RENO - A Nevada woman has filed a civil suit against Ben Roethlisberger claiming the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback raped her while he was attending a golf tournament in Lake Tahoe last year.

The former executive host at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe casino included Harrah’s management in the suit, which also claims that casino officials covered up the attack.
Andrea McNulty said she was working at a desk in the penthouse suite during a celebrity golf tournament last July when Roethlisberger called her to his room to fix his television.
Once there, he forced her on his bed and raped her, the suit said.
When she later told Harrah’s security chief Guy Hyder, the suit said, she was told that Harrah’s Tahoe casino president John Koster was close friends with Roethlisberger, and that “most girls would feel lucky to get to have sex with someone like Ben Roethlisberger.”
The woman’s lawyer, Cal Dunlap, said in the suit that McNulty fell into a deep depression after the alleged rape, and spent most of the last six months in and out of hospitals. Dunlap declined to comment further.
The suit, filed Friday in Washoe District Court, names Koster, Hyder and six other casino employees.
Roethlisberger’s lawyer David Cornwell denied the claim, saying, “Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone; especially Andrea McNulty,” and said the absence of any criminal charges are the “most compelling evidence” that the allegations are false.
Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett said the team was aware of the suit, but declined to comment. He also said Roethlisberger’s status with the team had not changed in response to the suit.
Harrah’s Entertainment spokeswoman Jacqueline Peterson said the company was not named in the suit, and said they do not comment on pending litigation. A message left for a spokeswoman for the employees named was not immediately returned.
Roethlisberger canceled a Thursday news conference at the Steelers’ facilities, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He was scheduled to promote Shaq Vs., a reality television show. Filming of the show, which pits NBA star Shaquille O’Neal against top athletes, was slated to begin this week in Pittsburgh.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello responded to a Post-Gazette e-mail, saying: “The facts are not clear; it’s a civil matter, and it’s premature to comment on how the Personal Conduct Policy applies, if at all.”