Report: Brandon McManus faces allegations of sexual assault, lawsuit
May 27, 2024, 2:53 PM | Updated: Jun 2, 2024, 6:54 pm
Brandon McManus, who kicked nine seasons for the Denver Broncos before the team released him last May, faces a lawsuit from two women accusing him of sexual assault.
ESPN’s Michael DiRocco first reported the lawsuit Monday.
The two plaintiffs seek more than $1 million.
McManus joined the Jacksonville Jaguars last year after the Broncos released him. The incident cited in the lawsuit is alleged to have happened during the Jaguars’ team charter flight to London last September.
As DiRocco writes:
The two women — identified as Jane Doe I and Jane Doe II in the lawsuit filed Friday night in Duval County Circuit Civil Court — accuse McManus of rubbing himself against them and grinding against them. They also accuse the Jaguars of failing to supervise McManus and failing to create a safe environment for staff serving the team. …
… The lawsuit says the September flight was the first Jaguars charter flight the two women worked, and they have experienced severe mental anguish, anxiety, psychological and emotional distress, embarrassment and humiliation. They have been removed from the core crew that staffs Jaguars charter flights, which is something they worked hard to achieve, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit alleges the Jaguars committed gross negligence by failing to properly hire McManus, train him about inappropriate and sexual contact with flight staff, supervise him on the flight, adopt policies and procedures to protect flight staff from sexual misconduct by employees, and enforcing a zero-tolerance policy regarding inappropriate behavior.
The Jaguars elected not to re-sign Brandon McManus in March. He subsequently signed with the Washington Commanders early in the unrestricted free-agent signing period.
The Commanders issued a statement on the lawsuit and allegations.
Statement from a Commanders spokesperson on the sexual assault allegations against kicker Brandon McManus:
"Earlier today, we were made aware of the civil lawsuit filed on May 24 against Brandon McManus. We take allegations of this nature very seriously and are looking into the…
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) May 27, 2024
“Earlier today, we were made aware of the civil lawsuit filed on May 24 against Brandon McManus,” the Commanders statement reads. “We take allegations of this nature very seriously and are looking into the matter. We have been in communication with the League Office and Brandon’s representation, and will reserve further comment at this time.”
McManus became one of the most accomplished kickers in Broncos history during a nine-season run that began when the Broncos traded for him at the 2014 roster deadline. After struggling with accuracy in his first season, he consolidated his hold on the job in 2015, and eventually was perfect during the Broncos’ run to Super Bowl 50, hitting all of his placekicks during postseason wins over Pittsburgh, New England and Carolina.
By the time the Broncos cut him last May, McManus was the final player remaining on the roster from Super Bowl 50. Jacksonville quickly added him to its roster, but parted ways with him after a single season.