Holdout won't settle because Browns' Deshaun Watson 'still refuses to admit that he harassed and committed indecent assault'

Shortly after it was learned earlier this month that NFL disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson initially recommended a six-game suspension for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson regarding allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions, attorney Tony Buzbee confirmed that his legal team had settled 23 of 24 civil lawsuits brought against Watson. 

"We will continue to discuss the remaining case with Watson’s legal team, as appropriate," the attorney representing the plaintiffs suing the signal-caller added at that time. 

On Thursday, the NFL confirmed a settlement with the NFL Players Association that resulted in Watson receiving an 11-game ban and a $5 million fine. Per the league's website, the deal "requires compliance with a professional evaluation and treatment plan." 

Watson has since publicly insisted he "never assaulted anyone or disrespected anyone" even though he apologized last Friday "to all of the women that I have impacted in this situation." As Mike Florio noted for Pro Football Talk, a former massage therapist named Lauren Baxley explained why she remains the lone holdout in the civil cases for a piece published early Friday morning by the Daily Beast. 

"I have rejected all settlement offers, in part because they have not included any sincere acknowledgment of remorse and wrongdoings, nor have they included any promises of rehabilitative treatment," Baxley said. "Watson still refuses to admit that he harassed and committed indecent assault against me. Any settlement offer he has made has been a dismissal of his evil actions, and I know that unless there is an authoritative intervention, he will continue his destructive behavior." 

Two grand juries declined to indict Watson earlier this year. 

"Because Watson repeatedly assaulted women, the institutions and individuals who currently uphold and employ him must also be held accountable," Baxley continued. "I am just one of dozens of women whose lives have been eternally harmed by his sexual violence. Even one more victim is outrageous.

"I will say again: All non-consensual sexual acts are a violence, particularly when the predator far outweighs his victims in physical stature and influential power. And inherent and unspoken threats are just as damaging to the psyche as explicit threats. I will never cease my attempts to educate on this point." 

The National Organization of Women, the president and founder of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, and the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center have all released statements reacting to Watson's punishment.