Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder could be on the precipice of selling the team. But before he does, attorneys who represent dozens of former Commanders employees who spoke against Snyder want the NFL to protect their clients.
In a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks asked the league owners to demand that the sale agreement includes a contractual provision that forbids Snyder from “initiating litigation against any of the individuals who participated in the various investigations into the team.”
The attorneys who represent more than 40 former employees of the Commanders said that given Snyder’s “well-earned reputation for being vindictive and litigious and the experience of several of our clients who were harassed by private investigators, this is a very real concern.”
They note that any litigation Snyder would bring against any one of their clients would be meritless, but “the emotional, financial and professional toll on these individuals to defend against even a baseless lawsuit would be incalculable.”
Snyder is reportedly finalizing a sale of the team to the Josh Harris group for $6 billion.
In response, a team spokeswoman said, “We are solely focused on continuing to improve our business, enabling us to invest in football and return a championship to the DMV.”
A U.S. House committee started investigating the team in October 2021 after the NFL did not release a written report of its review of the Commanders’ workplace culture. The league’s independent review by Wilkinson was completed in summer 2021 and resulted in a $10 million fine to the team.
Drawing from hearings, interviews and depositions, the House report concluded Snyder interfered in its investigation and Wilkinson’s review, which stemmed in 2020 from former employees alleging rampant sexual harassment by team executives.
The D.C. attorney general launched a lawsuit in 2022 against the Commanders, Snyder and Goodell, saying they had “repeatedly lied to and deceived” D.C. consumers about the investigation into sexual harassment of team workers.
Snyder reached an agreement in principle last week to sell the team to a group led by Josh Harris and Mitchell Rales (the group includes Magic Johnson) for $6.05 billion.
Earlier this week, the fully financed, nonexclusive and unsigned agreement was sent to the NFL office for review before final signatures are added, The Associated Press reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
