Washington Football Team owner Daniel Snyder allegedly told a team cheerleader in 2004 that she should got to a hotel room to ‘get to know’ a personal friend of his, and one club executive instructed employees to create a lewd behind-the-scenes video of partially nude cheerleaders at a 2008 calendar shoot, according to the latest wave of accusations against the embattled NFL franchise.
In total, 25 women came forward to tell the Washington Post they were sexually harassed while working for the Washington Football Team.
The latest piece follows a previous report in which 15 women accused the team of permitting a hostile work environment rife with sexual harassment. The allegations are just the latest chapter in a chaotic off-season in which the club bowed to pressure from Native American groups and sponsors by dropping a nickname, ‘Redskins,’ that many believed to be racist.
Washington Football Team owner Daniel Snyder (pictured) allegedly told a team cheerleader in 2004 that she should got to a hotel room to ‘get to know’ a personal friend of his
Former Redskins cheerleader Tiffany Bacon Scourby claims Snyder suggested that she join his ‘close friend’ in a hotel room so they ‘could get to know each other’ back in 2004
Redskins cheerleaders seen dancing as part of a 2004 event, where Scourby claims Snyder suggested she spend some time with a close friend of his in a nearby hotel room
Seven former employees told the Post in July that now-former team executive and radio announcer Larry Michael routinely discussed the physical appearance of female colleagues in sexual and disparaging overtones. Now he’s being accused of ordering a lewd behind-the-scenes video of the cheerleading squad’s 2008 swimsuit calendar shoot
According to the Post, ex-team employee Brad Baker was told by former team senior vice president and lead broadcaster Larry Michael to make the cheerleader video for Snyder.
‘Larry said something to the effect of, “We have a special project that we need to get done for the owner today: He needs us to get the good bits of the behind-the-scenes video from the cheerleader shoot onto a DVD for him,”‘ Baker told the Post.
That claim is being disputed by Tim DeLaney, a former team employee who Baker said was involved in the making of the video.
‘I was never asked to create an outtakes video, and I have no knowledge of anyone creating one or even being asked to create one,’ said DeLaney, who now works for the Arizona Cardinals. ‘I certainly would have remembered that conversation had it happened.’
Snyder was not personally accused of any workplace misconduct in the Post’s July 17 piece that detailed allegations of sexual harassment, nor was Baker suggesting that he was behind the creation of the video.
Donald Wells, an ex-Redskins cheerleader director, backed up Scourby’s claim, according to the Washington Post
However, a former cheerleader named Tiffany Bacon Scourby did accuse the team owner of suggesting she join his ‘close friend’ in a hotel room so they ‘could get to know each other.
Her account was backed up by three people, including the team’s former cheerleader director, Donald Wells, according to the Post.
The allegations in the original report, which span from 2006 through 2019, primarily include inappropriate sexual comments, unwelcome overtures and pressure to wear revealing clothing.
On July 17, Snyder issued a statement that said the story ‘strengthened my commitment to setting a new culture and standard for our team, a process that began with the hiring of Coach (Ron) Rivera earlier this year.’
Some of the 25 women said they decided to talk now because Snyder’s response angered them. And several of them, The Post said, pointed fingers at the executive suite.
‘Many of the women who have come forward in recent weeks with harassment allegations pointed to former executives named in the previous Post report: Alex Santos, the recently fired pro personnel director; [Larry] Michael, the club’s longtime radio voice and a senior vice president, who abruptly retired last month; Dennis Greene, former president of business operations, who left in 2018 amid allegations he had sold access to cheerleaders; and Mitch Gershman, former chief operating officer, who left in 2015,’ the Wednesday story read.
One club executive instructed employees to create a lewd behind-the-scenes video of partially nude cheerleaders at a 2008 calendar shoot, according to the latest wave of accusations against the embattled NFL franchise
Former team Emily Applegate (pictured) accused the team of creating a hostile workplace back in July, saying one executive frequently commented on her physical appearance
Santos and Gershman declined to comment to the newspaper, and Greene did not respond to requests for a comment.
