Minnesota governor Mark Dayton Tuesday added his voice to calls for Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson to be suspended over charges of child abuse.
Dayton said while Peterson is entitled to due process, his alleged actions were an “embarrassment” to the Vikings and the state of Minnesota.
“Whipping a child to the extent of visible wounds as has been alleged, should not be tolerated in our state,” Dayton said in a statement.
“Therefore I believe the team should suspend Mr. Peterson, until the accusations of child abuse have been resolved by the criminal justice system.”
Peterson has denied the whipping he administered to his four-year-old son with a tree branch was child abuse.
He said in a statement he was subject to similar disciplinary measures as a child.
However, he was charged in Texas with reckless or negligent injury to a child after delivering blows so hard that the child still bore the marks days later.
He surrendered to Texas authorities on Saturday and was released on bail. The Vikings held him out of Sunday’s game, but with a trial not expected until next year, they sparked controversy by reinstating him on Monday.
Radisson hotels said Monday they were suspending their sponsorship of the Vikings as they monitor the case.
“Radisson takes this matter very seriously, particularly in light of our long-standing commitment to the protection of children,” the company said in a statement.
“We are closely following the situation and effective immediately, Radisson is suspending its limited sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings while we evaluate the facts and circumstances.”
That move came hours after team officials, in front of a backdrop prominently displaying the Vikings and Radisson logos, said the star player would return to practice this week and was expected to play on Sunday.
“I am not a perfect son. I am not a perfect husband. I am not a perfect parent, but I am, without a doubt, not a child abuser,” Peterson said in a statement.
“I am someone that disciplined his child and did not intend to cause him any injury. No one can understand the hurt that I feel for my son and for the harm I caused him. My goal is always to teach my son right from wrong and that’s what I tried to do that day.”
Later Monday, Peterson’s lawyer Rusty Hardin refuted a report by KHOU-TV in Houston that Peterson is under investigation on allegations he injured another son in June of 2013.
“This is not a new allegation, it’s one that is unsubstantiated and was shopped around to authorities in two states over a year ago and nothing came of it,” Hardin said.
– League in turmoil –
The charge against Peterson comes as the league grapples with the fallout from its handling of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, who was belatedly suspended indefinitely by commissioner Roger Goodell after video surfaced of Rice punching his then-fiancee in an elevator.
The NFL had originally suspended Rice for just two games over the February incident but in the face of public criticism has since scrambled to adopt a tougher stance on domestic violence issues.
Last Sunday, the Carolina Panthers did a U-turn and deactivated defensive end Greg Hardy, who was found guilty in July of assaulting his former girlfriend and threatening to kill her.
Hardy, who has appealed a judge’s ‘guilty’ ruling and requested a full jury trial — had played for the team the week before.
San Francisco defensive end Ray McDonald has played the first two games of the season for the 49ers even as he faces charges of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend.
San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday that calls to bench McDonald — including from former 49ers quarterback Steve Young and California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom — won’t sway the team.
“Our response would be, we have two principles at play here,” Harbaugh said. “And one is respect for due process. And we’re not going to flinch based on public speculation.”