for Sunday's game at Miami after he wasn't placed on the commissioner's exempt list.
No criminal charges have been filed and the NFL hasn't fully developed its investigation, so Brown is able to make his debut with the Patriots, who acquired him after Brown requested and got his release from Oakland.
The AP does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they come forward publicly. Taylor was identified in the federal lawsuit and was quoted in a statement provided by her lawyer, David Haas.
"As a rape victim of Antonio Brown, deciding to speak out has been an incredibly difficult decision," Taylor said. "I have found strength in my faith, my family, and from the accounts of other survivors of sexual assault. Speaking out removes the shame that I have felt for the past year and places it on the person responsible for my rape."