The National Football League is under investigation from state attorney generals in New York and California following several allegations by former female NFL employees about gender discrimination and harassment.
The investigation launched this week comes a year after six state attorney generals sent a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell regarding allegations of harassment and bias against women. In November 2022, the Attorney General for the District of Columbia also filed a civil complaint against Goodell, the Washington Commanders and Daniel Snyder alleging they covered up sexual harassment and abuse for over two decades.
On Thursday, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that she is launching an investigation into the NFL on allegations of employment discrimination and claims of a hostile working environment.
In addition, California Attorney General Rob Bonta will be a part of the investigation into the NFL’s workplace practices and culture.
“California will not tolerate any form of discrimination. We have serious concerns about the NFL’s role in creating an extremely hostile and detrimental work environment. No company is too big or popular to avoid being held responsible for their actions.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a press release on investigation into the National Football League
The investigation is tied in part to reporting from the New York Times in 2022. In the NYT’s reporting, more than 30 former female employees in the NFL said they were retaliated against after filing complaints with human resources.
More than two dozen women described their work experience inside the NFL to the New York Times, detailing their experience with a “stifling and demoralizing corporate culture” which pushed many women out of the league altogether.
As part of her announcement on Thursday, James said there are serious concerns at the federal level about the work environment the league is creating. Despite its immense popularity, the investigation wants to hold the NFL accountable if it finds credibility to the allegations.
“We have serious concerns about the NFL’s role in creating an extremely hostile and detrimental work environment. No company is too big or popular to avoid being held responsible for their actions.”
New York AG Letitia James on the reasoning for her investigation into the National Football League
In one example provided by a former NFL production manager who sued the league, she told the New York Times that she was excluded from high-level meetings and passed up for promotions. Another allegation came from a former wardrobe stylist, who claim in a lawsuit that she was groped and sexually harassed by multiple NFL employees.
As the NFL is investigated for accusations of enabling gender discrimination and harassment, the league is also still dealing with the fallout from the Brian Flores lawsuit. The former Miami Dolphins coach and current Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator filed a lawsuit against the NFL, alleging racial discrimination in hiring practices. San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and current USFL head coach Ray Horton are also part of the civil suit.
Goodell acknowledged in 2022 that the league’s hiring practices needed to be addressed, telling teams the lack of head coach diversity was unacceptable. When Goodell was called to appear in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform last year, he faced criticism from Democrats for league and team officials harboring a toxic culture and Republicans questioned him for the NFL being ‘woke’ in recent years.
The NFL still hasn’t announced the findings from its second investigation into Snyder, stemming from allegations of sexual assault and financial misconduct. With a sale of the Commanders imminent, there is still no timetable for when the league will release the results from the inquiry.
