Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) joined a bipartisan group of House colleagues today in urging the commissioners of the five major sports leagues to hold pro athletes who are charged with perpetrating acts of domestic violence and sexual assault accountable for these crimes and to work to prevent such crimes from occurring. The group sent letters to the commissioners of the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), and Major League Soccer (MLS).

“As we mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we must renew our efforts to hold the perpetrators of domestic and sexual violence accountable, improve prevention, and expand support services for survivors of abuse,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “As the recent incidents involving professional athletes illustrate all too clearly, domestic violence and sexual assault remain a serious threat to American women.  The leaders of our nation’s professional sports leagues must take a stand and work to rid their organizations of domestic abuse and sexual violence.”  

In recent months, multiple reports of domestic violence and assault involving professional athletes have arisen. In the letters sent to the league commissioners, the group called for each league to review its policies regarding domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. The group also urged these leaders to meet with survivors of domestic violence, victims’ rights experts, and advocates.

Congresswoman Kuster is a strong proponent of legislative measures to address domestic violence and sexual assault. As a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, she helped lead the effort to stamp out Military Sexual Trauma in the Armed Forces, partnering with Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (IN-02) to pass a bill to strengthen protections for service members who blow the whistle on sexual assault in the military.

Kuster has also taken action to address the epidemic of sexual assault on college campuses. In August, she convened a roundtable discussion with college administrators, students, community leaders, and advocates to discuss how best to address and prevent sexual assault on school campuses. At the end of July, Kuster worked across the aisle to help introduce the bipartisan Campus Accountability and Safety Act, which aims to address sexual assaults on college and university campuses by protecting and empowering students, strengthening accountability and transparency for institutions, and establishing stiff penalties for non-compliance with the legislation’s new standards for training, data, and best practices.

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