Vilma is suspended for the entire 2012 season for his alleged role in the Saints' bounty system.
New Orleans, LA (Sports Network) - Suspended New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma filed a defamation lawsuit against NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday in the District Court of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Vilma is suspended for the entire 2012 season for his alleged role in the Saints' bounty system.
"By this action, Vilma seeks to recover damages for defamatory statements made by Roger Goodell, Commissioner of the National Football League ("NFL")," the complaint reads. "Vilma is a professional football player for the New Orleans Saints ("Saints"), a Member Club of the NFL. Goodell, speaking publicly about certain Saints executives, coaches and players, in relation to purported efforts designed to injure opposing players, made public statements concerning Vilma which were false, defamatory and injurious to Vilma's professional and personal reputation."
Vilma was among four players who received bans from the commissioner. Defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove, now with Green Bay, was suspended eight games, defensive end Will Smith was hit with a four-game ban and linebacker Scott Fujita, now playing for Cleveland, will sit for the first three games of the 2012 campaign.
Vilma filed a formal appeal earlier this month. In addition, the NFL Players Association filed a grievance against the NFL on behalf of the suspended players.
All of the suspensions are without pay and stem from the bounty system run from 2009-11 by former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who was suspended indefinitely in March. Saints head coach Sean Payton was also suspended for a year for his knowledge of the program.
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