Texas judge dismisses sexual assault lawsuit against Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott
A Texas judge dismissed a sexual assault lawsuit against Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott on Wednesday, ending a months-long legal battle over an alleged 2017 incident, according to WFAA.
Collin County Judge Angela Tucker dismissed the lawsuit officially Wednesday, and scheduled a hearing for later this year to determine if any action should be taken against Prescott’s accuser.
“The original lies by [the accuser], her team, and their recent failed attempt to sue him civilly are all just a continuation of their extortion plot against Dak,” Prescott's attorney, Levi G. McCathern, said in a statement, via WFAA. “These ploys distract from the trauma of legitimate sexual assault survivors and undermine the progress that our society has made in supporting them.”
Police briefly investigated Prescott over the alleged 2017 incident, which reportedly took place in the parking lot of a Dallas-area strip club after his rookie season with the Cowboys. They dropped that investigation last month due to a lack of evidence.
Prescott’s team made the accusations public first after he filed a civil lawsuit against the woman in question. Prescott claimed that the woman was trying to extort him with fake accusations of sexual assault and that she demanded $100 million to keep quiet. The woman and her attorney, according to Prescott's lawsuit, sent a letter about the alleged sexual assault to his alma mater, Mississippi State, in January that was then sent to Prescott's attorneys.
The woman’s attorney then filed a countersuit with the sexual assault allegations. The initial lawsuit was dropped and refiled in Collin County, which sits just northeast of Dallas, so it could be tried in the same court as Prescott’s claim.
Prescott has also pledged to donate all proceeds from his lawsuit against the woman to the Joyful Heart Foundation, which works to fight against sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Sept. 13.
Prescott, 30, will enter his ninth season in the league this fall. The former Mississippi State star threw for 4,516 yards and 36 touchdowns last season while leading the Cowboys to the playoffs for a third straight season and a second NFC East divisional title in the past three years. Prescott is entering the final year of his four-year, $160 million deal with the team.