Emily Applegate told The Washington Post about alleged incidents of "frequent sexual harassment and verbal abuse" she endured while working for the Washington Redskins in 2014/15.
Applegate is one of 15 women who spoke to the Post. The other 14 detailed incidents of sexual harassment on the condition of anonymity, citing nondisclosure agreements with the team.
When asked to release those employees from their nondisclosure agreements, the team declined.
The expose is a lengthy, substantive collection of accusations.
It involves interviews with more than 40 current and former Redskins employees as well as a review of text messages and internal company documents.
Owner Daniel Snyder declined to take part in an interview when presented with the details, but three of the accused departed the franchise over the last two weeks.
- Larry Michael, the franchise's long-term radio announcer, retired on Wednesday and is accused by seven former employees of having "routinely discussed the physical appearance of female colleagues in sexual and disparaging overtones."
- Alex Santos, the team's director of pro personnel, was fired this week and is accused by six former employees and two reporters who covered the team of "making inappropriate remarks about their bodies and asking them if they were romantically interested in him." Both reporters spoke on the record in the article.
- Richard Mann II, the team's assistant director of pro personnel, was fired last week. Mann II had multiple text messages referenced in the Post's article: "[Mann II] told a female employee he and his colleagues debated whether her breasts had been surgically enhanced and in another text message told another female employee to expect an 'inappropriate hug … And don’t worry that will be a stapler in my pocket, nothing else.'"
None of the women accused Snyder or, former team president, Bruce Allen of any inappropriate behaviour with women. They do blame Snyder for the culture of the organization that allegedly failed to create accountability for those accused and had no HR process:
"While Applegate and others did not accuse Snyder of acting improperly with women, they blamed him for an understaffed human resources department and what they viewed as a sophomoric culture of verbal abuse among top executives that they believed played a role in how those executives treated their employees."
ESPN's lead NFL reporter Adam Schefter reported early on Thursday that the company had hired attorney Beth Wilkinson to "review the organization's protocols."
He added that minority shareholders are attempting to sell their stakes in the company.
This story comes just days after Snyder was forced by sponsors to change the franchise's racist nickname.
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