Addressing Domestic Violence in Professional Sports
02:30 PM Russell Senate Office Building 253
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today announced a full committee hearing on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 at 2:30 p.m. titled, “Addressing Domestic Violence in Professional Sports.”
The hearing will examine the current policies of the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Hockey League (NHL) with regard to domestic violence. Specifically, the hearing will examine how those policies deter violent acts, promote awareness, provide due process, and punish those who commit acts of domestic violence. The hearing will also examine future policies that are being considered for implementation.
For reporters interested in reserving a seat, please contact the press gallery:
• Periodical Press Gallery – 202-224-0265
• Radio/Television Gallery – 202-224-6421
• Press Photographers Gallery – 202-224-6548
• Daily Press Gallery – 202-224-0241
Please note the hearing will be webcast live via the Senate Commerce Committee website. Refresh the Commerce Committee homepage 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time to automatically begin streaming the webcast.
Individuals with disabilities who require an auxiliary aid or service, including closed captioning service for the webcast hearing, should contact Stephanie Gamache at 202-224-5511 at least three business days in advance of the hearing date.
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Majority Statement
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Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV
Majority Statement
Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV
Sports have always played a significant cultural role in the United States. Just last week on Thanksgiving, millions of Americans tuned in to watch three NFL games – yearly games that have become almost as much a part of the Thanksgiving tradition as the turkey itself. Athletes, too, have been cultural icons in American history, and, whether we like it or not, they have served as role models for our youth. Generations of children have grown up watching sporting events with their parents – it’s a family affair – and game-day traditions have been handed down from one generation to the next. Kids wear the jerseys of their favorite players, collect their cards, and hang their posters on their walls.
Given this reality, I don’t want to hear any patronizing lectures about how domestic violence is a larger, societal problem and not unique to sports. Of course, we all know that. Of course, we all know that domestic violence is a criminal act, and we as a nation must collectively and aggressively address this terrible problem. But given the high-profile nature of professional sports, when a celebrity athlete is charged with committing domestic violence, it uniquely reverberates throughout our society. And because professional sports enjoy unique benefits bestowed upon them by the public – such as public funds for stadiums or exemptions from anti-trust laws – it is entirely proper for this Committee to focus its attention on how professional sports leagues and their unions are handling the problem of domestic violence within their ranks.
Consequently, at today’s hearing, I want to learn what the four major professional sports leagues and their players’ associations are doing to address this problem. I want to know if they are developing uniform policies that will effectively and appropriately punish players who commit violent criminal acts against women and children. I want to learn what the leagues can already do with their existing authorities and what must be the subject of new collective bargaining.
I also want to be clear: the problem of domestic violence in professional sports is not a problem unique to the NFL. While the NFL has made most of the recent headlines – both for shocking, high-profile incidents and for the league’s controversial response – all of the professional sports leagues represented here today have a problem with athletes or employees who have committed violent, criminal acts. And up until very recently, the leagues’ records have not been very good. There is a long list of players in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and Major League Baseball who have been charged with, and in some cases convicted of, domestic violence, and the leagues have done little to nothing in response. In fact, the press has reported that a culture of silence within the leagues often prevents victims from reporting their abuse to law enforcement. This has to change.
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Testimony
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Mr. Troy Vincent
Executive Vice President of Football OperationsNational Football League (NFL)Download Testimony (110.55 KB) -
Mr. Joe Torre
Executive Vice President of Baseball OperationsMajor League Baseball (MLB)Download Testimony (59.06 KB)Download Testimony (122.54 KB) -
Ms. Virginia Seitz
CounselMajor League Baseball Players AssociationDownload Testimony (49.66 KB)Download Testimony (37.82 KB) -
Ms. Kathleen Behrens
Executive Vice President, Social Responsibility & Player ProgramsNational Basketball Association (NBA)Download Testimony (3.23 MB) -
Ms. Michele Roberts
Executive DirectorNational Basketball Players AssociationDownload Testimony (44.85 KB) -
Ms. Jessica Berman
Vice President and Deputy General CounselNational Hockey Leauge (NHL)Download Testimony (1.44 MB) -
Mr. Steve Fehr
Special CounselNational Hockey League Players' AssociationDownload Testimony (179.23 KB) -
Ms. Teri Patterson
Deputy Managing DirectorNational Football League Players' AssociationDownload Testimony (310.02 KB)Download Testimony (381.46 KB)
