The U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Reform Committee held a two-hour roundtable discussion on February 3, 2022, with six former Washington Football Team (WTF) employees concerning sexual harassment and workplace misconduct claims under the team’s owner Dan Snyder. An attorney for Snyder has categorically denied the accusations by former employees, some of which arose for the first time during the roundtable. The Committee gave the NFL a Valentine’s Day deadline to turn over all documents into its investigation into the WTF, now known as the Washington Commanders.
New documents have surfaced indicating that the NFL and the former WFT had a “common interest” legal agreement in place that neither would release information about the investigation to the public unless both sides agreed. Such an agreement would allow Snyder to bury any information from the investigation that he did not wish to become public knowledge, even though Snyder himself was the target of some accusations of sexual misconduct. According to an August 2002 letter, the NFL originally had intended to complete an investigative report and recommendations on remedial measures following the investigation. However, the NFL departed from its usual procedures and entered the legal agreement with the former WTF over the release of information. In addition, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly directed the investigative findings to be presented verbally rather than in writing.
After multiple reports surfaced involving sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct by team executives, an NFL investigation came about. Among the most lurid allegations was a film of lewd outtakes from a cheerleading squad photoshoot in 2008.
In response to the NFL investigation, Goodell fined the former WFT $10 million in July 2021 based on its hostile workplace culture that included sexual harassment of female employees. Although Snyder indicated that he would step back from the organization’s daily operations, the NFL permitted him to retain ownership. However, the NFL released no public reports from their investigation into the matter, merely characterizing the organization’s behavior as “unprofessional.”
In October 2021, the House Oversight Committee demanded that the NFL release documents and information related to its investigation after certain emails from the investigation surfaced. Some of the emails revealed misogynistic, homophobic, and racist language between former Las Vegas Raider head coach-turned ESPN commentator Jon Gruden and former WFT president Bruce Allen, leading to the abrupt termination of Gruden’s commentator gig. After receiving less information from the NFL investigation than expected, and as more leaked documents continued to emerge, the Committee decided to convene a roundtable to allow former WTF employees to discuss their grievances.
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