The latest Post report also said Michael ordered his staff to make a video for Snyder showing ‘lewd outtakes’ from the film shoot for the team’s 2008 cheerleader swimsuit calendar.
Earlier this month, the team released running back Derrius Guice, a second-round draft pick in 2018, following his arrest on domestic violence-related charges
Michael denied the report, but Brad Baker, a former member of the team’s broadcast staff, said it was true.
‘Larry said something to the effect of, “We have a special project that we need to get done for the owner today. He needs us to get the good bits of the behind-the-scenes video from the cheerleader shoot onto a DVD for him,”‘ Baker said.
The franchise has had an offseason of upheaval.
Rivera took the reins as head coach on New Year’s Day. In April, the club traded the anchor of their offensive line, disgruntled tackle Trent Williams. Snyder agreed to drop the team’s controversial name, Redskins, in July, with a new name pending. That came days before The Post’s initial report.
Earlier this month, the team released running back Derrius Guice, a second-round draft pick in 2018, following his arrest on domestic violence-related charges. Wide receiver Cody Latimer was released on Sunday.
The NFL placed Latimer on the Commissioner’s Exempt List on July 27, following an incident in May in which gunshots were fired in an apartment in Colorado. Latimer was charged with felony assault in the second degree, menacing and illegal discharge of a firearm, as well as two misdemeanors — prohibited use of a weapon and reckless endangerment.
Last week, Washington named Jason Wright as the team president. The former NFL running back is the first African-American team president in league history.
The Redskins promoted a 2013 calendar shoot on their website. Later a group of former cheerleaders claimed they were asked to pose topless in front of an all-male group of sponsors
This is not the first time that former team cheerleaders have accused the club of condoning an inappropriate work atmosphere.
In 2018, The New York Times reported that the team trip to Costa Rica crossed professional boundaries, with some cheerleaders claiming they were forced to pose topless during a calendar shoot while an all-male group of sponsors and fans watched.
Dennis Greene worked for the club for 17 years until 2018, when it was revealed that he had sold access to team cheerleaders at a 2013 bikini photo shoot in Costa Rica. There was no sex involved, but season ticket holders were allegedly present while the women posed topless for a calendar shoot that did not actually require any nudity
Greene is alleged to have sold access to those cheerleaders in 2013, and left the franchise in 2018 after the report was published.
Several alleged that nine cheerleaders were picked by certain sponsors to be their personal escorts that same night, and while they say sex was not a part of that assignment, they said they felt compelled to cooperate.
Coming off a 14-hour day, some of the exhausted cheerleaders reportedly began to cry upon learning about the ‘escort’ assignment.
According to the report, the cheerleaders felt the trip was mandatory, even though they were not being paid. The team did cover transportation, meals and lodging.
Some of the cheerleaders were left feeling ‘worthless and unprotected’ afterwards, claiming the Redskins were were ‘pimping [them] out.’
Former Redskins cheerleading captains Charo Bishop and Rachel Gill refuted those claims to NBC’s Today Show after the 2018 report was published.
In this October 24, 2019, file photo, Native American leaders protest against the Redskins team name outside US Bank Stadium before an NFL football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Redskins in Minneapolis. Last month, the team dropped ‘Redskins’ amid pressure from sponsors, temporarily changing its name to the Washington Football Team
The latest allegations come as Snyder is reportedly being pressured to sell his stake in the franchise by the team’s minority partners.
According to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news on August 13, Snyder has no intention of selling. The 55-year-old billionaire declined to comment directly to the Journal. A team spokesperson also declined to comment to DailyMail.com.
Although it’s unclear what the the exact source of the friction between Snyder and the minority owners is, the team’s turbulent recent history includes a long-anticipated and controversial name change from the Redskins, as well as accusations of sexual harassment and verbal abuse in the workplace. Snyder has not been accused of any misconduct.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the issues among Washington’s owners predate the recent name change and some of the other problems facing the franchise.
