Ex-team employees, Congress pressure NFL to release Washington harassment report

Feb. 3 (UPI) -- Former employees of Washington's NFL team pressured Commissioner Roger Goodell in front of Congress on Thursday to release a report delving into the team's hostile workplace culture, including allegations of sexual harassment.

Six former employees spoke before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. One of the six leveled a new complaint against team owner Dan Snyder, saying she was sexually harassed at a team function.

Former cheerleader and marketing manager Tiffani Johnston said her invitation to a team dinner was an "orchestration by [her boss] and Dan Snyder to put me in a compromising, sexual situation." Johnston said she was later told to keep quiet about the incident.

The team commissioned attorney Beth Wilkinson to conduct the report into its culture after receiving complaints from female employees in 2020. The league said it will not release the completed report, arguing that doing so would compromise the anonymity of those named in it.

The House committee also requested the report from the league.

The NFL eventually fined the team $10 million, while Dan Snyder's wife, Tanya Snyder, temporarily took over the team's day-to-day operations.

Complaints focused on Dan Snyder and other team executives. The six former employees argued that withholding the report means Dan Snyder won't be held accountable.

Dan Snyder apologized for the team's culture but issued a statement denying all allegations leveled specifically at him.

Republicans on the committee argued that looking into the workplace environment of the privately owned NFL franchise falls outside Congress' purview.

"Instead of adhering to our committee's mission to root out waste, fraud and abuse and mismanagement in the federal government, Democrats instead are holding a roundtable about the work culture in one single private organization," Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said.

"There's a lot that can be done," countered Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif.

"Congress can do a lot about this," Speier said. "Next week, all my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who aren't here now could vote for the bill by Cheri Bustos ... that is going to require that no [non-disclosure agreements] can be forced upon employees for sexual harassment or sexual assault. That would go a long way."

This comes a day after the team unveiled its new name, the Washington Commanders, after spending last season known as the Washington Football Team.