Ctrl+Alt+ Undeleted: The trail of toxic emails

Jon Gruden resigned as coach of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders this week after the New York Times reported that he had made racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks in numerous emails in the past decade. The emails were disclosed as part of an investigation into workplace misconduct on the Washington Football Team, an inquiry that did not directly involve Gruden.

WHAT’S IN THE EMAILS?

In messages sent from 2011, while he was a commentator for ESPN, through early 2018, Gruden frequently unleashed racist, homophobic and misogynistic language in conversations with Washington president Bruce Allen and others. During the NFL owners’ pre-season lockout in 2011, Gruden, who is white, used a racial trope and insulted the intelligence of DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, who is Black. Those remarks were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

In emails detailed by the Times, Gruden used homophobic language to characterize NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and when referring to Michael Sam, a gay player drafted by the St. Louis Rams in 2014. He also criticized Goodell’s efforts to reduce concussions, denounced the emergence of women as referees and said that Eric Reid, one of the first players to join Colin Kaepernick in protesting racism and police brutality by kneeling during the anthem, should be fired.

Gruden also used offensive language to describe some NFL owners, coaches and journalists. And he, Allen and other men exchanged pictures of women wearing only bikini bottoms, including one photo of two Washington team cheerleaders.

THE DISCOVERY

The correspondence — more than 650,000 emails — came to light as part of an investigation into the Washington Football Team, which fired Allen in 2019. The NFL fined the club $10 million this summer after a year-long inquiry that revealed a culture of sexual harassment, bullying and intimidation.

RAIDERS’ RESPONSE

On Oct. 8, after the Journal reported on Gruden’s comments about Smith, Mark Davis, the Raiders owner, issued a statement calling the remarks “disturbing.” Gruden apologized but was allowed to coach the Raiders’ game two days later. Before the article’s publication, Gruden held a team meeting to pre-emptively address the situation. He resigned within hours after the Times report Monday that detailed more of his emails. “I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction,” he said in a statement, adding, “I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone.”