Dive Brief:
- Owners for the NFL’s Washington Commanders agreed to pay $1 million to resolve allegations that the team maintained an abusive workplace culture and failed to disclose information pertinent to an investigation of the abuse in violation of Washington, D.C., consumer protection laws, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced Monday.
- The investigation stemmed from a 2020 report by The Washington Post detailing female employees’ claims of sexual harassment, verbal abuse and other misconduct. The team announced an investigation into the allegations, but the city alleged that a “secret agreement” was struck between the team and the NFL to give former owner Dan Snyder control over the public release of the investigation’s findings.
- The city sued the Commanders in 2022, while the NFL fined Snyder $60 million in 2023 after concluding that he personally engaged in sexual harassment and misconduct. In addition to the $1 million fine, the Commanders agreed to continue workplace changes made by the current ownership group, which bought the team after the lawsuit was filed. The team declined to comment to HR Dive.
Dive Insight:
The multiyear saga featured public denials of the employees’ claims from executives. Per the settlement agreement, the Commanders continue to deny all allegations brought by the D.C. government.
Snyder featured heavily in the district attorney’s claims. For instance, D.C. claimed that Snyder “not only condoned, [but also] created” the team’s toxic culture, in part by ordering the creation of sexually explicit videos of the team’s cheerleaders which had been taken without their knowledge or consent. The district also alleged that Snyder attempted to interfere with the investigation to prevent certain findings from being released to the public.
Previously, the Post reported additional claims from former employees that Snyder maintained an understaffed HR department as well as a “sophomoric culture of verbal abuse” among team executives.
The NFL has itself faced allegations of discrimination in recent years. In 2024, the league agreed to settle a race discrimination lawsuit brought by a former sports writer who claimed that he was fired after speaking out about discrimination and a lack of diversity within the league. As part of that settlement, the league reportedly donated to a scholarship fund aimed at supporting students at historically Black colleges and universities.
HR departments often face a complex array of issues when executives and top leaders are accused of misconduct. Sources who previously spoke to HR Dive advised professionals who receive complaints about such violations to conduct thorough investigations, lean on their professional networks and, if necessary, escalate the issue to a board of directors or legal counsel.
