Spurs facing lawsuit over response to allegations of sexual misconduct by Josh Primo, accuser’s attorney says

HOUSTON — The Spurs and Josh Primo are facing a lawsuit after a former team psychologist accused Primo of exposing himself to her, and accused the team of failing to protect her as the conduct continued before they decided not to renew her contract. “Dr. Hillary Cauthen, a licensed, credentialed clinical psychologist, lost her dream job because the Spurs organization ignored her repeated reports of indecent exposure on the part of Defendant Joshua Primo,” begins the suit filed in Bexar County on Monday by attorney Tony Buzbee.

The lawsuit says that in one of Cauthen’s first sessions with Primo in December of 2021, he exposed his penis to her. “Unfortunately, despite Dr. Cauthen’s reports, such exposures happened on numerous occasions and grew progressively more extreme,” the lawsuit states.

It says that she tried to get a meeting with Spurs General Manager Brian Wright in January 2022, and made it clear what the meeting was about. “The meeting, when finally scheduled, was postponed multiple times. ” The meeting happened on March 21, according to the lawsuit.

Buzbee said that when she got that meeting, she was assured that there would be an investigation and was asked to continue seeing Primo for sessions. He said she didn’t want to lose her job and hoped it something would be done, but the conduct continued. Buzbee said that Cauthen received assurances that there would be an investigation, a write-up, and the conduct would be addressed, but she said none of that happened.

“In that meeting, she voiced her concerns about defendant Primo’s conduct, again without disclosing any communications in her sessions or any other information other than the offensive conduct,” the lawsuit states. “Dr. Cauthen expressed to wright that she was uncomfortable meeting with Primo alone and she expressed feelings of confusion, embarrassment and fear.

General Manager Wright promised to develop a plan with regard to Primo for the remainder of the season and said he would explore ‘how to navigate’ the situation in general. The two also discussed the possibility of meeting with Primo and his agent to address his concerning behavior. ” “Despite Dr.

Cauthen’s report, nothing was done about Primo’s behavior. Instead, Dr. Cauthen was called upon to meet with Primo again,” the lawsuit states.

“This time Dr. Cauthen met with Primo in a public setting, but unfortunately this was no deterrent. Primo again exposed his penis.

Dr. Cauthen ended the session early. Defendent Primo requested at least one other session with Dr.

Cauthen, she found a way to avoid the session. ” Buzbee said that after this, members of the Spurs’ legal team and human resources department told Cauthen that they wanted to hold a “facilitated discussion” with Cauthen and Primo to “figure out what it was that was compelling him to expose himself to her. ” Buzbee said Cauthen was told in June that coach Gregg Popovich was aware of the situation, but that at that point, Cauthen may have been being lied to.

He said in July Cauthen was told to stay home from Summer League in Las Vegas, and told that the team had “lost faith in her. ” He said that in August, the team decided not to renew her contract. Next up in 5 Example video title will go here for this video The lawsuit says that the team told Cauthen that they had lost faith in her ability to do her job in a professional matter “due to a lack of trust between her and the team.

” The team declined to to renew her contract at the end of August, 2022, the suit states. In October, the Spurs exercised a team option to guarantee Primo’s contract for next season. Buzbee said that in Las Vegas while Cauthen was at home, Primo allegedly exposed himself again to another woman.

Buzbee also claimed that while the team was in Minnesota Primo allegedly exposed himself again to another woman, which led the team to waive his contract. Neither of these claims appear in the lawsuit, but Buzbee’s firm is asking any other victims to come forward. “This came public because someone in the Spurs leaked the reasons for Josh Primo’s departure, because we never said a word,” he said.

“In fact, this is the first time that we’ve said anything about his conduct. ” “At that point, after more than ten months of knowing about this conduct, after the general manager knowing about it, the general counsel, the deputy general counsel, and the head of HR, after 10 months they finally released Josh Primo,” Buzbee said. “Josh Primo’s conduct is obviously well outside the bounds of what is normal, what is acceptable, his conduct shocks the conscience.

I would also say that the Spurs’ conduct, the way they handled this matter was egregious and absolutely unreasonable. ” VIEW: Full text of lawsuit against Joshua Primo and the San Antonio Spurs Cauthen gave a brief statement, saying that she was a psychologist, a mother of four daughters, a woman, and a victim seeking accountability and change. “It took the Spurs 10 months to do the right thing, and that is too long,” she said.

Buzbee said authorities in Bexar County had reached out to him to gather more details about Cauthen’s allegations. “There will be a criminal complaint filed for multiple cases of indecent exposure against Mr. Primo, and we expect the authorities to prosecute,” he said.

“No case has been filed with the Bexar County D. A. ’s Office against Joshua Primo,” the office said in a statement.

“If a law enforcement agency is conducting an investigation and submits a case to our office, we will conduct a review of that case and make decisions regarding prosecution at that time. ” Primo’s attorney released a statement claiming that Cauthen’s allegations are “either a complete fabrication, a gross embellishment or utter fantasy. ” Here’s the full statement from Primo’s attorney, William J.

Briggs II: “Josh Primo is a 19-year-old NBA player who has suffered a lifetime of trauma and challenges. He is not being victimized by his former team appointed sports psychologist, who is playing to ugly stereotypes and racially charged fears for her own financial benefit. In an act of betrayal against her young client, Dr.

Cauthen, who is 40 years old, falsely claims Josh Primo exposed himself to her during the course of her numerous therapy sessions. Dr. Cauthen’s allegations are either a complete fabrication, a gross embellishment or utter fantasy.

Josh Primo never intentionally exposed himself to her or anyone else and was not even aware that his private parts were visible outside of his workout shorts. What makes the allegations even less credible is that Dr. Cauthen never informed her patient of the purported exposure.

Dr. Cauthen was Mr. Primo’s mental health support provider and confidant; a therapist who Mr.

Primo trusted. She is much older than Mr. Primo, with many years of experience as a sports psychologist.

It is baffling why she did not bother to tell her patient that his private parts were visible underneath his shorts. Josh Primo is at the beginning of a promising career and has been devastated by these false allegations and release by the Spurs. He is in the process seeking treatment to deal with the trauma inflicted on him by Dr.

Cauthen’s misleading allegations, in addition to the previous trauma he suffered as a child. He looks forward to clearing his name and to move forward with his NBA career. “.