Peterson back on team, says he's not an abuser

Star running back Adrian Peterson is headed back to the football field, but the Minnesota Vikings lost a key business partner on Monday.

Just hours after Peterson's reinstatement after missing Sunday's game against the New England Patriots in the wake of child abuse charges, the Radisson hotel chain suspended its sponsorship of the team. That deal includes a banner bearing the company name hung at Vikings news conferences.

The hotel firm said Monday it "takes this matter very seriously, particularly in light of our long-standing commitment to the protection of children."

The team said it has "respectfully honored" Radisson's request. Marilyn Carlson Nelson, the former chairwoman of Carlson Cos., which owns Radisson, led efforts that landed Minneapolis the 2018 Super Bowl game.

For Peterson, the reinstatement frees him to play Sunday and beyond. In a Monday statement, the former MVP said he was meeting with a psychologist and "I am, without a doubt, not a child abuser."

But Peterson's problems escalated again late Monday, when a Houston TV station reported that the running back had recently been investigated — but not charged — for a second Texas incident in which he physically disciplined another of his children.

KHOU-TV reported that pictures texted between Peterson and the child's mother showed a cut on the child's head, which left a scar.

Peterson's attorney in Texas, Rusty Hardin, quickly dismissed the allegations, saying it was "simply not true" and that an adult witness had insisted Peterson had done nothing improper.

Team and NFL officials insisted Monday that the charges against Peterson continue to be taken seriously, and the league also announced more steps to address the almost weekly legal problems involving its top players.

The NFL's action earlier in the day, naming a former New York sex crimes prosecutor as an adviser on Peterson's case, signaled that the Viking's indictment could still lead to discipline under the league's personal conduct policy.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, under scrutiny for allegedly mishandling the domestic abuse case involving Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice, announced Monday the creation of a new league position on social responsibility and hired three prominent women who have worked on domestic violence issues.

Goodell said the new advisers — Lisa Friel, a former sex crimes prosecutor, Jane Randel, founder of NO MORE, and Rita Smith, former executive director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence — would work with him and other league officials to develop new policies on sexual violence.

As Peterson's indictment slowly began its journey through the Texas court system — an initial hearing was set for Oct. 8 — Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman defended the team's reinstatement of its biggest star despite Peterson telling police he whipped his son with a switch and photos showing the 4-year-old with multiple wounds.

"By no means do we take lightly the child abuse," Spielman said. "The photos are disturbing. I understand that this is a very difficult thing to handle. But we also feel strongly as an organization that this is disciplining a child. Whether it's an abusive situation or not, or whether he went too far disciplining, we feel very strongly that is the court's decision."

The team also said it was aware of the allegations about a second incident.

Charities respond

Child welfare agencies in Minnesota and Texas that have received money and support from Peterson's charitable foundation also weighed in.

"Granted, we are a domestic violence agency," said Susan Neis of Cornerstone, a Minnesota nonprofit that received $10,000 from Peterson's All Day Foundation two years ago. "He gave money to the Children's Hospital [and Clinics of Minnesota], he gave it to Toys for Tots. [Most] of the time, the person whose name is on that foundation doesn't make the decisions. We need to do a much better job of [helping] people to understand that violence is never an appropriate response to stress. It doesn't work, and it just inflicts pain and fear."

Katie Heinze, a spokeswoman for Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, confirmed her organization's financial ties to Peterson.

"Last year, we held a joint fundraiser with Adrian Peterson's All Day Foundation. We have nothing else currently planned. Our thoughts are with the child and family at this difficult time," Heinze said.

The Texas Council on Family Violence, an Austin-based group that promotes "safe and healthy relationships," said it was examining its relationship with Peterson. "He made a couple of contributions to the Texas Council," said Angela Hale, a spokeswoman. "We've been thinking about it. [It's] difficult — the nature of the charges and everything."

Gloria Aguilera Terry, the group's chief executive added: "We believe Adrian's actions warrant attention. We also believe everyone deserves a chance to learn and change."

'Not a perfect parent'

The stakes for Peterson — personally and financially — were evident again Monday. His statement was issued not by the Vikings but by Creative Artists Agency, the large Los Angeles firm that also represents stars such as Mick Jagger and Miley Cyrus.

"I am not a perfect son. I am not a perfect husband. I am not a perfect parent," Peterson said in his statement. He said he voluntarily appeared before the Texas grand jury and was interviewed by two law enforcement agencies. "In each of these interviews, I have said the same thing, and that is that I never ever intended to harm my son," he said.

While Spielman said Monday the team had "seen everything that's in the file," an assistant district attorney in Montgomery County, Texas, said the NFL had only received information that was already public.

Vikings owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf did not speak at Winter Park but released a statement saying, "We take very seriously any matter that involves the welfare of a child. At this time, however, we believe this is a matter of due process, and we should allow the legal system to proceed."