There was a serious new development today in continuing saga relating to the NFL’s toxic workplace issues (including allegations of sexism, racism, and harassment). The New York Times announced that six state attorneys general have told the NFL they have “grave concerns” about reports of workplace harassment of women and people of color and warned the league that unless it takes steps to address the problems it could face a broad investigation.
We last wrote about this issue in these pages a few months ago in pre-Super Bowl February article entitled, “The NFL and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Bad Two Weeks Leading Up To The Big Game.” That article discussed the Alvin Kamara assault case, the Brian Flores racial discrimination lawsuit for hiring practices for NFL Coaches, and Congressional testimony alleging sexual harassment by Washington Commanders owner and all-around bad human, Daniel Snyder. The sub-heading was “When The League had dreamed of constant media coverage, they weren’t thinking it would be nonstop stories about crime, racism and sexual harassment. But that’s what they got.”
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Prior to that, in an article about John Gruden that highlighted some of the big unanswered questions about the leak of his toxic emails and his subsequent firing, we asked:
“What else don’t we know about private investigation that the NFL commissioned to look into the myriad alleged workplace issues surrounding The Washington Football Team” [Now the Washington Commanders]?
It now looks like there are a number of state Attorneys General who have the same question.
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And then of course, there is the optics and the reality of now-Cleveland Browns franchise QB, DeShaun Watson – alleged twenty-two time sexual harasser – being traded from Houston to Cleveland and signed to the most lucrative guaranteed contract in NFL history.
This all partially explains the announcement by the NFL just last week that it was going to extend its “Rooney Rule” to women.
That doesn’t seem to be enough to satisfy the powers that now may be looking to hold the NFL to account.
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