Senator Blasts NFL For Turning 'Blind Eye' To Domestic Violence
"It's outrageous. I think it's disgraceful. I think it was an absolute terrible job by the NFL. I think they did not do the right thing. I think they turned a blind eye," Gillibrand said during a Tuesday morning interview on WNYC's "The Brian Lehrer Show."
In July, the NFL had initially decided to suspend Rice for two games after the football star was arrested for allegedly knocking out his wife in an Atlantic City elevator. After TMZ published new footage of the incident on Monday, the Ravens cut Rice and the NFL suspended him indefinitely.
Gillibrand argued that the initial controversy should have been enough to get rid of Rice.
"The man had admitted that, 'I beat my wife,' and they just suspended him for two games?" she asked. "That's an inadequate response to the scourge of domestic violence."
Gillibrand demurred, however, when she was pressed on whether NFL commissioner Roger Goodell should also be shown the door.
"I think the NFL should look long and hard at their polices and figure out what they are doing wrong. Because they are not getting it right. And this is systemic. It's domestic violence in the NFL. It's sexual assault on college campuses and in the military. It is this constant lack of valuing of women," she said. "This is unacceptable behavior and it should not be allowed by anyone - and certainly not an NFL star."