Anyone who has been around the NFL knows the Baltimore Ravens have been a model organization over the years. But then again, no one is perfect. This organization is no stranger to controversy. There’s no need to name the previous ones. That horse has already been beaten to death.
But the latest accusations facing kicker Justin Tucker must be addressed soon. The Baltimore Banner reported last month that six unnamed massage therapists had accused Tucker of sexual misconduct. Three more victims came forward soon after the initial report.
Seven more massage therapists have also recently accused Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior. The total number of accusers is now 16.
Tucker passionately denied the accusations and released the following statement on X in response to the story in the Banner:
“I have never been accused of acting inappropriately in front of a massage therapist or during any massage therapy session… never received any complaints from a massage therapist … and have never been told that I was not welcome at any spa or other place of business.”
“In accusing me of misconduct, the article takes innocuous, or ambiguous, interactions and skews them so out of proportion they are no longer recognizable, and it presents vague insinuations as fact. This is desperate tabloid fodder.”
The Ravens organization released a statement regarding the initial allegations:
“We are aware of the Baltimore Banner’s story regarding Justin Tucker as well as his response. We take any allegations of this nature seriously and will continue to monitor the situation.”
Obviously, there’s only so much that can be said since this is a legal matter, but at least the organization acknowledged what has been filed.
Sure, they’re only accusations as of now. But in the court of public opinion, Tucker is guilty until proven innocent rather than innocent until proven guilty.
The NFL stated on January 30 that it “first became aware of the allegations from the reporter investigating this story” and intends to “look into the matter.” A league spokesperson said the matter remains under review of the personal conduct policy.
It’s just a bad look for the organization. That’s very unfortunate given how much effort the franchise puts into its community outreach. Multiple players give their time on days off to take part in community giveaways, and reading at local schools, among other things to help the city.
That’s not to take away from what allegedly happened to the victims. No one deserves to be subject to such treatment, if true. The situation is truly sad all around.
My prayers go out to both parties involved in this indecent.I will say that if it’s true, punish Tucker under the law and if he’s innocent punish all of the parties involved because it’s sad that people would stoop this low for money.