Judge Permits NFL to Name Users of Steroids

A federal judge today refused to stop the National Football League from suspending players who test positive for steroids.

U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Hogan said NFL players had been given ample notice earlier this year that they would face discipline for using the strength-enhancing substances.

Hogan refused to issue a temporary restraining order and said the players’ labor union had not shown that its members would face irreparable harm under the league’s suspension plan.

The players’ association filed a motion for a temporary restraining order earlier today, calling the testing procedures “highly questionable” in terms of accuracy. The labor union’s lawyers said they were considering whether to take further legal action and asked the NFL to voluntarily suspend its plan to disclose the names of players testing positive and suspend them for 30 days.

Identifying and suspending players under the program will result in their being “permanently stigmatized,” the association said in court papers. “Their professional reputations will be irreparably harmed and injured.”

The union said “publicly announced player suspensions are imminent” for those who test positive for steroids or chemicals designed to mask the presence of the substances.

The NFL’s plans called for announcing today a list of those who tested positive.

“This automatic sanction is to be imposed in the absence of essential ‘baseline data,’ which provides the only sound basis for determining whether measured levels of steroids actually reflect steroid use, as opposed to naturally occurring levels of the hormones detected,” said the player organization’s court papers.

The players have filed a grievance challenging the steroid program, and the matter is in arbitration.

Despite the pending arbitration, the league “has apparently refused to refrain from proceeding with its plans to announce the suspension of numerous players for a minimum of 30 days, one-fourth of the NFL season,” said the players’ court filings.

Before the 1987 season, 1,600 players were tested for steroids, and 6% were found to be users.