Roger Goodell
Catalina Fragoso USA TODAY Sports Reuters
Prosecutors in six states warned the National Football League on Wednesday to take “swift action” in response to recent allegations of a “culture in the workplace that is openly hostile to women” or to face investigations and possible lawsuits.
The coalition told NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in a letter that it had “serious concerns” about reports of how women in the league were being treated.
“Our offices will use all the weight of our powers to investigate and prosecute allegations of harassment, discrimination or retaliation by employers in our states, including the National Football League,” said New York Attorney General Leticia James and colleagues in Illinois, Minnesota. , Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington said in their letter.
The warning comes from reports in The New York Times in February based on allegations by more than 30 former employees of the New York-based NFL.
Among other things, former employees told The Times that they were repeatedly forced to watch a 2014 video of former NFL player Ray Rice hitting and knocking out his fiancée, “with a comment from colleagues that the victim was provoked violence against herself, “the letter said.
The women also described in detail how they were asked to reveal whether they were also victims of domestic violence.
“Other women have described experiencing unwanted touch from male bosses at parties where
prostitutes were hired, overlooked for promotions based on their gender and nature
pushed to complain about discrimination, “the letter to Goodell said.
“In 2014, we watched the video with horror [former NFL player] “Ray Rice, who brutally attacked his fiancée, was in the public domain,” the letter said. “After this alarming incident and too many others, the NFL has promised to do better, take gender-based violence seriously, and improve conditions for women in the league. “
The chief prosecutor added: “Now we know that they have not done anything like that.”
The NFL, in a statement in response to the letter, said it was committed to keeping its jobs free from harassment and discrimination.
“We have made great strides over the years in support of this commitment, but we recognize that we, like many organizations, still have work to do,” the league said.
“We look forward to sharing with the Attorneys General the policies, practices, protocols, educational programs and partnerships we have implemented to act on this commitment and to confirm that the League office and our clubs maintain a respectable workplace where all our staff , including women, have the opportunity to thrive, “the league added.