Ex-Washington Football Team employees ask owners to release workplace misconduct report
Two former Washington Football Team employees asked NFL owners during their in-person league meeting Tuesday to publicly release the findings of the team’s workplace misconduct report, ESPN reported.
“While your working group was formed to address issues of racial justice in the league, you also have the ability to seek justice for the hundreds of women and men, such as us, who bravely came forward to share stories of harassment and abuse we experienced while employees of the WFT,” the former employees, Ana Nunez and Melanie Coburn, said in their letter.
“The NFL should not be allowed to encourage employees to come forward at great personal and professional risk to speak to investigators, only to sweep the results of that investigation under the rug,” they added.
Nunez and Coburn hand delivered the letters to the front desk of the Intercontinental New York Barclay hotel in midtown Manhattan, where the owners are meeting, and were assured that every owner in attendance will get a copy of it, according to ESPN.
— Seth Wickersham (@SethWickersham) October 26, 2021
The letter was addressed to the league’s social justice committee, which includes New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, and Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan.
Coburn, who used to work as a cheerleader and marketer for the club, told ESPN that there are many employees who are still “scared” and “intimidated” to come out with their full stories, adding she was “shocked” the full report wasn’t made public yet.
“We deserve to be heard,” Coburn said.
Sports Illustrated reported that WFT’s investigation report wasn’t on the league’s official agenda, but could come up in owners-only meeting sessions.
Last week, House Committee on Oversight and Reform members Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL.) sent a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell asking the league to provide information from its investigation into Washington Football Team.
The NFL fined the Washington Football Team $10 million in July following its investigation into workplace misconduct, along with requiring team executives to be trained in topics such as bullying and unconscious bias.
However, a group of employees claimed at the time that by not releasing its investigation the league was trying to protect WFT owner Dan Snyder, adding the fine amounted to “pocket change” for the billionaire.
The latest letter comes two weeks after leaked emails from the investigation forced the resignation of Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, who used racist, homophobic and misogynistic language in emails to former WFT president Bruce Allen and others.
The Hill has reached out to the NFL for comment.
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