NFLPA's Lawsuit Against Adrian Peterson Going to Court in Early February

By Christine Thomasos, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, January 06, 2015

The NFL Players Association's lawsuit against the NFL on behalf of Adrian Peterson has received an official court date.

Peterson, the 29-year-old Minnesota Vikings running back, made headlines last September when news broke claiming that he abused his four-year-old son whom the football star struck with a stripped tree branch, resulting in severe lacerations. Although his no-contest plea left him with the ability to continue with the 2014-2015 NFL season, the league officially decided he would remain suspended without pay until next April.

The NFLPA decided to file a federal lawsuit after an arbitrator decided not to grant him an appeal that could help him return to playing for the Minnesota Vikings this season. The case involving Peterson will appear in court before U.S. District Court Judge David S. Doty at 2 p.m. on Feb. 6, according to USA Today reports.

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Peterson previously said he believed he was being made an example of after NFL player Ray Rice was recently allowed to return to the league following a suspension stemming from a domestic violence assault against his wife where he knocked her unconscious.

"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," Peterson previously told ESPN. "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?"

Last month, the NFLPA explained their decision to file a lawsuit against the NFL after Peterson was not granted an appeal.

"The NFLPA expected this outcome, given the hearing officer's relationship and financial ties to the NFL. The decision itself ignores the facts, the evidence and the collective bargaining agreement," the player's association said in a statement obtained by CBS. "This decision also represents the NFL's repeated failure to adhere to due process and confirms its inconsistent treatment of players. Our union is considering immediate legal remedies."