ESPN Is Accused of Harassment, Retaliation in Legal Letter From Exec Editor

An attorney representing ESPN executive editor Cristina Daglas has sent a cease-and-desist letter to ESPN’s HR department related to an ongoing investigation into Daglas, who has been on administrative leave since January.

Daglas’s attorney, California employment lawyer Nikki Staggs, sent the letter to Front Office Sports by accident. 

Daglas is the No. 2 editor for all of ESPN Digital. FOS reported last month she was placed on administrative leave after multiple HR complaints. The specific nature of the complaints remains unclear.

The letter to ESPN accuses the company of “unlawful harassment, retaliation, and investigation” of Daglas, who has allegedly been contacted by ESPN HR at least seven times as part of the investigation, which the attorney said is “wholly meritless and unsubstantiated,” calling the situation “harassment, plain and simple.” 

“Respondents have failed to provide a clear articulation of the allegations or claims that allegedly justify this leave … what my client has been subjected to is a series of protracted, hours-long interrogations under the guise of an ‘investigation’ that appears to be both endless and aimless,” the letter says.

“The excessive nature of these meetings strongly suggests that Respondents are not conducting a legitimate inquiry, but rather grasping at straws in an attempt to manufacture misconduct where none exists. We remain steadfast in resolving this matter as expeditiously as possible. However, we expect that at this juncture, Respondents have already reached a decision after nearly two months of investigation and multiple discussions over the course of multiple hours with Claimant.”

The letter accuses ESPN of “actively attempting to preemptively tarnish” Daglas’s reputation. 

“Respondents are building a false narrative designed to portray Claimant as being shrouded in controversy—when in fact, she is being punished for protecting herself and for speaking out against institutional inequities,” the letter says.

The letter asks ESPN to cease and desist:

1. Any further harassment of [Daglas] under the guise of an “ongoing investigation”;

2. Any continued attempts to damage or smear her reputation internally or externally;

3. Any disclosure, leak, or dissemination—direct or indirect—of confidential materials, images, or information pertaining to [Daglas];

4. Any form of retaliation against [Daglas] for asserting her rights, speaking out, or protecting herself in the workplace.

The letter also asks ESPN to preserve documents relating to the investigation, and to produce Daglas’s employment files. The attorney asks for Daglas’s disputes to be referred to arbitration. 

An ESPN spokesperson declined to comment about the cease-and-desist letter.