The NFL will likely fine the Washington NFL franchise, but it won’t go so far as to force owner Dan Snyder to sell if the sexual harassment allegations alleged by 15 former employees this week are justified, according to reports.
Several sources close to the “inner workings of the NFL” told The Washington Post on Friday that the league will seriously consider fining and delivering other disciplinary measures against Washington if an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment within the organization is determined to be true.
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Two sources specifically told The Post that unless the investigation yields new information that somehow ties Snyder directly to the inappropriate behavior detailed by the women, the league probably won’t force him to sell his majority ownership of the team.
“But we will wait to see what the investigation finds,” one of the sources told the newspaper. “That will be the foundation of any potential discipline.”
Snyder released a statement Friday that addresses The Post’s story detailing the women’s accusations of unwanted overtures, comments of a sexual nature, and exhortations to wear revealing clothing and flirt with customers to close sales deals. Only one employee spoke on the record, while 14 others were bound by confidentiality agreements from which the team refused to release them.
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“The behavior described in yesterday’s Washington Post article has no place in our franchise or society,” Snyder’s statement began. “This story has strengthened my commitment to establishing a new culture and standard for our team, a process that began with the hiring of Coach [Ron] Rivera earlier this year.
Snyder hired a local law firm to review the team’s culture and conduct, which he said will allow him to implement new policies and procedures.
“Beth Wilkinson and her firm are empowered to make a full and impartial investigation and to make each and every recommendation necessary,” his statement continued. “Upon completion of your work, we will institute new policies and procedures and strengthen our human resource infrastructure to not only avoid these problems in the future, but most importantly, to create a team culture that is respectful and inclusive for all.”
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The NFL released its own statement Friday morning stating that the league plans to take “action” based on the investigation’s findings, but did not say it would investigate the allegations in a separate investigation.
According to The Post, NFL statutes give the league the power to force the sale of a team if an owner engages in conduct “detrimental to the welfare of the league.”
