by Stephanie Dizio
LOS ANGELES ( Associated Press) – Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer sued a woman accused of sexual assault in federal court on Monday, more than three months after prosecutors decided not to file criminal charges against the athlete. Came after a short time.
The San Diego woman, whom the pitcher met via social media, alleged that Bauer had beaten and sexually abused her last year. He later demanded – but was refused – a restraining order against him. Los Angeles prosecutors said in February there was insufficient evidence to prove the woman’s allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.
Bauer named the woman and one of her lawyers, Niranjan Fred Tyagaraja, as defendants in the lawsuit. The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they have been victims of sexual assault.
“She wanted to destroy Mr. Bauer’s reputation and baseball career, to gain attention for herself, and to extort millions of dollars from Mr. Bauer,” the lawsuit states.
Thiagaraja and Mark Garelik, another attorney representing the woman, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.
Bauer was placed on administrative leave last July as part of Major League Baseball and the Players Association’s joint domestic violence and sexual assault policy. The holiday has been repeatedly extended and is currently expiring on Friday.
Bauer continues to pay his $32 million salary while on leave.
After winning his first Cy Young Award with the Cincinnati Reds in 2020, Bauer agreed to a $102 million, three-year contract to join his hometown Dodgers. He did not pitch after 29 June and finished with an 8–2 record and 2.59 ERA in 17 appearances. He was paid his $28 million salary last year.
Bauer’s lawsuit states that “Mr. Bauer has suffered extreme harm” when the woman alleged that he had knocked her unconscious, repeatedly punched her and killed her without her consent during two sexual encounters last year. Had anal sex with.
The pitcher has repeatedly stated that whatever happened between the two happened by consent during the nights they spent together at their Pasadena home last April and May. He said that the two had rough sex on his suggestion and followed the guidelines they had already agreed upon. Each encounter ended with them joking around and spending the night.
Last month, Bauer filed a defamation suit against The Athletic and a former reporter, accusing him of “making up and spreading a false story” that he broke the woman’s skull.
“We trust our reporting and plan to defend against the claim,” athletic spokeswoman Taylor Patterson said earlier in a statement.
