The Washington Football Team, of American football’s NFL, has been fined $10 million after a workplace review found a culture of bullying and harassment at the organisation.
The review, carried out by the NFL in response to allegations made last year, found that bullying and intimidation “routinely took place”, and that many female employees also “reported having experienced sexual harassment".
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The review took in interviews with over 150 people, and Roger Goodell, the NFL’s commissioner, said it shed light on a workplace culture that has been “highly unprofessional… particularly for women".
The process began in August 2020 after allegations of sexual harassment and other abuse came to light in an investigation by the Washington Post.
Beth Wilkinson, the attorney in charge of the investigation, said senior team executives “paid little or no attention to workplace culture” and that “key executives believed disrespectful behaviour and more serious misconduct was acceptable."
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Dan Snyder, Washington Football Team’s owner, said: “It is now clear that the culture was not what it should be, but I did not realise the extent of the problems, or my role in allowing that culture to develop and continue.”
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By GlobalDataHe added that over the last 18 months, significant changes in the franchise’s culture have been made, including the implementation of a “new and diverse leadership team".
In addition to being fined, the organisation will be forced to report to the NFL twice a year from now on, with updates about how plans to improve the workplace culture are progressing.
Earlier this week, the franchise elevated Tanya Snyder, Dan Snyder’s wife, to co-chief executive of the franchise.
Since the Snyders took ownership of the team in 1999, Tanya’s main focus has been on the team's philanthropic activities, having led the Washington Football Charitable Foundation for over 20 years.
