New claims against Snyder include lewd video

While claiming he takes “full responsibility for the culture of our organization,” Washington Football Team owner Dan Snyder called the latest Washington Post story that exposes a toxic and sexual harassment-littered environment within the franchise a “hit job.”

A month after the Washington Post published a story alleging a widespread sexual harassment culture within the organization’s front office, the newspaper came out with a new report Wednesday that alleged, among other issues, employees were instructed to make a lewd video of cheerleaders for Snyder.

Snyder denied knowing anything about the video, which a former employee claimed the broadcast team was ordered to make by Larry Michael, the team’s lead broadcaster and senior vice president who abruptly retired in July before he was named in the initial Washington Post report. The former employee said Michael had them put together revealing outtakes from the cheerleader’s swimsuit calendar shoot in 2008 for Snyder.

“I did not request their creation and I never saw them,” Snyder, in a lengthy statement obtained by ESPN, said of the videos. “After an extensive review of our video archives, we believe these videos to be unauthorized or fraudulent. We requested that the Post provide us with copies of these videos to be forensically evaluated and authenticated, but the Washington Post refused to do so.”

A statement from commissioner Roger Goodell said, “We strongly condemn the unprofessional, disturbing and abhorrent behavior and workplace environment alleged in the report which is entirely inconsistent with our standards and has no place in the NFL.”

Goodell said “an independent investigation into these issues is in process, led by highly experienced counsel recommended by our office.”

The Washington Post story also quoted a former Washington cheerleader, Tiffany Bacon Scourby, who said Snyder suggested she meet his close friend in a hotel room so they could “get to know each other” at a charity event in 2004.

“We are disappointed that Ms. Scourby would speak to the newspaper but never bring any of these allegations to management’s attention, particularly since she is still part of our organization as a volunteer with our cheerleaders,” Snyder said. “I want to unequivocally state that this never happened.”

Scourby said she confided in Donald Wells, the cheerleader director, about the conversation, in addition to her boyfriend and a longtime friend, each of whom corroborated the story to the Washington Post.

“There’s a power dynamic, and Dan Snyder looked down on me,” Scourby told the newspaper.