NFL fines Washington Football Team $10 million for inappropriate workplace culture

The National Football League has fined the Washington Football Team $10 million after a concluded investigation of its workplace culture. 

The investigation was stirred by a 2020 report from Washington Post which featured 15 former female employees of the team who explained their experiences of sexual harassment within the team. The women provided detailed information of how they were often victims of sexual advancements by their male counterparts.

The women also claimed to have been secretly videotaped while they were getting undressed but later reached a settlement with the team.

Co-owner and CEO of the team, Dan Snyder, at the time, brought in attorney Beth Wilkinson who led an investigation team July last year until the NFL took over the investigation. Wilkinson worked with the NFL as an independent investigator to dig deeper into the allegations of the hostile workplace culture, harassment, and bullying, especially toward female employees. 

Wilkinson interviewed Dan Snyder twice, and nearly 150 employees which helped her to conclude that the organization’s workplace culture was highly unprofessional. There were cases of bullying and intimidation, with several female employees experiencing sexual harassment.

“I feel great remorse for the people who had difficult, even traumatic, experiences while working here,” Synder said in a statement. “I’m truly sorry for that. I can’t turn back the clock but I promise that nobody who works here will ever have that kind of experience again, at least not as long as Tanya and I are the owners of the team.”

The NFL said the $10 million fine will put into supporting education, anti-bullying, healthy relationships, and similar organizations. The league also added that the WFT will fund programs directed at building and improving the workplace, especially for women and underrepresented groups. In addition, the team will pay for the conducted investigation. It will pay the fees and expenses for attorney Beth Wilkinson, which may be an additional $1 million or $2 million.

Attorneys Lisa Banks and Debra Katz were not satisfied with the ruling and investigation, and the league denying Wilkinson the right to issue a written report.

“In response to a year-long investigation in which more than 100 witnesses were interviewed, and which we believe substantiated our clients’ allegation of pervasive harassment, misogyny, and abuse at the Washington Football Team, the NFL has chosen to protect owner Dan Snyder,” they said.

Banks and Katz described the move as “outrageous” and a “slap” on the face of these women who boldly came forward to speak of their sexual harassment experiences, in the hope for justice.