Judge: Britney Taylor Can Subpoena Teams in Antonio Brown Sexual Assault Case
March 23, 2021
Broward County Judge Michael Robinson ruled Friday that Britney Taylor, who filed a civil lawsuit against NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown in September 2019 alleging he sexual assaulted her three times, can subpoena the Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers for documents related to the case.
Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times reported Tuesday that Robinson also ruled Taylor could subpoena NFL Properties LLC, the league's merchandising arm, but declined a request to include the Pittsburgh Steelers, saying the time frame was "overbroad and beyond the scope of relevant discovery."
Taylor's attorneys filed a court motion in February seeking "correspondence, memoranda, communications, agreements, messages or other written documentation" between Brown and the NFL teams.
Taylor, who met Brown while they both attended Central Michigan University, alleged in the lawsuit Brown sexually assaulted her three times, including raping her on the third occasion in May 2018, after he hired her as a personal trainer.
"Mr. Brown denies each and every allegation in the lawsuit," Darren Heitner, Brown's attorney, said after the lawsuit was filed. "He will pursue all legal remedies to not only clear his name but to also protect other professional athletes against false accusations."
Brown filed a countersuit in November 2019, alleging Taylor's accusations were "false and defamatory."
David Haas, Taylor's attorney, responded to the lawsuit by saying his client "will not be bullied and remains steadfast in holding defendant Brown accountable."
No criminal charges have been filed in the case.
Brown, 32, spent the first nine years of his NFL career with the Steelers (2010-18). He was traded to the Raiders in March 2019 but was released after just six months before ever playing a game.
He signed with the Patriots but played just one game before he was let go in the wake of the allegations from Taylor and another woman, who told Robert Klemko of Sports Illustrated that Brown had sent her intimidating text messages after the publication of an article in which she accused him of sexual misconduct toward her.
He joined the Bucs in October after serving an eight-game suspension for multiple violations the league's personal conduct policy. He was part of the team's Super Bowl LV-winning roster in February.