Washington owner orders culture review

Owner Dan Snyder has hired a District of Columbia law firm to review the Washington NFL team’s culture, policies and allegations of workplace misconduct.

Beth Wilkinson of Wilkinson Walsh LLP confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday that the firm had been retained to conduct an independent review. ESPN was first to report the hiring.

The Washington Post reported July 16 that 15 female former employees said they were sexually harassed during their time with the team. In a statement, the team said it takes issues of employee conduct seriously and, “While we do not speak to specific employee situations publicly, when new allegations of conduct are brought forward that are contrary to these policies, we address them promptly.”

Within the past week, three members of the front office have left the organization. Director of player personnel Alex Santos, assistant Richard Mann II and longtime broadcaster and senior vice president Larry Michael are no longer with the team.

NBA

WILLIAMSON LEAVES FOR FAMILY MATTER » The New Orleans Pelicans say top overall draft choice Zion Williamson left the club on Thursday to attend to an urgent family medical matter. The Pelicans say Williamson intends to rejoin the team in the Orlando area for the resumption of the season, but the club did not specify when he would be able to return.

WNBA

LEAGUE: SENATOR DOESN’T HAVE TO SELL » he WNBA commissioner says the league has no plans to insist that Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler sell her stake in the team.

“We’re not going to force her to sell her ownership,” Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in an interview on CNN. “She is not a current governor, she is not involved in the day-to-day (operations), and we are aware there are interested parties who want to purchase the team. We have a Board of Governors — she has not served as a governor since she became a senator, so since October of 2019.”

Loeffler, a Republican U.S. senator running for re-election in Georgia, objected to the league’s initiatives to honor the Black Lives Matter movement, asking the league commissioner to scrap plans for players to wear warmup jerseys with “Black Lives Matter” and “Say Her Name” and instead put an American flag on all uniforms and apparel.