The team’s minority owners consist of FedEx Corp. CEO Fred Smith, Black Diamond Capital chairman Robert Rothman and NVR Inc. board chairman Dwight Schar, who control a combined 40 percent stake worth roughly $1.4billion, according to Forbes’ $3.4billion valuation in 2019.
The three reportedly enlisted the help of an investment firm to sell their shares in July amid internal disagreements with Snyder, who had steadfastly refused to change the team’s 87-year-old nickname, the Redskins, amid pressure from Native Americans, social justice groups, and sponsors, who claimed it was racist.
Smith, Rothman, and Schar are still reportedly interested in selling their shares, but might need Snyder’s help to get a fair price.
FedEx Corp. CEO Fred Smith (pictured) thought he found a buyer at least once in the last year, according to the Wall Street Journal, but Snyder was slow to approve the deal and the buyer eventually bought a stake in another team
The team’s minority owners consist of FedEx Corp. CEO Fred Smith, Black Diamond Capital chairman Robert Rothman (right) and NVR Inc. board chairman Dwight Schar (left), who control a combined 40 percent stake worth roughly $1.4billion, according to Forbes’ $3.4billion valuation in 2019
As explained by The Wall Street Journal, it can be difficult to get fair market value for a minority stake in an NFL team, unless the agreement provides a clear path to majority ownership. So the minority owners’ shares would likely be worth more to a potential buyer if there were a real chance to purchase Snyder’s stake as well.
Smith thought he found a buyer at least once in the last year, according to the Wall Street Journal, but Snyder was slow to approve the deal and the buyer eventually bought a stake in another team.
Rothman and Schar have since decided to sell their shares with the help of investment bank Moag & Co.
Snyder recently filed a lawsuit in India against a local media company, MEA Worldwide, which he claims slandered him in several articles last month.
To aid in that lawsuit, Snyder filed a petition in Federal District Court in Alexandria, Virginia earlier this month to compel a former team employee, Mary-Ellen Blair, to produce discovery evidence for use in the proceeding in India. Snyder is attempting to establish ‘Blair’s motive for seeking to defame’ him, according to the filing obtained by DailyMail.com.
The Athletic’s Rhiannon Walker (above), said she informed club management last year that team employee Alex Santos had pinched her and told her she had ‘an a** like a wagon’
Snyder does not mention any individual partners by name, but does suggest the team’s minority owners were behind stories erroneously linking him to billionaire pedophile and sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in his New York jail cell in 2019 following what was ruled to be a suicide.
‘The minority owners [of the Washington Football Team] are apparently looking at bringing him down citing inappropriate and unchaste behavior as one of the major reasons,’ read the filing.
A Maryland native and lifelong fan of the team, owner Snyder’s business career began in wallboard advertising and telemarketing. By 1996, at age 32, he had become the youngest CEO of a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, according to FastCompany.com.
The team hired high-profile Washington attorney Beth Wilkinson to review organization protocols. She previously represented the NFL in a lawsuit challenging its cable television package
In 1999, Snyder bought the team and its stadium, now known as FedExField, following previous owner Jack Kent Cooke’s death for $800 million — the most expensive franchise acquisition in sports history at the time.
To finance the deal, Snyder brought in investors Schar, owner of the third-largest home builder in the US, Rothman, and Smith, the founder and CEO of FedEx, which owns the $205 million naming rights sponsorship on the team stadium.
Although he inherited a team that won three Super Bowls, most recently at the end of the 1991 season, Snyder’s Redskins have taken a nose dive over the last two decades.
Since Snyder bought the team in 1999, the team has a 142-193-1 record with eight head coaches and a whopping 21 different starting quarterbacks over that time.
Snyder has also battled the Washington media, once trying and failing to ban Washington City Paper beat writer Dave McKenna after one of his columns featured the team owner pictured with devil horns and a beard — a depiction Snyder insisted was antisemitic.
