Six Attorneys General Warn NFL To Improve Treatment of Women

Six state attorneys general have sent a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell threatening to investigate allegations of mistreatment of female employees. 

Wednesday’s letter was sent by the attorneys general offices in Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, and New York — where the NFL is headquartered. 

• The letter was based primarily on allegations from more than 30 women detailed in a New York Times investigation from February. 
• It noted the NFL’s poor handling of the Ray Rice domestic abuse case in 2014 and cited the NFL’s promise to “improve” — though reports suggest it hasn’t. 

“Pink jerseys are not a replacement for equal treatment and full inclusion of women in the workplace,” the letter stated. 

Team-Specific Allegations

Several other reports suggest discrimination against women and people of color exists not only at NFL headquarters, but at the team level.

Pittsburgh Steelers assistant coach Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the Dolphins, Broncos, Giants, Texans, Titans, Cardinals, and 26 other “John Doe” NFL teams alleging teams engage in racially discriminatory hiring practices. Two more coaches — Steve Wilks and Ray Horton — joined the suit Thursday, according to ESPN.

There have been several stories detailing an alleged culture of harassment at the Washington Commanders, including a Washington Post story from 2020.

Now, the House Oversight Committee is investigating the team. The probe has recently been expanded to include allegations that the Commanders also used “two books” to report finances and withheld ticket revenue from other teams, as Front Office Sports first reported.