NFL won’t issue report on 10-month investigation
“There shouldn’t be, no workplace is perfect which is understandable, but there has to be a level of accountability when it comes to toxic culture and sexual harassment.”
NEW YORK — The NFL is not going to issue a report on its 10-month investigation into allegations the Washington Football Team engaged in harassment and abuse because of its promise to protect the identities of those who testified, Commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday night.
Speaking after the first day of the NFL meetings for the 32 owners, Goodell said the league wanted to protect the roughly 150 former employees who spoke to outside counsel Beth Wilkinson, who conducted the NFL investigation.
He said the NFL did release a summary of the investigation and that Washington owner Daniel Snyder has not been allowed to handle any of the day-to-day operations of the franchise since July.
“I do think he has been held accountable and the organization has been held accountable,” Goodell said.
Earlier in the day, members of the NFL’s Social Justice Working Group and the owners were given a copy of a letter by two former employees of the Washington Football Team asking them to make a public a report.
“I love for this to be a learning point, not just for the NFL, but for leagues and teams all across that this shouldn’t be hidden,” said Ana Nunez, who worked in the team’s business department until 2019.
“There shouldn’t be, no workplace is perfect which is understandable, but there has to be a level of accountability when it comes to toxic culture and sexual harassment.”
Addressing other topics, the commissioner said there has been progress made on getting a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills. He believes the current location in Orchard Park, New York, is the likely one, but the final decision is up to local officials.
The commissioner said the league has not made a decision on the future of quarterback Deshaun Watson because of pending legal issues from civil cases still being considered. The league is waiting to see all the information gathered in the suits.
The three-time Pro Bowler is facing allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior in 22 active lawsuits and has been inactive for Houston’s first seven games this season.
In other news, the league said
— Ana Nunez, former WFT employee
earlier in the day it was encouraged by the progress made in preventing any major spreads of COVID-19 among its teams, while concerned about an increase in soft tissue injuries.
Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer, noted at the first
in-person owners meetings since December 2019 that a low positive COVID-19 rate between .04% and .06% is due greatly to vaccinations and protocols working. Nearly 100,000 COVID-19 tests have been taken, 1,200 a day on average across the league.