The White House tells the NFL to 'get a handle' on its domestic violence problem
With three players under fire for domestic abuse issues within the last week — not to mention two revised punishments, many mea culpas, and, oh yeah, Ray Rice — it's safe to say the NFL has a domestic violence problem. The problem is so big that in the midst of a maybe-war in the Middle East and other crises around the world, the White House still found time to chastise America's most popular sports league in light of its off-the-field turmoil.
In a statement made by a senior administration official Thursday, the White House told the NFL to "get a handle" on its violent players, urging the league to adopt a "zero tolerance" policy on domestic abuse issues. The official continued:
This isn't the first time the Obama administration has weighed in on the NFL's violence issues. After the Baltimore Ravens cut Ray Rice two weeks ago, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest released a statement on behalf of President Obama, stating: "The president is the father of two daughters. And like any American, he believes that domestic violence is contemptible and unacceptable in a civilized society."
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Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
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