MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The NFL Players Association filed a lawsuit against the NFL on Monday in response to the league's decision to deny Adrian Peterson's season-long suspension appeal.
The NFL on Friday denied the Minnesota Vikings running back's request to overturn his suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy. He was suspended without pay in mid-November after agreeing to a plea deal on child abuse charges.
The players association, in its lawsuit, argues that NFL executive Harold Henderson, who issued the report denying Peterson's request, was acting unfairly and on contradiction to the collective bargaining agreement.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, called Henderson "partial" and said he "exceeded the scope of his authority."
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According to the court filing, the players association argues Peterson was unfairly held to standards implemented in the NFL's new personal conduct policy, which was announced Wednesday, months after Peterson was accused of punishing his then-4-year-old son with a switch, or small branch, leaving him with marks on his body.
"Prior to the implementation of this new policy, no first-time offender of any NFL disciplinary policy -- as Mr. Peterson is -- had ever received more than a two-game suspension for any type of domestic violence incident," the lawsuit read. "Thus, had Mr. Peterson's discipline been lawfully assessed under the applicable disciplinary policies and practices in place prior to the new policy, he could not have lawfully been suspended for more than two games."
Following the release of Henderson's report denying Peterson's appeal, the running back told ESPN he thought Henderson's decision was "absolutely wrong" and compared his case to that of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice.
Rice won his appeal of an indefinite suspension after video surfaced showing him assaulting his then-fiancee Janay Palmer.
"I think I've been made an example out of. It kind of baffles me how -- I have nothing but love for Ray Rice, I'm happy he has the chance to play. But it's like, how did Ray Rice get reinstated before me, a team has a chance to pick him up, but I don't have the opportunity to come back until April. When has that happened in any other case in the NFL, ever?" he asked.
