CNN
—
A sports psychologist, who was under contract with the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, has filed a civil lawsuit against the organization and 19-year-old former Spurs player Joshua Primo.
The psychologist alleges the player exposed himself to her during therapy sessions and claimed the organization’s leadership failed to act despite her “numerous complaints about Primo’s improper sexual conduct,” according to a court filing.
Primo has denied the allegations.
The Bexar County, Texas, sheriff’s office has opened a preliminary investigation into the allegations, Adelina Simpson, a spokeswoman for the office, told CNN.
CNN has reached out to Primo’s attorneys for comment on the investigation.
The lawsuit claims that Primo first exposed his genitals to Dr. Hillary Cauthen during an individual private session in December 2021, that the exposures continued to happened, growing “progressively more extreme,” and that Primo’s behavior “went unchecked by the organization’s leadership for many months,” even after Cauthen reported it.
The Spurs legal team then told Cauthen, a licensed, credentialed clinical psychologist, that the team “had lost trust in her,” Cauthen’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, said during a press conference Thursday.
When her contract came up for renewal in August, they chose not to renew it, according to the petition filed in Bexar County District Court on Thursday.
“Primo’s conduct is obviously well outside the bounds of what is normal or is acceptable. His conduct shocks the conscience,” Buzbee said.
“I would also say that the Spurs conduct and the way they handled this matter was egregious and absolutely unreasonable.”
Primo was released from the team on October 28. Spurs Sports & Entertainment CEO RC Buford said the roster move would “serve the best interest of both the organization and Joshua” in a statement while not providing any specific details on the decision.
Attorneys for the player have released a statement, saying “Josh Primo is at the beginning of a promising career and has been devastated by these false allegations and release by the Spurs.”
His attorneys call Cauthen’s accusations “either a complete fabrication, a gross embellishment or utter fantasy.”
“Josh Primo is a 19-year-old NBA player who has suffered a lifetime of trauma and challenges.
“He is now being victimized by his former team appointed sports psychologist, who is playing to ugly stereotypes and racially charged fears for her own financial benefit,” their statement said.
Buzbee said his office has been in contact with Bexar County officials and he plans to also file a criminal complaint for multiple counts of indecent exposure against Primo.
“We expect the proper authorities to prosecute,” he said during Thursday’s press conference.
CNN has reached out to the Spurs organization and the NBA for comment.
