If you stretch the news from D.C. Superior Court Monday, former Redskin Albert Haynesworth came out a winner. Last April he was charged with sexual assault for allegedly fondling a waitress at a downtown hotel. In court action, prosecutors did not pursue the sexual charge. Whew!
Not so fast. Haynesworth dodged the sex rap, but he admitted to a charge that, in my book, is foul and disgusting. Repulsive, even. Here’s what the very large, very aggressive defensive tackle admitted to doing, according to the U.S. attorney:
In the wee hours of Feb. 13, Haynesworth was entertaining a group of about 15 to 20 in P.O.V Lounge, Hotel W’s rooftop bar. It’s a wonderful, iconic perch in the capital, with views of the Treasury Building and the Washington Monument.
Befitting a star athlete who thinks too much of himself, Haynesworth sat at tables cordoned off from the rest of us. One waitress had been serving his group. At around 2 a.m., she was clearing a nearby table. Her hands were full of plates. Haynesworth pulled out his credit card and said he was ready to pay the check. She said she had to put down the plates. He tapped the card on her arm.
“No,” he said, “I want you to take it now.”
The waitress looked down at her hands to show him again they were stacked with plates. Then, the prosecutor says: “Haynesworth slid the card down the front of her dress, inserting it between her bra and skin. He then moved his hand toward her left breast, eventually touching her nipple with the backs of his fingers in a circular fashion around it.”
The waitress kept her hold on the plates.
“He knew, or should have known,” the prosecutor continues, “that she had not consented to his touching of her breast in this manner.”
In court and in pleading documents, Haynesworth does not contest the facts. Is it sexual assault? You tell me.
U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen and his prosecutors decided not to try Haynesworth for sexual assault. It’s tough to prove. It gets into intent. The waitress was reluctant to testify. “She will not be forced to relive this upsetting experience again in a court proceeding or to endure the harsh glare of the media spotlight,” prosecutor said.
But we should keep the glare on Haynesworth. The dude clearly does not believe society’s rules apply to him. Last winter he was charged with getting out of his truck and punching out a guy who made a gesture because Haynesworth was tailgating him. The case was dismissed after Haynesworth settled with the man.
One lesson to take away is that Redskins owner Dan Snyder is a lousy judge of character. He offered Haynesworth $100 million for seven years; the player was so troublesome coach Mike Shanahan benched him.
If there’s a “win” here, it’s that Haynesworth has admitted to being a groper; he has to complete 160 hours of community service and undergo counseling.
He needs it.
Harry Jaffe’s column appears on Tuesday and Friday. He can be contacted at [email protected].
