1 of 3 | NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league won't release a report because it would jeopardize the anonymity of those who came forward in the league's investigation into the Washington Football Team. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI |
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Oct. 27 (UPI) -- National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league won't publicly release a report on its investigation into accusations of harassment and abuse within the Washington Football Team, due to possible threats to the anonymity of those who came forward with information.
During a news conference in Manhattan after a meeting of NFL owners, Goodell said protecting the identities of some 150 former employees involved with the 10-month investigation was a top priority.
"When you make a promise to protect the anonymity, to make sure that we get the right information, you need to stay with it," he said. "And so we're very conscious of making sure that we're protecting those who came forward. They were incredibly brave."
As the meeting took place, two former WFT employees arrived at the Intercontinental New York Barclay hotel to deliver letters to the NFL's social justice committee asking for the results of the misconduct investigation to be made public, ESPN reported.
The investigation into the Washington team was prompted by allegations in July 2020 by 15 women that they were sexually harassed and verbally abused by fellow employees. The team initially hired attorney Beth Wilkinson to investigate the allegations, but the NFL took over the probe.
As a result of the investigation, the team was fined $10 million.
WFT owner also Daniel Snyder hasn't been involved in team activities for several months amid the investigation and his wife, Tanya Snyder, who serves as co-CEO, took over his daily duties.
"I do think he's been held accountable," Goodell said of Daniel Snyder. "More importantly, steps were put in place to make sure it doesn't happen again."
Earlier this month, U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., asked for documents related to the WFT's workplace culture and the NFL Players Association asked the league to release all emails related to the investigation.
Both of the latter two requests were prompted by the resignation of former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden, who left the team after old emails surfaced that contained racist, homophobic and misogynistic language. Some of the emails were written to WFT President Bruce Allen.
