(CN) - NFL commissioner Roger Goodell must answer questions from the attorneys of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, an arbitrator ruled.
Goodell, who initially suspended Rice for two games following his arrest on domestic-violence charges, upped the punishment to an indefinite suspension following the release of a recently publicized security video that shows Rice knocking out his then-fiancee in a hotel elevator.
The harsh punishment prompted an appeal by Rice, which U.S. District Judge Barbara Jones is set to hear in early November.
Goodell is expected to provide testimony on a closed-door meeting with Rice regarding the elevator incident shortly after it happened.
ESPN says: "Goodell has called Rice's description 'ambiguous' while Rice's side has maintained he gave exact details."
Rice, a former second round draft pick out of Rutgers, signed a five-year, $35 million deal with the Ravens in 2012, but was released by the team on Sept. 8, 2014.
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