As if declining ratings wasn’t bad enough for the NFL, a new Federal lawsuit could be the death nail.
The Washington, D.C., attorney general filed suit on Thursday against the Washington Commanders, accusing the troubled NFL franchise of perpetuating “a toxic culture of sexual harassment.”
The team, owner Dan Snyder, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the league itself were named as defendants for allegedly “colluding” to keep the franchise’s poor treatment of female employees under wraps, according to District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine, the city’s top prosecutor.
“We must have transparency and accountability, which is why we are calling on Mr. Goodell and Mr. Snyder to answer the questions they have dodged for the last seven months,” the committee’s chairwoman, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said in a statement.
“The hearing will explore how Congress can act to prevent employers from silencing victims of workplace misconduct and ensure that what happened at the Commanders organization does not happen again,” Maloney said.
During a committee roundtable in February, former employees accused Snyder himself of sexual harassment. Snyder denied the allegations, calling them “outright lies.”
In 2020, more than a dozen women alleged they were sexually harassed and verbally abused while working for the team, according to the Washington Post. The NFL conducted an internal investigation into the team, resulting in a $10 million fine.
Representatives for Snyder, the Commanders, Goodell and the NFL could not immediately be reached by NBC News for comment.
“The Commanders and Dan Snyder lied to DC residents about what they knew about a toxic culture of sexual harassment and then they entered into a secret agreement with the NFL and Commissioner Goodell that kept the truth from DC residents—all in an effort to protect their profits,” according to a statement by Racine.
“In DC, you can’t lie to consumers to enrich yourself and get away with it. That’s what this lawsuit is about: standing up for DC residents who were deceived and misled. No one—not even Mr. Snyder—is above the law.”
Racine said this team’s alleged conduct is best addressed in a civil lawsuit that he vowed would go forward even if Snyder ends up selling the franchise.
“I am repulsed by the conduct at issue,” Racine told reporters.
I’ve been verbally abused by many women during my long career in technology and IT, but simply considered it their right of free speech and did not sue them. If there is no physical evidence of sexual harassment in this case, it should be thrown out. Eyewitness evidence alone should never be the convicting factor, as too many people lie in order to achieve their goals.
What can Congress do to prevent businesses from silencing their employees? Without any real evidence that the silencing is going on, probably not much. Any laws that would prohibit businesses from firing any employee who lies about them or badmouths them because they are unhappy would likely be shot down by the Supreme Court in short order.