Britney Taylor, who accused Patriots receiver Antonio Brown of rape in a civil lawsuit filed last week, completed a meeting with league investigators on Monday, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Taylor said in the lawsuit that Brown sexually assaulted her on three occasions. Brown has denied the allegations. There is currently no criminal investigation into the accusations.
Rapoport reported on Sunday that the hope from the league is to ramp up its investigation of Taylor’s accusations as quickly as possible, given the time element with games happening each week.
The Patriots signed Brown on Sept. 7 just hours after the Raiders released him. Rapoport reported Sunday that neither the Patriots, nor the NFL, knew of the coming charges against Brown prior to his signing in New England. Had the team known, Rapoport reported, per a source familiar with the situation, Patriots owner Robert Kraft would not have signed off on the signing.
Brown made his Patriots debut Sunday afternoon, recording four receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown in New England’s 43-0 win over the Dolphins.
The NFL did not place Brown on the Commissioner’s Exempt list ahead of the Patriots‘ game on Sunday. A league spokesman told NFL.com that the league’s investigation into the accuser’s claims was just beginning at the time, and there was not enough evidence to form a conclusion as to whether Brown violated the personal conduct policy.
Brown can still be placed on the exempt list at a later date or face suspension if the investigation uncovers evidence to form such a conclusion.