The $2.4 million lawsuit the Dallas Cowboys had to pay four cheerleaders in 2022

The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are an iconic part of the franchise itself, and have already had to work hard to demand not only fair pay, but also respect. They are more than just pretty faces - they are dedicated, hard workers who show up with a smile on their face every home gameday no matter what. The least they deserve is some decent respect.

2015 Voyeurism allegations against Cowboys executive

But in 2015, senior vice president for public relations and communications Rich Dalrymple, was caught hiding behind a wall in the locker room with his iPhone extended as the cheerleaders were changing their clothes. Four members of the squad accused him. The same man was accused of taking upskirt photos of Charlotte Jones Anderson, the executive vice president and chief brand officer and daughter of owner Jerry Jones, during the 2015 NFL Draft, according to a fan who said he saw it on a livestream.

Darlymple defended himself by saying that he entered the locker room not knowing that the cheerleaders were in it and immediately left upon discovering them there. Multiple sources contradicted his claims, but he continued to deny that either incident occurred.

“People who know me, co-workers, the media and colleagues, know who I am and what I’m about,” Dalrymple said at the time. “I understand the very serious nature of these claims and do not take them lightly. The accusations are, however, false. One was accidental and the other simply did not happen. Everything that was alleged was thoroughly investigated years ago, and I cooperated fully.”

Jim Wilkinson, the team’s communications consultant, said that the organization thoroughly investigated both allegations, but found “no evidence of wrongdoing”. Dalrymple’s work phone and security key card (which allowed him to enter the locker room) were confiscated and supposedly no photos or videos were found on the phone, which he claimed was the only one he owned. It was never revealed if the times he entered and left the locker room were investigated, nor if any of the security footage at AT&T Stadium was investigated either. Despite “no evidence of wrongdoing”, Darlymple was still given a written warning, though it was never revealed exactly what the warning said or what it threatened.

In 2022, this story came to light, and it was discovered that the Cowboys had paid a confidential settlement of $2.4 million to the four cheerleaders who accused Darlymple, with each one receiving $399,523.27. ESPN obtained a signed copy of the May 2016 settlement agreement, which stated that neither the four members nor their spouses or Cowboys officials would speak publicly about the incident. “Coincidentally”, Darylmple retired shortly after that fact. He told ESPN that the allegations “had nothing to do with my retirement from a long and fulfilling career, and I was only contacted about this story after I was retired.”

After 32 years of work with the organization, Darlymple’s retirement was not mentioned on the Dallas Cowboys website and no member of the Cowboys’ staff acknowledged his service.