Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) wants to know why Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy is still playing after photos were released showing the magnitude of his domestic violence case, according to Bradford Richardson of The Hill.
"These photos are disturbing," Burgess said in a statement on Tuesday. "I want the NFL and the Players Association (NFLPA) to explain why it's acceptable for Greg Hardy to still be playing."
The NFL released a statement via NFL reporter Albert Breer's Twitter account saying: "We have provided the congressman's staff with information on our programs and policies that address domestic violence and sexual assault. We will visit him in person as soon as possible to update him on any issue of interest."
Hardy posted a Twitter response this past Saturday showing some regret, but it didn't seem to last long. Hardy then followed up this week by changing his Twitter account bio to "innocent until proven guilty," according to Yahoo Sports. Hardy then changed his Twitter bio to lyrics from a Tupac song, "Hail Mary." Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said the team has addressed the issue, according to Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports.
Hardy was found guilty on charges of assault and threating his ex-girlfriend, but the charges were dropped after the victim choose not to cooperate in the appeal. Hardy was originally suspended for 10 games at the beginning of this season, but after a two-month investigation, the suspension was reduced to four games.
"I look forward to sitting down with both the NFL and NFLPA to better understand this situation and what can be done to ensure that those who put their hands on a woman or child are not rewarded," said Burgess, according to The Hill.
The NFL has been under scrutiny on how they handle domestic violence ever since the Ray Rice video was released more than a year ago. Many are left wondering why a player like Rice is still out of the league after showing remorse and using his time to speak on domestic violence.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he knew there would be scrutiny when signing Hardy this past year, and it doesn't look like Dallas is going to make any changes regarding Hardy this season.
