Topline
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Thursday night requesting the league to provide all documents and communications obtained during a 2020 investigation of the Washington Football Team’s toxic workplace to Congress by November 4, amid renewed interest in the investigation after reporting from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times uncovered racist, homophobic and misogynistic content in emails from the investigation.
Washington Football Team owner Daniel Snyder and his organization have attracted significant public ... [+]
Key Facts
Under mounting public pressure, Washington owner Daniel Snyder hired attorney Beth Wilkinson in July 2020 to investigate allegations of allegations of a toxic work environment, especially for women.
Wilkinson’s investigation lasted until February 2021, and, after Wilkinson interviewed more than 150 current and former employees of the team, the NFL found “bullying and intimidation frequently took place and many described the culture as one of fear, and numerous female employees reported having experienced sexual harassment and a general lack of respect in the workplace.”
The investigation came under fresh scrutiny this month after the Times and WSJ uncovered emails found during the investigation between former Washington president Bruce Allen and Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, which included various slurs and a photo of two topless Football Team cheerleaders, resulting in Gruden resigning from his position (Allen was fired in 2019 due to lackluster on-field performance).
The NFL did not release many details about the actual allegations in its July findings report, but independent reporting found that Snyder allegedly used intimidation tactics to silence a 2009 sexual misconduct investigation and the team’s cheerleaders were coerced into making explicit videos viewed by Snyder and other executives.
The primary punishment was a $10 million fine for the Football Team, but Snyder retained his position as team owner.
Key Background
Further complicating the controversy is Wilkinson’s investigation revealed chummy emails between Allen and NFL general counsel Jeff Pash. The Times found that Allen and Pash exchanged many friendly emails between 2009 and 2019, and wrote that Pash told Allen “not to worry about troubles that would eventually rock the team and the league, including reports about harassment of the club’s cheerleaders.” However, an NFL representative denied that Pash’s actions were inappropriate, telling the Times, “Any effort to portray these emails as inappropriate is either misleading or patently false.”
Crucial Quote
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform letter, signed by Reps. Carolyn B. Maloney and Raja Krishnamoorthi, says, “The NFL’s lack of transparency about the problems it recently uncovered raise questions about the seriousness with which it has addressed bigotry, racism, sexism, and homophobia—setting troubling precedent for other workplaces.”
Big Number
650,000. That’s how many emails to and from Allen were reviewed in the investigation, none of which were made public.
Further Reading
N.F.L.’s Top Lawyer Had Cozy Relationship With Washington Team President (New York Times)
