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Woman says players broke deal
SEATTLE (AP) — A woman
who says she was gang-raped by
Cincinnati Bengal* players testi
fied Monday that she consid
ered returning S3Q.0OO she
received from a group of players
because "they hadn't kept their
part of the agreement.”
The woman, identified in U S
District Court records as Victo
ria C . said she signed a docu
ment Oct. 5. 1901. in which she
agreed not to go public: about the
alleged assault in exchange for
ongoing help from the players
In fait, the document pre
pared by Cincinnati attorney
James Perry released all parties
from any liability In the alleged
assault at a Sealtle-aron hotel
()»t 4 1990
Victoria ( said she called
Perry in January 1992 “because
I wasn't hearing from any of the
players The\ said they’d con
tinue to c hoc k on me That was
pari of the agreement.
I said I wanted to send hack
the money. I fell the players
hadn't kept their part of the
agreement They really didn't
i are," lh«> plaintiff said tearfully.
Victoria C < one eded. howev
er. that the money had been
spent — to buy a car. pay six
months rent on a house and to
pay ba< k personal loans
Victoria C ts asking jurors to
set aside the "Release of All
Claims" she signed n year after
the alleged assault, freeing her
to proceed with her lawsuit
against the team and It) current
and former players.
Defense lawyers contend the
release is a binding contract.
Tiie plaintiffS lawyers want the
agreement thrown out on
grounds she did not have legal
counsel and signed under
duress, and that the document
provides inadequate compensa
tion.
Her lawsuit, filed six months
after she signed the agreement,
is scheduled to go to trial June 7.
Defendants Klhert "l< key"
Woods and Krii Thomas were in
court Monday, as they have
been for most of the trial.
Cross-examination of Victoria
was expel ted to begin Mon
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A
day afternoon Defense attor
neys have hammered at the
plaintiff's credibility since the
trial l**g«n March Ti.
A three-day hiatus is sched
uled in the trial after Tuesday
morning's session because
Judge Walter McGovern has a
prior commitment.
Victoria G. who began testify -
mg Friday, said she called the
team in late September 1991 in
a hid to cope with her feelings
about the alleged assault, seek
ing apologies from the players
involved.
After more than three hours
of telephone conversations that
fall with team members, includ
ing one call in which four play
ers offered anonymous apolo
gies. it was clear their primary
concern was that she not go
public, she said Monday.
The agreement was prepared
by Perry and faxed to her after
she and some of the players —
primarily Woods — discussed
their helping with her medical
bills.
Woods said $30,000 "was the
liest he could do ... at this
point." the plaintiff said.
She said she was told by Per
ry that if sht! made her allega
tions public, she would forfeit
the money and could be sued by
the players Perry also told her
not to get an attorney and noted
that hiring a lawyer would cost
"n lot of money," Victoria
said.
"I trusted him. ... thought he
was helping both sides," she
said.
During her telephone discus
sions with Woods and other
team members. Victoria C. said
she called attorney Richard
Eymann because she felt "over
whelmed” by the players' calls.
She said she did not consult
with him about the agreement
or agree to his representing her
until 1992.
She signed it. hod it nota
rized. and returned it to Perry.
The money was subsequently
deposited in a Iwmk account she
opened for that purpose
After her January 1992 call to
Perry. Victoria C. said Woods
telephoned her.
He had heard I wanted to
give the money back . he was
afraid I'd go public." the plain
tiff said.
She said she told Woods that
she did not believe the players
were upholding their end of the
bargain and that she felt "peo
ple needed to know what had
happened to me."
"He said he would sue me.”
Victoria C. testified.
She said Woods then tried to
calm her down and said he
would see if the players could
come up with more money.
Hut he also told her the agree
ment she had signed had said
the $30,0(H) "was basically all I
was getting.
"I said. 'You've got to be kid
ding.'" she told the court.
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