'Lacking Courage': Washington Commanders' Dan Snyder Blasted for Declining 'Toxic Workplace' Hearing
Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell have been asked by the House Oversight Committee to appear at a hearing regarding the franchise’s hostile workplace culture investigation.
And on Wednesday, it's been revealed that Snyder is declining the request, citing (via his lawyers) "long-standing plans to be out of the country on business matters on that date.''
The hearing, set to take place June 22, is the next step in the “Oversight Committee’s months-long investigation into the Commanders’ hostile workplace culture,” according to a press release issued Wednesday. The Committee will also “examine the NFL’s handling of allegations of workplace misconduct, the NFL’s role in setting and enforcing standards across the league, and legislative reforms needed to address these issues across the NFL and other workplaces.”
Immediately after the announcement of Snyder's unavailability comes a response from the attorneys representing the 40-plus former franchise employees who want addressed the alleged "toxic workplace environment'':
"We ... are disappointed but not surprised that Dan Snyder does not have the courage to appear voluntarily.''
The NFL office issued a statement recently regarding the request for Goodell to appear.
“The NFL has cooperated extensively throughout the Committee’s lengthy investigation of the Washington Commanders, including by producing more than 460,000 pages of documents and responding to numerous questions in writing and in conversations with the Committee’s staff,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said.
The Committee has accused Snyder and Goodell of obstructing the investigation.
“Since we launched our investigation in October, the Committee’s goal has been to uncover the truth about the culture of harassment and abuse at the Washington Commanders, to hold accountable those responsible, and to better protect workers across the country,” said Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform.
“The Committee has worked tirelessly to obtain critical information, including the findings of the internal investigation conducted by attorney Beth Wilkinson, only to be met with obstruction from the Commanders and the NFL at every turn. We must have transparency and accountability, which is why we are calling on Mr. Goodell and Mr. Snyder to answer the questions they have dodged for the last seven months. The hearing will explore how Congress can act to prevent employers from silencing victims of workplace misconduct and ensure that what happened at the Commanders organization does not happen again.”
“For seven months, the Committee has been stonewalled by NDAs and other tools to evade accountability,” added Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy. “Mr. Snyder and Mr. Goodell need to appear before the Committee to address these issues and answer our questions about the pervasive workplace misconduct at the Washington Commanders, and how the NFL addressed these issues.”
The NFL fined the Commanders $10 million last June after conducting its investigation, which was led by Wilkinson, into the franchise's workplace culture.
In October, Maloney and Krishnamoorthi sent a letter to Goodell requesting all documents related to the investigation conducted by Wilkinson, including her investigative findings.
In November, the Chairs released a statement calling on the NFL and the Commanders to release all individuals from non-disclosure agreements preventing them from speaking out about Snyder and the Commanders’ toxic work environment. The Chairs issued another statement in December following a report that detailed Snyder’s efforts to obstruct the internal investigation.
In February, the Committee held a roundtable with several former Commanders’ employees who detailed widespread sexual harassment, abuse, and other workplace misconduct by top executives, including Snyder, and explained that the NFL failed to address these issues.
At the roundtable, Tiffani Johnston detailed sexual advances made by Snyder at a team dinner. Following the Committee’s roundtable, the NFL opened a new investigation into Snyder’s conduct, as well as financial improprieties brought to light by the Committee’s investigation.
The NFL has yet to release the full report of its investigation.
