Why Hasn’t the NFL Suspended Player Indicted for Child Abuse? An Open Letter to Roger Goodell

Dear Roger Goodell,

Here are a couple of things I would have hoped your NFL employees knew already—don’t hit your girlfriend and don’t hit your kid. What I don’t understand is why the guy who hit his kid can play next week.

Knocking your girlfriend unconscious and whipping your child with a tree branch are both terrible crimes.

Yes, crimes. Ray Rice was suspended indefinitely for the former only after video came out that confirmed what everyone already knew happened. Adrian Peterson, who was indicted for child abuse last week, announced he would be playing this Sunday.

He has admitted to striking his four year old son with a stick (which he refers to as a switch, which is a stick with the leaves pulled off).

There are pictures of what he allegedly did to the child and it is awful. I once worked at a group home where a number of the children suffered abuse and witnessed the impact it had-- I don't care to hear any excuses. It has to stop.

I understand there isn’t additional video evidence this time, so you probably won't feel compelled to act. Still, I hope you take time to do the right thing. Use your immensely popular league to raise awareness about child abuse in America. See to it that something good comes from this terrible incident.

For those who have witnessed or suspect child abuse in New Hampshire, please visit the Division of Health and Human Services at dhhs.state.nh.us/dcyf/cps/stop.htm.

In Maine, visit maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/abuse.htm.

In Vermont, visit dcf.vermont.gov/fsd/reporting_child_abuse.

In Massachusetts, visit mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dcf/child-abuse-neglect/