New York Giants linebacker Michael Boley has been facing child abuse allegations in his home state of Alabama for the last six months, stemming from a complaint filed by the mother of one of his children, according to a source close to the player.
The mother of Boley's 5-year-old son initially filed for an increase in child support in 2010, according to the source. Then, in early June, the child abuse complaint was filed, along with another filing for child support payments to increase five-fold over the amount that was initially requested. The case was heard in October, and the mother did not raise the allegations of child abuse during the trial, according to Boley's attorney, Randall M. Kessler.
"We are privileged to have represented Mr. Boley in the case where the mother of that child sought more child support," Kessler said in an e-mail. "When trial came in October 2011, the incident was not addressed, and the court was not asked to address any visitation issues. All that was raised was the mother's request for a significant increase in child support."
The Gadsden Police Department has since passed the child abuse complaint on to the district attorney's office, though no decision has been made on whether or not charges will be filed.
Two weeks ago, the mother of another of Boley's children requested an increase in child support and that all his visits with the child be supervised.
"Now he is being sued by a different woman for an increase in child support for a different child," Kessler said in a second statement. "In this new case, this other woman has raised the issue of the prior investigation, which was not related in any way to her own child and, in addition to seeking more child support, she is seeking to have Mr. Boley supervised when visiting with the child they have together."
The website TMZ.com first reported the story Saturday, citing the official incident report taken by the Gadsden Police Department that Boley was accused of the "repeated willful abuse of a child under 18 from May 30 to June 5."
Boley has kept the Giants aware of this situation as it has unfolded, and the team said it will not affect Boley's playing status for Sunday’s game against the Washington Redskins.
"We're aware of this situation," Giants spokesman Pat Hanlon said in an e-mail to NFL Network. "An, yes, it's accurate to say Boley has kept us abreast."
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told NFL.com, via e-mail, that the league has no comment at this time.
Boley, who signed a $25 million contract with the Giants in 2009, has dealt with alleged domestic violence in the past. He was arrested in May 2008 in Gwinnett County, Ga., and charged with three counts of domestic battery for allegedly beating his wife, according to The Star-Ledger. The prosecutor eventually decided not to pursue the case. However, Boley received a one-game suspension from the NFL -- the first of his career -- for violating the league's personal conduct policy.
Boley has six children, including Michael Jr., who suffers from autism. Boley has been heavily involved in charities to help autistic children throughout his career.
"We hope this situation is resolved soon," Kessler said. "Mr. Boley loves his children. "We have been defending (against) the mother's request for more child support for over a year."
