CNN
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A sports activities psychologist, who was underneath contract with the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, has filed a civil lawsuit in opposition to the group and 19-year-old former Spurs participant Joshua Primo.
The psychologist alleges the participant uncovered himself to her throughout remedy classes and claimed the group’s management did not act regardless of her “quite a few complaints about Primo’s improper sexual conduct,” in keeping with a courtroom submitting.
Primo has denied the allegations.
The Bexar County, Texas, sheriff’s workplace has opened a preliminary investigation into the allegations, Adelina Simpson, a spokeswoman for the workplace, informed CNN.
CNN has reached out to Primo’s attorneys for touch upon the investigation.
The lawsuit claims that Primo first uncovered his genitals to Dr. Hillary Cauthen throughout a person non-public session in December 2021, that the exposures continued to occurred, rising “progressively extra excessive,” and that Primo’s habits “went unchecked by the group’s management for a lot of months,” even after Cauthen reported it.
The Spurs authorized crew then informed Cauthen, a licensed, credentialed scientific psychologist, that the crew “had misplaced belief in her,” Cauthen’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, mentioned throughout a press convention Thursday.
When her contract got here up for renewal in August, they selected to not renew it, in keeping with the petition filed in Bexar County District Court docket on Thursday.
“Primo’s conduct is clearly properly outdoors the bounds of what’s regular or is appropriate. His conduct shocks the conscience,” Buzbee mentioned.
“I might additionally say that the Spurs conduct and the best way they dealt with this matter was egregious and completely unreasonable.”
Primo was launched from the crew on October 28. Spurs Sports activities & Leisure CEO RC Buford mentioned the roster transfer would “serve the very best curiosity of each the group and Joshua” in an announcement whereas not offering any particular particulars on the choice.
Attorneys for the participant have launched an announcement, saying “Josh Primo is in the beginning of a promising profession and has been devastated by these false allegations and launch by the Spurs.”
His attorneys name Cauthen’s accusations “both a whole fabrication, a gross embellishment or utter fantasy.”
“Josh Primo is a 19-year-old NBA participant who has suffered a lifetime of trauma and challenges.
“He’s now being victimized by his former crew appointed sports activities psychologist, who’s taking part in to ugly stereotypes and racially charged fears for her personal monetary profit,” their assertion mentioned.
Buzbee mentioned his workplace has been involved with Bexar County officers and he plans to additionally file a prison grievance for a number of counts of indecent publicity in opposition to Primo.
“We count on the right authorities to prosecute,” he mentioned throughout Thursday’s press convention.
CNN has reached out to the Spurs group and the NBA for remark.
