AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that he won’t throw the ceremonial first pitch as planned at the Texas Rangers’ home opener — the latest jab in a fight that’s pushing corporate America into the political battle over voting rights.

The Republican governor informed the Rangers via a letter, citing Major League Baseball’s decision to move the MLB All-Star Game from Atlanta in response to Georgia’s sweeping new voting laws, which include new restrictions on voting by mail and greater legislative control over how elections are run.

Abbott’s decision came hours before the team was set to take the field against the Toronto Blue Jays in the Dallas suburb of Arlington.

In the letter, Abbott said he will no longer participate in and that Texas won’t seek to host any future MLB events.

“It is shameful that America’s pastime is not only being influenced by partisan political politics, but also perpetuating false political narratives,” Abbott said.

Major League Baseball and the Texas Rangers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Liberal activists are putting pressure on companies to denounce nationwide GOP efforts to tighten state voting laws. A joint statement from executives at nearly 200 companies, including HP, Microsoft, PayPal, Target, Twitter, Uber and Under Armour, took aim at state legislation “threatening to make voting more difficult” and said “elections are not improved” when lawmakers impose new barriers to voting.

Up to 40,000 fans will be allowed in at full capacity at Globe Life Field following Abbott’s scaling back of COVID-19 protocols.

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HOUSTON (AP) — A 14th woman has filed a lawsuit accusing Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and harassment.

The claims in the latest suit, which was filed late Monday night in a Harris County state district court, are similar to those in the earlier cases in which the women accuse Watson of exposing himself, touching them with his penis or kissing them against their will while he got a massage. The most recent lawsuit was filed by a woman who alleges Watson assaulted her in July 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. Six others lawsuits were filed earlier Monday while the others were filed last week.

Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, has called the allegations “meritless,” while the NFL player has broadly denied he acted inappropriately.

The 14 women, who have sued separately, have not been identified in the lawsuits. They are represented by Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee, who’s said he planned to submit evidence from several of the women to investigators.

Authorities have declined to comment on the allegations.

The NFL has said it’s investigating the allegations against Watson.

Watson is one of the league’s top quarterbacks but has asked to be traded from the Texans, who had a 4-12 record last season.

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DALLAS (AP) — Three masseuses have sued Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson for alleged sexual assault, accusing the star player of a “disturbing pattern” of behavior toward women.

In lawsuits filed this week, two of the woman claim that Watson touched them with his penis during massages last year, and the third alleges he forced her to perform oral sex.

Watson, 25, has broadly denied that he acted inappropriately and said he looks forward to clearing his name.

“I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect,” the quarterback said in a statement posted to Twitter Tuesday. His attorney and agent did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Houston police spokeswoman Jodi Silva declined to comment on whether any of the alleged sexual assaults were reported to police, saying the department does not identify people who have not been charged with a crime.

The women, who are not named in the lawsuits, are represented by Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee. He did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday, but wrote in one of the lawsuits that “Watson’s behavior is part of a disturbing pattern of preying on vulnerable woman.”

According to the suits, the women live in Texas, Oregon and Georgia and work giving massages. Two claimed that during massages in March and August of last year Watson was sexually suggestive, exposed his genitals and moved toward them in ways that caused his penis to touch their hands. The lawsuit from the third woman describes similar behavior and alleges that during a massage in December, Watson “coerced” her into giving him oral sex. The woman did not consent and then “blacked out for a few minutes from fear,” the lawsuit states.

The alleged assaults took place at one of the women’s homes, a Houston hotel and an office building in the city, according to the suits. They state that Watson connected with the women over social media, where they advertised their businesses, and flew one of them from Atlanta to Houston for a massage.

Each woman is suing for compensatory and punitive damages, as well as court costs.
Texans spokesman Omar Majzoub said that the team first learned about the allegations against Watson through a social media post Tuesday.

“We take accusations of this nature that involve anyone with the Houston Texans organization seriously,” Majzoub said in a Wednesday statement. He declined to comment further Thursday.

Watson is one of the league’s top quarterbacks and led the NFL in yards passing last season. He signed a four-year, $156 million contract extension with the Texans last offseason, but he became unhappy with the direction of the team as Houston sunk to 4-12 and he requested a trade in January.

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By JAKE BLEIBERG | Associated Press

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