Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson Arrested for Head-Butting Wife
Chad Johnson, the NFL star formerly known as Chad Ochocinco, was arrested over the weekend after allegedly head-butting his wife.
The couple apparently began arguing after Johnson's wife, Evelyn Lozada, found a receipt for a box of condoms in his car, reports Fox News.
Despite being married for less than two months, the Miami Dolphins' wide receiver apparently did not have a good excuse for the receipt. So Johnson allegedly began yelling at screaming at Lozada before head-butting her.
Evelyn Lozada reportedly was so scared of her husband's rage that she ran to a neighbor's house to get away from Johnson. By the time police arrived, Lozada had a three-inch gash on her forehead and Johnson was arrested. For his part, Johnson says that Lozada head-butted him, causing her own injury, reports Fox News.
Following Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson's arrest, he posted $2,500 bond and was released pending a court date. His employers at the Miami Dolphins were not so patient as to await the results of a trial or plea deal, and decided to cut the diva wide receiver immediately.
Employers generally don't have to wait for a conviction or trial to terminate an employee who has been arrested. If an employee is "at-will," employers usually can make employment decisions like terminations or demotions for any nondiscriminatory reason like getting arrested.
And so the Miami Dolphins decided to cut Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson shortly after he was arrested. The team figured he was more trouble than he was worth regardless of whether he is eventually acquitted of his charges -- and if it is later discovered that Evelyn Lozada really did head-butt him.
Related Resources:
- Chad Johnson's arrest and release by Dolphins puts NFL future in doubt (The Washington Post)
- Wrongful Termination (FindLaw)
- NFL's Chad Ochocinco Deep-Sixes Made-Up Name for Fiancée's Sake (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)