Reflecting on the Jerry Richardson Scandal
Due to the allegations made against Dan Snyder and the Washington football franchise, the removal of Jerry Richardson as the owner of the Carolina Panthers has been referenced numerous times in sports media as of late.
The founder of the team was accused of claims involving sexual harassment as well as racism. Richardson sold the team in 2017 as a result of the allegations. Richardson made around $1.1 billion as a result, but his reputation will likely be tarnished forever. Here's one of many reasons why, per the 2017 Sports Illustrated article that broke the story:
"Friday was Jeans Day, when most staffers at the Carolina Panthers team offices would wear denim to work. The female employees knew what that meant. As the team’s owner, Jerry Richardson, made his rounds on the way to his spacious office, he would ask women to turn around so he could admire their backsides. Then, in his rolling Southern drawl, he’d offer comment, drawing from a store of one-liners he’d recycle each week. Among those in heaviest rotation: Show me how you wiggle to get those jeans up. I bet you had to lay down on your bed to fit into those jeans. Did you step into those jeans or did you have to jump into them?"
This was one of many cases in which Richardson engaged with sexual harassment with female workers. Unfortunately, his disgusting behavior didn't stop there. Here is another account from the article that described the sickening acts that were allegedly committed by Richardson:
"Former employees allege that in addition to verbal harassment, Richardson engaged in improper acts. According to sources, on multiple occasions Richardson requested female employees to visit him during a workday in his suite inside Bank of America Stadium. The women would be escorted by Richardson’s assistant, who would then depart, leaving the owner alone with a junior employee. One former female employee recalls Richardson, who stands 6'3", arriving barefoot and asking for a foot massage. Says one such invitee: 'The first time, you thought it was an important meeting with the owner. You [then] realized it was never anything that couldn’t be discussed over the phone.' Others talk of Richardson giving back rubs that lingered too long or went too low down the spine."
Richardson didn't stop there, either. Here is one more despicable incident that allegedly occurred in the Panthers front office:
"Richardson was also known for what multiple women call the 'seatbelt maneuver.' He would invite female employees out to lunch, and in keeping with his reputation as a self-styled gentleman, he would open the car door for his guests. Once they were seated, however, he would insist on fastening their seatbelt for them, reaching across their lap and brushing his hand across their breasts before putting the belt in the clasp."
Richardson's reputation will be tarnished forever as a result of the allegations. No matter how much he has done for the Panthers franchise, it will always be undermined because of his past behavior. Most recently, Richardson's statue was removed from Bank of America Stadium, which is a testament to how far the Panthers founder has fallen in the eyes of our society.
With the Washington football team's allegations being compared to these incidents, it is important to remind ourselves to call out sexual harassment whenever it occurs in our presence, especially in a business setting.
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