SILVER STEPS UP
In wake of Mavs scandal, NBA commish urges all teams to make workplace reforms.
inability of too many organizations to provide a safe and welcoming workplace for women.”
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has agreed to contribute $10 million to organizations committed to supporting the leadership and development of women in the sports industry and combating domestic violence.
“First, just an apology to the women involved, in a couple of cases they were assaulted,” Cuban on Wednesday. “And not just to them, but to their families. Because this is not something that is just an incident and it’s over. It stays with people and stays with families, and I’m just sorry I didn’t see it. I didn’t recognize it. I just hope that out of this we will be better.”
The Mavericks hired Marshall as their new Chief Executive Officer just after the investigation began. Since then, Marshall has replaced or added several new leadership positions in the organization, including a new head of Human Resources, a Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, a head of Diversity & Inclusion, and a new General Counsel.
The league is also requiring the Mavericks to provide them
“We appreciate that Mark Cuban reacted swiftly, thoroughly and transparently to the allegations first set forth in Sports Illustrated – including the immediate hiring of Cynthia Marshall as CEO to effect change, but as Mark has acknowledged, he is ultimately responsible for the culture and conduct of his employees. While nothing will undo the harm caused by a select few former employees of the Mavericks, the workplace reforms and the $10 million that Mark has agreed to contribute are important steps toward rectifying this past behavior and shining a light on a pervasive societal failing — the provide consistent discipline when misconduct is substantiated.”
On Wednesday, the league released a statement about the findings from their investigation into the Mavericks after a February report from Sports Illustrated detailed the vile and toxic culture that existed in the team’s front office.
“The findings of the independent investigation are disturbing and heartbreaking and no employee in the NBA, or any workplace for that matter, should be subject to the type of working environment described in the report,” Silver said in a statement. In the wake of the reaction to the findings of the NBA’s investigation into the Dallas Mavericks’ front office, it appears that NBA commissioner Adam Silver is determined to bring about change.
According to reports, Silver sent a memo to all 30 teams in which he "strongly" suggesting workplace reforms, including increasing the number of women hired by teams, and improving how franchises handle harassment allegations.
NBA Insider Shams Charania of The Athletic was first to report the news.
“Sources on @watchstadium @theathleticNBA: NBA commissioner Adam Silver has sent new memo to all 30 teams “strongly” encouraging many reforms, including increasing number of women throughout organization/leadership and improving harassment reporting,” tweeted Charania on Friday.
Charania is also reporting that Silver wants teams to, “evaluate all executives on efforts to eliminate harassment; conduct anonymous workplace surveys; with quarterly reports regarding the recommendations set forth in the report and their implementation, immediate reports of any instances or allegations of significant misconduct by any employees, and enhanced and updated annual training sessions for all staff on issues related to domestic violence, sexual assault, and sexual harassment.
The report also recommended that the Mavericks increase the number of women on staff, especially in leadership positions. Implement regular anonymous employee surveys, and expand and improve the Human Resources department.
When Cuban was on Wednesday’s editions of ESPN’s “The Jump,” Rachel Nichols asked the Mavericks owner just how much deeper does he recommend his cohorts in the league go with paying attention to and properly dealing with assault claims in the workplace.
“You have to dig in. You have to sit there in the middle,” he said.
“It’s a smart business move to bring somebody in from the outside, not in response to a problem, but proactively to make sure there isn’t a problem brewing.”