Steelers Tight-Lipped Over Player Arrests; Women's Center Wants Answers

POSTED: 3:33 pm EDT March 18, 2008

UPDATED: 6:08 pm EDT March 18, 2008

PITTSBURGH -- In the last two years, three Pittsburgh Steelers players have been charged with domestic violence.

One Pittsburgh group is claiming the Steelers aren't doing enough to tackle the problems with their players.

In 2006, wide receiver Santonio Holmes was charged with domestic violence and assaulting a woman. Those charges were dropped, however.

Running back Najeh Davenport pleaded not guilty on charges stemming from a domestic dispute with the mother of his child in October 2007. Davenport will go to trial on the charges.

Earlier this month, linebacker James Harrison was arrested and charged with assault.

Beth Tibbott, Harrison's girlfriend, told police she had an argument with Harrison and locked herself in a bedroom at her Sonie Drive residence. Tibbott said she was attempting to call 911 when Harrison broke through a door, took her cell phone and broke it in half. Tibbott said Harrison then slapped her in the face, knocking off her glasses.

At the request of his attorney, Harrison is undergoing anger management counseling.

Pittsburgh Women's Center and Shelter wants the team to make a statement on the issues.

"How powerful it would be to this community and the community across the nation if they would come out and make a statement that they don't condone this kind of behavior," said Shirl Regan of the Women's Center.

Neither the Steelers nor the NFL have taken a public stance on the issue. The Steelers only released a statement saying "conduct is important to us and to the NFL as well."

The Steelers have not said if they offered Harrison counseling, either. The NFL personal conduct policy states any player arrested for or charged with conduct prohibited by the policy would be required to undergo consultation and additional counseling as directed.

A league representative would not say how or when those individual counseling sessions are conducted.

But the Women's Center said league-mandated counseling is only a first step.

"The bigger thing that we would like to see happen is not just him individually getting help, but for professional football to take a stand and say this is not OK, like any other criminal activity you get involved in," said Janet Scott of the Women's Center.

Harrison's preliminary hearing is set for April 3.

Previous Stories: