Report: 15 Former Female Employees Allege Sexual Misconduct, Washington NFL Team Hires Law Firm
Jul 16, 2020, 4:19 PM
Washington Football Team owner Daniel Snyder before the game between Washington and Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on December 30, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
(Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
AP – Owner Dan Snyder has hired a District of Columbia law firm to review the Washington NFL team’s culture, policies and allegations of workplace misconduct.
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Beth Wilkinson of Wilkinson Walsh LLP confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday that the firm had been retained to conduct an independent review. ESPN was first to report Washington hiring the firm.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that 15 female former employees said they were sexually harassed during their time with the team. A team spokesman did not immediately respond to a request from the AP seeking comment.
Within the past week, three members of the front office have left the organization. Director of player personnel Alex Santos, assistant Richard Mann II and longtime broadcaster and senior vice president Larry Michael are no longer with the team. Michael announced Wednesday he was retiring after 16 years.
As The Post presented detailed allegations and findings to the club, three team employees accused of improper behavior abruptly departed, including Larry Michael, the club’s longtime radio voice, and Alex Santos, the team’s director of pro personnel.https://t.co/G2fGBiEZLG pic.twitter.com/HcaLLw4kti
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 16, 2020
Also Wednesday, the team promoted Jeff Scott to assistant director of pro scouting and advance coordinator to replace Mann.
Santos, Mann, Michael and former business executives Dennis Greene and Mitch Gershman were mentioned in the Post story.
Washington is in the midst of several months of significant change. President Bruce Allen was fired at the end of the 2019 season, coach Ron Rivera was hired on New Year’s Day and given control of football operations and the team this week announced it’s dumping the name “Redskins” after 87 years.
Allen’s departure coincided with the firing of the team’s previous medical and training staff, and Rivera brought trainers with him from Carolina and hired a new coaching staff.
