NFL kicker Brandon McManus charged with sexual assault in lawsuit

Court documents obtained by ESPN show that two women are suing kicker Brandon McManus and the Jacksonville Jaguars, alleging that McManus sexually assaulted them on their overseas flight to London last year.

The two women – identified as Jane Doe I and Jane Doe II in the lawsuit filed Friday evening in Duval County Civil District Court – accuse McManus of rubbing and rubbing against them. They also accuse the Jaguars of failing to supervise McManus and create a safe environment for team support staff.

They are seeking over a million dollars and demanding a jury trial.

A statement from McManus or his lawyer will likely be released on Monday, a source told ESPN. The Jaguars declined to comment through a team spokesman. ESPN also reached out to McManus’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus.

The Jaguars did not re-sign McManus in the offseason; On March 14, he signed a one-year, $3.6 million contract with the Washington Commanders.

“Earlier today we were made aware of a civil lawsuit filed on May 24 against Brandon McManus. We take allegations of this nature very seriously and are looking into the matter,” the Commanders said in a statement. “We have communicated with the League Office and Brandon’s representation and reserve further comment at this time.”

The lawsuit says both women worked as flight attendants on the Jaguar charter flight on Sept. 28, 2023. Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings. They claim the flight “quickly turned into a party” as McManus and several other players disregarded flight attendants’ personal space, air travel safety and federal law. The lawsuit also alleges that McManus recruited three other flight attendants to the party and handed out $100 bills to encourage them to drink and dance in ways that were inappropriate for him.

According to the lawsuit, Doe I accuses McManus of trying to kiss her while she sat in turbulence and twice brushing against her while she was serving two meals during the flight. Am I alleging that during the first attack she made eye contact with another Jaguars player who, in her opinion, looked embarrassed by McManus’ behavior.

Doe II claims that McManus abused her while she served her second meal during the flight. According to the lawsuit, Doe II confronted McManus, who “smiled and walked away.” The lawsuit alleges that Doe II stayed on the second floor of the plane to avoid McManus during the team’s flight from London to Jacksonville on October 8.

The lawsuit alleges that the September flight was the first Jaguar charter flight on which both women worked and that they experienced severe mental anguish, anxiety, mental and emotional distress, embarrassment and humiliation. The lawsuit says they were removed from the core crew operating Jaguar charter flights, a position they had worked hard to achieve.

The lawsuit alleged that the Jaguars were grossly negligent in failing to properly employ McManus, train him on inappropriate and sexual contact with cabin crew, supervise him in flight, and adopt policies and procedures designed to protect cabin crew from sexual misconduct by employees and by enforcing a zero-wage policy of tolerance towards inappropriate behavior.

McManus signed with the Jaguars on May 5, 2023, after being released by the Denver Broncos. The Jaguars signed him to a one-year, $2 million contract, and he made 30 of 37 field goal attempts and all 35 extra-point attempts last season.

ESPN’s John Keim contributed to this report.