NEW YORK – Prosecutors from New York and California have launched an investigation into the NFL’s work culture. They issued subpoenas on Thursday to executives in one of the richest sports leagues in the world in search of documents relating to a range of allegations, including racial and sexual harassment.
Both Democrats, New York Attorney-General Letitia James, and California Attorney-General Rob Bonta, claim they are not targeting the 32 teams of the league that dominate the cultural space of the nation. Their investigation is focused on the league, and specifically its corporate offices located in New York City and California.
The investigation was launched in response to what Bonta described as a “robust record” of public records that point to “a disturbing and concerning set allegations about gender and race discrimination in NFL.” This includes lawsuits filed last year by former employees and congressional hearings into the workplace practices at the Washington Commanders. Also included is a 2022 New York Times report detailing allegations of discrimination against women by more than thirty former NFL employees.
Bonta told the Associated Press that “no one is above the laws.” “We’re going to get to the bottom what’s happening, and if there’s discrimination taking place, we’re going to make sure that we address it and hold the NFL accountable.”
The NFL said that it would cooperate in the investigation, but called the allegations as “totally inconsistent with its values and practices.”
The NFL offices are a place where employees of all races, genders and backgrounds thrive. “We do not tolerate any form of discrimination,” said league officials in a press release.
The NFL has been investigated before, including by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in response to former players’ allegations that teams mishandled prescription drugs. The investigation announced on Thursday appears to have been the first of its type for various workplace violations at the league’s corporate offices.
Nellie Drew of the Center for the Advancement of Sport, University of Buffalo School of Law, said that the NFL is not one entity, but 32 teams and 32 owners, each of whom are “primarily responsible for steering [their] own ship.” A league investigation, depending on its results, could damage the entire brand, which could affect sponsorships.
Drew said that the NFL does not want people talking about their 2023 schedule the week before it is released. This event often generates a lot of buzz about high-profile matches and the season 2023, and also leads to speculation about each team’s chances for success.
The NFL and its teams have been plagued by complaints of racial and sex bias. The District of Columbia Attorney General sued the Washington Commanders, Dan Snyder, Goodell, the NFL, and the NFL in November over a collusion to deceive the fans by lying about a probe into “sexual misconduct” and a “persistently hostile work environment.”
Miami Dolphins fired coach Brian Flores, who was fired in December of last year, filed a federal suit against the NFL and 3 teams over alleged hiring practices that were “rife” with racism. He claimed the league is still “rife” with racism.
In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this year by Jennifer Love, former director of NFL Enterprises, she attributed her dismissal from 2022 to retaliation after her complaints about “pervasive” sexism and a “boys club” mentality.
Flores’ allegations are not supported by the NFL. The NFL’s Alex Riethmiller, spokeswoman for the league, said that there was no comment about Love’s lawsuit.
James and Bonta, in addition to the lawsuits cited by James, cited a New York Times article from 2022 where over 30 former NFL female employees described a culture of sexism at the league. The women claimed that the culture persisted in spite of the promises of reform made by Commissioner Roger Goodell after the release of the video showing Baltimore Ravens runningback Ray Rice punching the fiancee of his girlfriend.
Theresa Locklear was a former NFL executive who held the position as director of business intelligence, optimization and analytics. She told the Times that managers were instructed to talk to their staffs after the Rice video was made public.
Locklear stated that when she met her team, Aaron Jones, an employee male, argued that Rice’s fiancee had been partly at fault, because she had egged Rice, and other men in the call seemed agree.
Jones told The Times that he never spoke to Locklear regarding Rice and that he would never have said that a woman is to blame for the assault.
