In San Antonio, the Spurs have exceeded all expectations in this early season. With a 5-3 record through the first few weeks, it’s safe to say that they are enjoying some real success.
Off the court, however, the situation isn’t nearly as desirable. After being accused of indecent exposure by former Spurs psychologist Hillary Cauthen, young stud Josh Primo was promptly cut from the team. And now, Shams Charania is reporting that both the Spurs and Primo are facing a lawsuit, with Primo likely to become the subject of a criminal investigation.
Former Spurs psychologist Hillary Cauthen has sued the Spurs and Josh Primo and is filing a criminal complaint over alleged incidents involving indecent exposure by Primo, alleging Primo exposed himself nine times to her beginning in December 2021 and the franchise failed to act.
The lawsuit, obtained by @TheAthletic @Stadium, alleges that Cauthen informed the Spurs organization of Primo’s indecent exposures in January 2022 and her repeated reports went “ignored.” More to come on this developing story.
Former Spurs psychologist Hillary Cauthen has sued the Spurs and Josh Primo and is filing a criminal complaint over alleged incidents involving indecent exposure by Primo, alleging Primo exposed himself nine times to her beginning in December 2021 and the franchise failed to act.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 3, 2022
If the Spurs knew about the incidents (which reportedly happened 9 times) and failed to take action, it could result in some serious blowback for the organization.
The Spurs have always been a team that has prided itself on being organized, disciplined, and doing the right thing. In this case, however, they may have made a serious mistake.
For now, though, there’s nothing we can do but wait and see how it all plays out. While Primo doesn’t look very good now, his legal team is already fighting hard with claims that Cauthen’s accusations are completely uncredible.
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.
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 moving forward with his NBA career.
Needless to say, this is not the distraction the Spurs needed right now, which is why they tried to cut ties with Primo before being roped into this mess.
As for the accused, his career is still in limbo as the world tries to figure out exactly what happened. Either way, expect a huge legal battle in the coming days, not just for Primo, but also for the Spurs themselves.
