Seahawks radio announcer Warren Moon on Thursday "denied recent allegations of sexual harassment levied against him by a personal assistant," according to Bob Condotta of the SEATTLE TIMES. Moon appeared on KIRO-FM in what were his "first public comments" since news of the lawsuit broke earlier this month. He said, "I deny all the allegations, and I am going to fight this." Moon during the interview inferred that Wendy Haskell, who filed the lawsuit, did so because Moon had "expressed concerns about her work performance." Moon also said that Haskell had demanded $3M from Moon by Dec. 5, or "she was going to go forward with the lawsuit." Moon noted that he had a "relationship with Haskell before she was hired as his personal assistant and added that the two often traveled together and at times shared a room and bed." Moon said that the two "never had a sexual relationship, adding that it always was 'platonic.'" Condotta notes Moon "asked for and was granted a leave of absence from his duties" with the Seahawks after news of the lawsuit broke (SEATTLE TIMES, 12/22). USA TODAY's Jarrett Bell writes the allegations in Haskell's lawsuit "paint a picture of sexual harassment in the workplace by Moon," who runs Sports 1 Marketing. Moon "doesn't deny that he slept in the same bed with Haskell -- which he says he also did on occasion for months before he hired her." But Moon "doesn't acknowledge that sleeping with an employee crosses the line when it comes to workplace decorum" (USA TODAY, 12/22).
MORE TROUBLING ACCOUNTS: NFL Network freelance makeup artist Erin McParland in a first-person account for SI.com detailed her experience with inappropriate sexual advances at the company. McParland wrote a "few months after starting work as a makeup artist at NFL Network" in '14, former wardrobe stylist Jami Cantor, who filed a lawsuit against the net, "pulled me aside to offer some advice." She wrote Cantor was "very clear that she didn't doubt my professionalism, but that some of the talent were exceptionally aggressive and inappropriate when it came to sexual behavior in the workplace." McParland identifies Eric Davis, who is also mentioned in Cantor's suit, and Michael Irvin as those responsible for the advances (SI.com, 12/21). Meanwhile, DEADSPIN's Diana Moskovitz, who worked at NFL Media for nearly a year beginning in May '13, wrote about her observations under the header, "You Survived At NFL Network By Staying Silent" (DEADSPIN.com, 12/19).
