NFL
NFL Commissioner Goodell: WFT probe results won’t be released
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the results of its investigation into the Washington Football Team won't be released, amid mounting pressure to do so.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stands pat on the league’s decision not to release the results of its investigation into the Washington Football Team’s workplace culture amid mounting pressure on the NFL to make its findings public.
To justify this decision, Goodell said that some of WFT’s former or current female employees came forward on the condition of anonymity.
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WFT ex-employees demand release of emails
His statements came as Melanie Coburn and Ana Nunez hand-delivered a letter signed by 12 former WFT employees addressed to NFL’s social justice committee, urging the league to disclose the findings of the probe into misconduct at the team’s workplace.
“We, along with over a hundred others, spoke to investigators about our experiences of harassment and abuse at the hands of various corporate executives of the team, including owner Dan Snyder,” the letter said.
The women said, “The NFL should not be allowed to encourage employees to come forward at great personal and professional risk… only to sweep the results under the rug.”
“We are calling on you to demand that the NFL make the findings public,” it added. “We are calling on you to do the right thing.”
Emails' only casualty is John Gruden
It also stated that it was “telling that after such a wide-ranging, exhaustive investigation into the culture of the WFT and its owner, the only person to be held accountable is the coach of another team.”
Some emails that had been publicly released resulted in the resignation of Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden, after showing that he repeatedly used racist, misogynistic, and anti-LGBTQ language. While the league has denounced Gruden’s actions, it has refused to release more of the emails.
Probe exposes "serial sexual harassment"
Coburn, a former cheerleader and WFT marketer, says she believes the emails that were studied during the investigation would demonstrate “serial sexual harassment” and sexual assault.
For his part, Goodell said that Snyder “has been held accountable”, adding that “steps were put in place to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
The US House of Representatives has requested the NFL to submit documents pertinent to the probe. Goodell says the league is looking forward to cooperating with the Congress investigation.