Washington owner Daniel Snyder said Friday that the behavior described in a report from The Washington Post "has no place in our franchise or society." The report details accusations from 15 former female employees of the team who allege they were frequent targets of sexual harassment and subjected to verbal abuse by front office personnel.
"The behavior described in yesterday's Washington Post article has no place in our franchise or society," Snyder said in a statement released by the team.
"This story has strengthened my commitment to setting a new culture and standard for our team, a process that began with the hiring of Coach [Ron] Rivera earlier this year.
"Beth Wilkinson and her firm are empowered to do a full, unbiased investigation and make any and all requisite recommendations. Upon completion of her work, we will institute new policies and procedures and strengthen our human resources infrastructure to not only avoid these issues in the future but most importantly create a team culture that is respectful and inclusive of all."
On Thursday, Snyder hired a District of Columbia law firm to review the club's culture, policies and allegations of workplace misconduct. Wilkinson of Wilkinson Walsh LLP confirmed to The Associated Press that the firm had been retained to conduct an independent review.
In a statement included in the Post's report, the team said Thursday it takes issues of employee conduct seriously and added, "While we do not speak to specific employee situations publicly, when new allegations of conduct are brought forward that are contrary to these policies, we address them promptly."
Director of player personnel Alex Santos, assistant Richard Mann II and longtime broadcaster and senior vice president Larry Michael are no longer with the team. Michael announced Wednesday he was retiring after 16 years.
Santos, Mann, Michael and former business executives Dennis Greene and Mitch Gershman were mentioned in the Post story.
The NFL released the following statement Friday morning:
"These matters as reported are serious, disturbing and contrary to the NFL's values. Everyone in the NFL has the right to work in an environment free from any and all forms of harassment. Washington has engaged outside counsel to conduct a thorough investigation into these allegations. The club has pledged that it will give its full cooperation to the investigator and we expect the club and all employees to do so. We will meet with the attorneys upon the conclusion of their investigation and take any action based on the findings."
The Associated Press contributed to the report.
