Radisson Hotels Suspends Sponsorship of Minnesota Vikings
Vadim Liberman September 16, 2014
Child abuse allegations against Minnesota Vikings player Adrian Peterson led Radisson to hold back sponsorship of the NFL team.
On the heels of a newly surfaced allegation that Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson abused another one of his sons, Radisson Hotels announced that it is suspending a sponsorship deal with the NFL team, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
Prior to this new claim, Peterson, 29, was already facing trouble. He had just been released on a $15,000 bond after receiving an indictment for beating his 4-year-old son with a tree branch. He could face up to two years in prison if convicted. A new claim, brought to light on Monday by KHOU-TV in Houston, alleges that the running back hit another son from a different mother back in 2013, which Peterson’s attorney has since insisted is “simply not true.”
In light of the troubling accusations, Radisson spokesman Ben Gardeen stated in a news release:
Radisson takes this matter very seriously, particularly in light of our long-standing commitment to the protection of children. We are closely following the situation and effective immediately, Radisson is suspending its limited sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings while we evaluate the facts and circumstances.
On Monday, Peterson defended himself in a statement released by his agent. “I am, without a doubt, not a child abuser,” a portion of the statement read. “I am someone that disciplined his child and did not intend to cause him any injury. No one can understand the hurt that I feel for my son and for the harm I caused him.”
Although Peterson was barred from playing last Sunday’s game against the Patriots, he is scheduled to partake in practices and upcoming games.
[Photo: WCCO]
