The NFL suggested punishment could be in the cards for the Washington franchise as a result of the sprawling accusations of sexual harassment and a toxic workplace culture published yesterday by the Washington Post. The league issued a statement on Friday that reads, “These matters as reported are serious, disturbing and contrary to the NFL’s values. Everyone in the NFL has the right to work in an environment free from any and all forms of harassment.” The franchise plans to conduct what the NFL called a "thorough investigation" into the allegations. The league added it will "meet with the attorneys upon the conclusion of their investigation and take any action based on the findings.” The Post detailed accusations from 15 former Washington employees and two independent reporters that former team staff extensively harassed them under a culture of impunity. Owner Daniel Snyder was not directly implicated, but the victims blamed him for setting the tone of the office (Ben Fischer, THE DAILY). In DC, Mark Maske reports the individuals "accused of misconduct also could be subject to potential discipline under the NFL’s personal conduct policy." The NFL fined former Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson $2.75M in '18 "after investigating claims of workplace misconduct against him" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/17).
TEAM CONDUCTING INTERNAL REVIEW: In N.Y., Belson, Draper & Macur report Wilkinson Walsh Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson confirmed that her firm would conduct the "independent review of the team’s culture, policies and allegations of workplace misconduct.” It is unclear how long the investigation will take. The team on Thursday issued a statement saying that it “takes issues of employee conduct seriously.” It said, “While we do not speak to specific employee situations publicly, when new allegations of conduct are brought forward that are contrary to these policies, we address them promptly.” The move to begin an internal investigation “comes at a turbulent time for the franchise, which has been embroiled in a public controversy over the team’s name and has had numerous staff members depart over the past year” (N.Y. TIMES, 7/17).
TRYING TO CHANGE THE CULTURE: NFL Network’s Will Selva noted VP/Player Personnel Kyle Smith and coach Ron Rivera “are now both in charge of trying to change the culture and atmosphere in Washington.” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo added Rivera, who was just hired in January, is “taking these allegations seriously” ("Good Morning Football," NFL Network, 7/17). The Washington Post's Will Hobson, who co-authored the story, said the team after being presented with the evidence of mistreatment stated “this was the culture that existed -- past tense -- doesn’t now.” ESPN's Kenny Mayne noted the firings of Charles Mann II and Alex Santos, who are prominently mentioned in the story, “were just all within the last week, and so the turnabout has happened just because of the reporting.” Hobson said, "Some women have noted -- who have filed complaints against some of these guys in years past -- they felt there was critical mass of evidence for firings to have happened before” ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 7/16). Hobson added there "certainly are a lot of women who are skeptical that the culture can truly change" as long as Snyder is the owner (“CBS This Morning,” 7/17).
