NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement Wednesday condemning the alleged “disturbing and abhorrent behavior” within the Washington Football Team organization:
NFL345 @NFL345
Statement from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: https://t.co/2uaqdff4pC https://t.co/50eIOdnR2C
The league will conduct an independent investigation led by “highly experienced counsel.”
Washington issued a statement on Wednesday night, noting the franchise is “committed” to investigating the allegations:
Washington Football Team @WashingtonNFL
https://t.co/ZON8ndbvvI
A report from Will Hobson, Beth Reinhard, Liz Clarke and Dalton Bennett of the Washington Post detailed a toxic work environment within the organization led by owner Dan Snyder.
“Snyder has presided over an organization in which women say they have been marginalized, discriminated against and exploited,” the report read. “The employees also described an atmosphere in which bullying and demeaning behavior by management created a climate of fear that allowed abusive behavior to continue unchecked.”
More than 100 current and former employees were interviewed for the Post‘s investigation.
One allegation stated former senior vice president Larry Michael had staffers create a video for Snyder that contained lewd outtakes from a video shoot of the Washington cheerleaders.
Snyder released a statement denying his role the allegations, saying he had been “too hands-off as an owner.”
Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter
Statement from Dan Snyder in response to the allegations in today’s Washington Post: https://t.co/vuvfUAO4q0
This is the second set of allegations of harassment within the Washington organization in as many months after a previous report from Hobson and Clarke in July.
Snyder responded to that report by hiring lawyer Beth Wilkinson to investigate the allegations.
The NFL will now complete its own investigation to determine what type of discipline is necessary.