No one should endure sexual harassment anywhere, especially while at work, yet workplace sexual harassment remains an ongoing problem in California and across the country. When issues arise in the workplace and complaints are filed, job providers must take those complaints seriously and investigate them thoroughly in order to take necessary corrective actions. One example of investigating sexual harassment complaints can be seen in the NFL.
The NFL Washington Football Team currently finds the entire team ownership and management structure accused of harassment of employees. Worker complaints say the team owners created a toxic environment that encouraged women to wear revealing clothes and flirt with clients. That lasted from about 2006 until 2019 and included verbal abuse, according to 15 former female employees.
Team owner Daniel Snyder is directly implicated in at least one complaint in which a former team cheerleader said that Snyder asked her to escort one of his friends to the man’s hotel room and “get to know each other better.” That allegedly occurred during a team charity event in 2004 and could be construed as seeking sexual favors for monetary gain if Snyder’s friend also donated to the charity.
The allegations caused the NFL to initiate its own investigation into the matter. As an NFL franchise, the league and the commissioner have ample power to investigate as well as the authority to demand changes. In worst-case scenarios, the league can force a change in ownership. Whether something that drastic happens remains to be seen, but the entire matter is an example of why an experienced California attorney might be needed to help workers fight harassment in the workplace.