The House Oversight Committee will hold a roundtable discussion on Feb. 3 to learn more about the NFL’s investigation into the Washington Football Team.
The roundtable, which isn’t a full congressional hearing, will involve some of the women who have accused the team of fostering a toxic workplace culture.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that not only did the team fail to protect employees, but the NFL went to great lengths to prevent the truth about this toxic work environment from coming to light,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), who chairs the Committee on Oversight and Reform.
“The NFL’s decision to cover up these abuses raises serious questions about its commitment to setting workplace standards that keep employees safe. I commend these victims for their bravery in coming forward to share their stories.”
The Capitol Hill meeting will be held the day after the Washington franchise is scheduled to reveal its new name and logo.
Five former employees are expected to testify, but no team or NFL officials are on the schedule. The former employees have criticized how the NFL investigated and dealt with their complaints about the workplace environment.
At the end of its investigation last summer, the league didn’t issue a report or make public its findings. The NFL fined the team $10 million and required that owner Daniel Snyder hand over the day-to-day operations of the club to his wife, Tanya, for the time being.
Leaked emails that were discovered during the investigation led to the resignation of Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden after they became public in October. The emails were offensive in nature.
“In pursuing this investigation, Congress will send a clear message to all employers that the rights of women to work in an environment free from harassment and abuse will not be undermined in service to the rich and powerful,” said attorneys Lisa Banks and Debra Katz, who represent 40 former team employees, in a statement.
–Field Level Media