Attorneys general from six states are calling foul on the NFL over allegations of workplace harassment. We’ve got more on the “grave concerns” they’ve described — and some of the other trouble the league’s found itself in as of late.
The NFL gets a warning
The attorneys general from New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell this week laying out their concerns over gender discrimination and harassment. It also cited a New York Times story published in February that included allegations from more than 30 former league employees who claimed they experienced unwanted touching from male bosses, were passed over for promotions because of their gender, or were pushed out because they questioned the NFL’s sexual harassment issues.
“All of this is entirely unacceptable and potentially unlawful,” the attorneys’ letter reads.
The AGs also warned that they’d use the “full weight of our authority to investigate and prosecute allegations of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation by employers throughout our states, including the National Football League.”
Congress investigates
A Congressional committee is also probing how the NFL has handled claims of sexual harassment within the front office of the Washington Commanders. Last year, the league fined the franchise $10 million after an internal investigation into misconduct within the organization — but didn’t make its findings public.
The committee held a hearing in February in which former employees spoke about the team’s “toxic workplace” and alleged they were harassed by owner Daniel Snyder.
A discrimination lawsuit
In February, the NFL was also hit by a class-action lawsuit from former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores, who accused the league of discriminating against him and other Black coaches in their hiring practices. Flores was fired at the end of the 2021 season.
“My sincere hope is that by standing up against systemic racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure that positive change is made for generations to come,” Flores said.
A change to the Rooney Rule
The NFL is well aware it doesn’t have enough women within its ranks or coaches and executives of color. The Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview diverse candidates for coaching positions, was meant to remedy this.
Last month, the NFL changed the policy, which went into effect nearly 20 years ago. It now requires all 32 clubs to employ either a woman or person of color to serve as an offensive assistant coach.
