Another NFL player accused of sexual assault

While NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the Pittsburgh Steelers continue plans to dole out a punishment for Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger over his alleged sexual assault last month, another case has come to light involving an NFL player being sued for an alleged sexual assault in January.

Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that an attorney has filed a four-count complaint in Marion (Ind.) Circuit Court that alleges Colts defensive tackle Eric Foster sexually assaulted an Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis student the morning of the Colts AFC Championship Game against the Jets in Indianapolis.

The four counts are sexual assault, battery, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

According to the article, Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi indicated he would not pursue criminal charges against Foster. But attorney April Board told the newspaper on Monday that the IUPUI police department botched the case and prompted her client to seek redress in civil court.

"It's so far afield from the standard operating procedure of any police department," Board said. "I dont care if its the tiniest town in Indiana or New York City. Its unbelievable."

The incident allegedly took place shortly after 8 a.m. on Jan. 24 at the University Place Hotel, which is on the IUPUI campus. According to the Board, a hotel manager had asked Lauren Glisson, a 22-year-old student who is a hotel receptionist, to deliver a dental kit to Foster's room on a floor reserved for the Colts players and team officials.

Glisson knocked on Foster's door, Board said. He took the dental kit and then asked her to look at his bathroom sink, which wasnt working. Board indicated Glisson said she would instead call maintenance, but Foster insisted she investigate the problem.

She went in, and he slammed the door, and then proceeded to forcibly engage in deviant sexual acts, Board told the newspaper. Glisson escaped from the room and immediately reported the incident to hotel security. Glisson asked for a copy of the report but was told it was accidentally deleted from the computer system because the security official was a new employee. However, the security official did contact a Colts security liaison.

After returning home, according to Board, Glisson was urged by her sister to report the incident to Indianapolis police, who redirected her to IUPUI police. Board said Glisson volunteered to leave her uniform as evidence, but police declined, she said.

A report was documented at 6:30 p.m., and pictures were taken of her bruises. A few days later, IUPUI detective Russell Peper had Glisson take a four-hour lie detector test, Board said, even though state law says sexual assault victims do not have to submit to one.

It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out, especially against the backdrop of the Roethlisberger situation. No charges were filed in Roethlisberger's case, but the sordid details that have emerged from the police report, in additional to a civil suit filed last year against Roethlisberger for sexual assault in connection with an incident in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, have prompted Goodell to conclude that Roethlisberger has violated the NFL's personal conduct policy.

How that impacts Foster remains to be seen, but it certainly bears watching over the coming weeks and months.