Report: Woman says Maurice Cheeks threatened her, pulled her hair and called her a (expletive)

Maurice Cheeks’ pristine reputation as a class act took a hit when police questioned him about a possible domestic dispute this summer. He was not charged, and it appeared the matter might end there.

But new details will again bring questions to Cheeks’ character.

Tammy Stables Battaglia of the Detroit Free Press:

A 45-year-old Atlanta woman visiting Cheeks, 56, in August told Birmingham Police that she confronted him after finding a glass in the dishwasher rimmed with another woman’s lipstick, according to the investigation report released today under the Freedom of Information Act.“During the argument, (she) threw the glass down a flight of stairs, shattering it on the bottom of the staircase,” the officer wrote in the report. “She stated Cheeks was trying to prevent her from leaving and was taking her belongings out of the suitcase and throwing them around the bedroom ... screaming at her to clean up the broken glass and calling her a (expletive).”The woman told police that Cheeks blocked her from leaving, pulling her hair and putting his fist against the side of her face. She said he agreed to let her leave when she agreed to clean up the broken glass. Instead, she fled and called 911. Police picked her up just after midnight Aug. 31, at the corner of Woodward and Bowers.

Cheeks has not been convicted of a crime, and it still appears he won’t be. It would be unfair to jump to any conclusions about what happened that night.But Cheeks was not charge because the woman refused to cooperate with investigators. That’s much different than Cheeks not being charged because he was investigated and cleared.The alleged conduct is unacceptable, but it’s important to remember it’s only alleged.For what it’s worth, I found no articles mentioning Cheeks being married, and the woman reportedly told investigators she was ending her relationship with him. As far as his personal life is concerned, it seems this matter might be closed.As far as his professional life is concerned, the situation appears similarly. Battaglia:

Pistons spokesman Kevin Grigg today also declined to comment on the allegations released in the report.“This situation’s closed for us because nothing ever came — it was thrown out,” he said. “The issue’s closed for us.”

The Pistons are not required to act only if Cheeks is convicted of a crime. They are free to set their own values. However, it’s also not necessarily the role of an employer to punish employees for conduct outside work that does not involve a conviction for a crime.

This is probably where the trail ends. Cheeks’ reputation takes a hit, but he faces no legal or professional consequences.

And like so many stories involving sports and bad behavior, if he wins, it will be forgotten.