Amid investigation, Richardson to sell Panthers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Facing a growing investigation that accuses him of sexual misconduct and using racist language at work, Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson announced Sunday that he will sell the NFL team after the season.

“I believe it is time to turn the franchise over to new ownership,” Richardson wrote in a statement linked on Twitter, saying he wouldn’t begin discussions until after the season. “I hope everyone in the organization, both on and off the field, will be firmly focused on one mission: to play and win the Super Bowl.”

Richardson, 81, who was awarded the team as an expansion franchise in 1993, did not directly address the investigation or allegations against him.

Richardson’s announcement comes after a Sports Illustrated report on Sunday that cited unnamed sources who said Richardson made sexually suggestive comments to women and on at least one occasion directed a racial slur at an African-American Panthers scout. The report states that the settlements came with nondisclosure requirements forbidding the parties from discussing the details.

The NFL on Sunday said it has taken over the investigation of allegations of workplace misconduct. Panthers spokesman Steven Drummond said Sunday the team requested the league take over the investigation for “transparency reasons.”

The NFL had no comment on the upcoming sale of the Panthers, who Forbes estimates as worth $2.3 billion.