He even sued the paper and McKenna, but ultimately dropped the proceedings.
In recent years the Redskins have taken criticism for signing players facing legal problems, such as linebacker Reuben Foster, who was arrested twice for domestic violence, although the charges were dropped both times.
The Washington Football Team has hired former NFL player Jason Wright as its new president, making him the first African American to ascend to that role in league history
WASHINGTON NFL TEAM EMPLOYEES ACCUSED OF MISCONDUCT OR NEGLIGENCE:
Former Washington Redskins director of pro personnel Alex Santos
Director of pro personnel Alex Santos: Six former employees and two reporters who covered the team told the Washington Post that Santos made inappropriate remarks to them about their appearances. He also asked them if they were interested in him romantically. In 2019, he allegedly pinched Rhiannon Walker, a reporter for The Athletic, and told her she had ‘an ass like a wagon.’ This resulted in an internal investigation. Another reporter, the Ringer’s Nora Princiotti, also accused Santos of harassing her. Santos, who declined to speak with the Post, was fired this past week.
Team radio play-by-play announcer Larry Michael: Seven former employees told the Post that ‘the voice of the Washington Redskins’ frequently talked openly about female co-workers looks, often making sexually disparaging remarks. He was once caught on a ‘hot mic’ in 2018 discussing the looks of one intern, six sources told the Post. Michael, who declined to speak with the Post, retired after 16 seasons on Wednesday.
Former radio announcer Larry Michael (left) and former assistant director of pro personnel Richard Mann II (right)
Assistant director of pro personnel Richard Mann II: In a text message obtained by the Post, Mann told a female colleague that he and other men in the office debated whether she had plastic surgery on her breasts. He also warned another female coworker to expect an ‘inappropriate hug’ from him, adding, ‘don’t worry that will be a stapler in my pocket, nothing else.’ Mann declined to speak with the Post after being fired last week.
Former president of business operations Dennis Greene
President of business operations Dennis Greene: Five former employees told the Post that Greene asked female sales staffers to wear revealing outfits and flirt with wealthy season ticket holders and suite holders. Greene worked for the club for 17 years until 2018, when it was revealed that he had sold access to team cheerleaders at a bikini photo shoot in Costa Rica as part of a ticket package. According to a New York Times investigation, the 2013 calendar shoot did not involve any sex, but team officials did worry the cheerleaders by taking their passports. Some cheerleaders say they were required to be topless, although the shoot did not include any nudity. After a 14-hour shoot one day, nine of the 36 cheerleaders were reportedly asked to escort suite holders to a local nightclub. Several of the women began to cry, according to the Times. Greene declined to comment and has not worked for the team since being fired in 2018.
Chief operating officer Mitch Gershman: Former team Emily Applegate said he would routinely compliment her body while also regularly berating her for insignificant problems, like printer malfunctions. Her allegations were supported by two other female former employees. When contacted, Gershman told the Post, ‘I barely even remember who she is,’ adding that he ‘would apologize to anyone who thought I was verbally abusive.’ Gershman left the team in 2015.
Team president Bruce Allen: Although he is not accused of any misconduct, Applegate claims Allen must have known about the abuse she was receiving because ‘he sat 30 feet away from me… and saw me sobbing at my desk several times a week.’ The brother of former Virginia Governor and US Senator George Allen, Bruce Allen was fired after the 2019 season.
Majority owner Dan Snyder: The 55-year-old billionaire is not accused of any misconduct with female employees, but the Post’s sources say he presided over a lax corporate environment where misconduct was allowed to occur. Snyder was also accused of belittling executives, according to three members of the executive staff. Specifically, he mocked Dennis Greene for being a college cheerleader, once allegedly ordering him to do cartwheels for his amusement. Snyder remains the team’s majority owner.
Neither team owner Dan Snyder (left) or recently fired team president Bruce Allen (right) are accused of any misconduct, but sources did tell the Post that they should have been aware about the workplace culture, and neither did enough to stop it