Report: Sexual harassment claim against Dan Snyder-backed charity originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
In what seems like a never-ending series of sexual harassment allegations against the Washington Football Team, a new report from The Washington Post shows a 2014 sexual harassment claim against the executive of the former Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation.
Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Football Team, started the Original Americans Foundation in 2014 with a pledge of “making a real, lasting, positive impact” for Native American tribal communities. Some saw the creation of the foundation as a transparent attempt to quiet growing pressure and controversy surrounding the team’s former Redskins nickname.
Regardless, months after the creation of the foundation, a female employee lodged a formal complaint to Washington’s human resources alleging sexual harassment by the foundation’s executive director Gary Edwards.
The Post published excerpts of the 2014 letter that alleged the complaint:
The complaint prompted an investigation, but a former foundation employee quoted in the story said it was anything but complete.
Eventually the harassment claim made its way to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission where after mediation the female employee received a financial settlement and signed a non-disclosure agreement, according to the report. The team refused to release the alleged victim from the NDA when requested by the Post.
The latest allegations come after a series of investigative reports from The Post showing a pervasive culture of abuse and harassment from former Washington Football executives towards women.
The NFL is now conducting its own investigation into the culture created inside the football team and the level of knowledge of owner Dan Snyder.
The problems don’t end there, as 40 percent of the team is up for sale as former business partners of Snyder want to sell their shares. Snyder is fighting that sale in court, and Washington’s owner also has his own investigation and lawsuits ongoing due to slanderous misinformation spread this summer that linked him to the late criminal pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Washington has overhauled most of its business operation this year, including hiring new team president Jason Wright and a new human resources director.
Wright has been very clear that he wants a full investigation into all of the misdeeds of the past and that this is a new day for the Washington Football organization.
