NFL won't discipline Patricia, Lions over past sexual assault case

The NFL won't discipline Matt Patricia or the Detroit Lions after meeting with both parties about the 1996 sexual assault case against the first-year head coach that resurfaced recently.

The league determined the Lions, who hired a search firm to conduct background checks on Patricia and other candidates, weren't at fault for failing to uncover the case before hiring Patricia in February. It's common for search firms to omit felony arrests that don't result in convictions from the paperwork they submit to teams because companies aren't allowed to consider such arrests in potential employment under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

"As we learned from both Mr. Patricia and the Lions, the matter was not part of his employment interview process for job opportunities outside of or within the NFL," a statement from the league said. "He was under no legal or other requirement to raise the issue.

"This is not subject to the personal conduct policy as the allegations occurred well before his affiliation with the NFL."

Patricia and a friend were arrested and accused of aggravated sexual assault during spring break in 1996. The two men were indicted, but the case was dismissed months later because the accuser refused to testify.

Patricia has maintained his innocence since the case was brought back to light roughly two weeks ago.

The NFL said it concluded the Lions handled the interview process with Patricia appropriately, and that Patricia didn't mislead the team about his past in any way.