Genessis Alarcon, the estranged wife of former Portland Timbers midfielder Andy Polo, has filed a domestic violence lawsuit in U.S. District Court of Oregon.
According to court filings obtained by ESPN, the suit alleges, “On or around May 23, 2021 at his residence in Washington County, Oregon with his child present, defendant attempted to and did in fact cause harmful physical contact with plaintiff, including by violently grabbing her by the arm, pulling her by the hair against her will, and pushing her to the floor, causing her pain and discomfort.”
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The filing goes on to make claims of assault, battery and negligence, and seeks “fair compensation for noneconomic damages in an amount determined by the jury to be reasonable, and taxable costs.”
In a statement given to reporter Nick Negrini, Polo denied the allegations Alarcon made in an interview on Peruvian television
“The allegations are without basis and are part of a strategy from the mother of my children to take 60 percent of my earnings as a soccer player in the U.S.,” he said. “It’s important to reiterate that the television show did not try to contact me to, at the very least, corroborate the facts by asking me about my version, irreparably affecting my image and name.”
Alarcon’s attorney, Michael Fuller, told ESPN that their goal isn’t to ruin Polo’s career, but more to compensate Alarcon for what she had been through.
“We’re definitely seeking compensation for our client for what he put her through,” Fuller said. “We’re not seeking to destroy [Polo] or cancel him. We wish him all the best with his career.
“But we do intend to hold him accountable for the domestic violence, and if the criminal courts aren’t interested in doing it, we’ll have to use civil courts, and that’s why we filed the complaint.”
MLS is currently investigating the Timbers’ handling of the incident, which included not reporting what happened to the league office — as is customary.
Reporting incidents to the league office typically result in the player being referred to the league’s substance and behavioral health program.
The Timbers, who aren’t named in the lawsuit, declined to comment.
The filing of the lawsuit comes three weeks after Polo’s contract was terminated by the Timbers, which followed the interview on Peruvian television in which Alarcon’s allegations first came to light. Alarcon is also the mother of Polo’s two children.
In the interview, Alarcon also accused Polo of not providing for her and their children financially.
In a statement following the termination of Polo’s contract, the Timbers said, “We deeply regret not suspending Polo immediately, especially considering the troubling new details of abuse that surfaced…It was a failure on our part, and one that will never happen again.”