Officials owner Dan Snyder was involved in misconduct and a “killing work culture” on the part of the NFL, according to a report published Thursday by the US House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
Last Updated: 08/12/22 8:07pm
Washington Commanders created a “toxic work culture” for more than two decades, according to a US House Committee report
Washington leaders have created a “toxic work culture” for more than two decades, “ignoring and reducing sexual behavior” of men at the top of the organization, according to a report published Thursday by the US House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
Controls owner Dan Snyder was complicit in the scandal, according to the report, which said he inappropriately touched a former employee at dinner, told co-workers to release a video that was “sexually suggestive,” and ordered female test takers to sit down. cheerleaders walked the field “while he and his friends looked at his team through binoculars.”
Snyder also undermined what is known as the Wilkinson investigation, which the NFL eventually took over, which came from former employees who said in 2020 that sexual harassment by team officials was escalating, the report said.
He also had a separate investigation, which the report said was used by his lawyers to “cast him as a victim … and to ignore responsibility for the gang’s murderous nature.”
The group’s owner also interfered with the House committee’s investigation by “intimidating witnesses,” “refusing to release former employees from their confidentiality obligations” and blocking “the Committee’s access to tens of thousands of documents collected during the Wilkinson Investigation.”
When Snyder testified to the committee, the report said he was evasive and misleading and claimed more than 100 times that he did not remember things.
The NFL has not been immune from criticism in the report, which says the league “misled the public about its conduct of the Wilkinson Investigation,” “continues to minimize workplace misconduct at all levels,” “fails to protect employees from sexual harassment and harassment,” and “refused to answer truthfully to those who are responsible.
Commanders owner Dan Snyder was named in the report as being involved in the wrongdoing
Neither the NFL nor Snyder’s legal team immediately responded to messages seeking comment. Commanders’ legal director, John Brownlee and Stuart Nash, said the committee’s work was “one-sided” and “there were no new revelations” in Thursday’s report.
“And, to the surprise of an investigative agency, which thinks it’s conducting an investigation,” the investigators criticize the team and Mr. Snyder for providing evidence to the Committee — such as emails from former team members sent from their work accounts — that are revealing. which causes the work environment to be disturbed in the team,” he said.
The councilor said the club is “proud of the progress it has made in recent years in creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, and looks forward to future success, both on and off the field”.
Lisa Banks and Debra Katz, who represented more than 40 former workers, said on Thursday that “the commission’s work led to the creation of laws prohibiting the use of non-disclosure agreements, which will help prevent this type of torture from spreading. It is happening in other American workplaces”.
Dan and Tanya Snyder recently hired Bank of America Securities to explore selling part or all of Commanders
The House committee opened its investigation after the NFL did not release a report written by lawyer Beth Wilkinson about the nature of the team in 2021 that resulted in a fine of $ 10 million. This was caused by several former employees claiming that they had been sexually assaulted while working for the team.
Republicans have said they will drop the case as soon as they take control of the House in early 2023. Kentucky Republican Representative James Comer, who is a member of the House Oversight Committee, reiterated that desire in a statement Thursday, saying the investigation was necessary. “get cheap headlines and ignore any information that doesn’t fit the (Democrats’) agenda”.
“As I have said from the beginning, the Board of Supervisors is not the proper place for this review and this effort is a misuse of resources,” Comer said.
Snyder and his wife Tanya recently hired Bank of America Securities to investigate the sale of part or all of the group that he has owned since 1999. The controller has a net worth of $5.6 billion, according to Forbes – a seven-fold increase over the $800 million that Snyder paid. for the team in 1999.
Last month, the team settled with the state of Maryland, agreeing to refund security deposits to former season ticket holders and pay $250,000. A few days earlier, the District of Columbia sued officials in federal court over what it called a scheme to defraud season ticket holders.
