Baltimore Ravens Stand against Domestic Violence, Ray Rice Fired

NFL star Ray Rice has been terminated from his position as running back for the Baltimore Ravens after a video emerged that showed Rice punching his then-fiancee Janay Palmer in an Atlantic City casino. Rice has also been indefinitely suspended from playing for any team in the NFL, 

A video had been previously released that showed Rice dragging Palmer out of the casino elevator where she had been hit, but not the actual attack. When that video leaked, Rice received a two-game suspension, a punishment that many criticized as a mere slap on the wrist. 

In the latest video, Ray is shown hitting Palmer twice before she appears to hit her head on an elevator handrail and falls unconscious. 

Within hours of the video’s release, the NFL fired Rice in a stand against domestic violence, tweeting, “The Baltimore Ravens terminated the contract of RB Ray Rice this afternoon.” 

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that NFL officials had not seen the video previously. “It changed things of course. It made things a little bit different,” Harbaugh said. 

Former New York Jets coach Herm Edwards said that the Ravens should have taken action before the video surfaced. “...you, as a coach...can decide you own fate of the player even before the league gets involved,” he said. “This could be a one-time incident, but it’s one-time too many.” 

Publication date: September 9, 2014