The Houston Texans have reached settlements with 30 women who were prepared to make claims against the NFL organization for its alleged role regarding allegations of inappropriate sexual misconduct against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in massage sessions, the attorney for the women, Tony Buzbee, said in a statement Friday.
One of the 30 women already had filed a civil suit against the Texans in June, accusing the team of "enabling Watson's behavior." Buzbee said that case will be settled, as well. He did not disclose the terms of the 30 settlements.
"We were shocked and deeply saddened when we first learned of the allegations against our then franchise quarterback in March 2021," Texans owners Janice McNair, Hannah and Cal McNair said in a statement Friday. "Although our organization did not have any knowledge of Deshaun Watson's alleged misconduct, we have intentionally chosen to resolve this matter amicably. This is not an admission of any wrongdoing, but instead a clear stand against any form of sexual assault and misconduct.
"We hope that today's resolution will provide some form of closure to the parties involved, our fans and the Houston community at large. As an organization, we will now turn our focus to the future and doing what we can to ensure respect for all."
In June, Watson settled 20 of 24 lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct when he played for the Texans. He has been accused by 25 women in civil lawsuits of actions ranging from sexual assault to inappropriate behavior during massage sessions. One of those lawsuits was dropped after the judge ruled the petition had to be amended with the plaintiff's name.