Former Female Redskins Employees Allege Rampant Sexual Harassment

WASHINGTON, DC — Fifteen former female employees of the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins allege they were sexually harassed during their time with the team, the Washington Post reported Thursday afternoon.

One woman spoke on the record to the Post, while the other 14 women spoke on the condition of anonymity citing a fear of litigation, as some signed nondisclosure agreements with the team that threaten legal retribution if they speak negatively about the club.

The allegations raised by former Redskins employee Emily Applegate and others run from 2006 to 2019. According to the Post, the allegations fall into two categories: unwelcome overtures or comments of a sexual nature, and exhortations to wear revealing clothing and flirt with clients to close sales deals.

Among the men accused of harassment and verbal abuse are three former members of team owner Dan Snyder’s inner circle and two longtime members of the personnel department, according to the newspaper.

In a statement, the team said it had hired D.C. attorney Beth Wilkinson and her firm, Wilkinson Walsh, “to conduct a thorough independent review of this entire matter and help the team set new employee standards for the future.”

The Washington Post's explosive report came out only three days after the team announced it had retired the Redskins name and was on the hunt for a new team nickname. All week, rumors have been circulating among reporters about the imminent release of scandalous information that would further tarnish the reputation of Snyder.

Since Snyder bought the Redskins from Jack Kent Cooke's estate in 1999, the team has failed to reach the conference championship. In the 20 years before he bought the team, the Redskins appeared in four Super Bowls, winning three of them.

Despite the team's poor showing on the field, the Redskins were still making money for Snyder and his fellow investors. Early in his tenure as owner, the Redskins were often ranked as one of the most valuable sports franchises.

In 2019, though, Forbes annual ranking of the world’s most valuable sports franchises dropped the team to No. 14 on its list, tied with the Chicago Cubs, and down from No. 10 on the 2018 list. Forbes estimated the Redskins franchise is worth $3.1 billion.

In the latest controversy to engulf the team, three team employees accused of improper behavior have departed, including Larry Michael, the club’s longtime radio voice, and Alex Santos, the team’s director of pro personnel. Seven former employees said Michael routinely discussed the physical appearance of female colleagues in sexual and disparaging overtones. He retired from the team Wednesday and declined an interview request from the Post.

Santos, the club’s director of pro personnel, was accused by six former employees and two reporters who covered the team of making inappropriate remarks about their bodies and asking them if they were romantically interested in him. Santos, who was fired last week, declined to comment to the Post.

Richard Mann II, assistant director of pro personnel, told a female employee he and his colleagues debated whether her breasts had been surgically enhanced, according to the Post. Mann also was fired last week and declined to comment.

While team owner Dan Snyder declined multiple requests for comment from the Post, Wilkinson stated: “The Washington Redskins football team takes issues of employee conduct seriously … While we do not speak to specific employee situations publicly, when new allegations of conduct are brought forward that are contrary to these policies, we address them promptly."

Other team officials named by the women include Dennis Greene, former president of business operations for the Redskins. He allegedly told female sales staff to wear low-cut blouses, tight skirts and flirt with wealthy suite holders, according to five former employees, including Applegate. Greene’s 17-year career with the club ended in 2018 amid a scandal over the information that he had sold access to Redskins cheerleaders, according to the article.

None of the 15 women accused Snyder or former team president Bruce Allen of inappropriate behavior with women. Applegate expressed skepticism to the Post that the men were unaware of the alleged behavior.

“I would assume Bruce [Allen] knew, because he sat 30 feet away from me … and saw me sobbing at my desk several times every week,” Applegate told the Post.

But Snyder routinely belittled top executives, according to three former members of his executive staff who spoke with the Post. Snyder allegedly mocked Greene, the former sales executive, for having been a male cheerleader in college. After one executive staff meeting, according to one former employee, Greene said Snyder had ordered him to do cartwheels for their entertainment.

“I have never been in a more hostile, manipulative, passive-aggressive environment … and I worked in politics,” Julia Payne, former assistant press secretary in the Clinton Administration who briefly served as vice president of communications for the team in 2003, told the Post.

Mitch Gershman, another former Redskins executive mentioned in the report, allegedly engaged in sexual harassment and verbal abuse against Applegate. Gershman had a reputation for an explosive temper, Applegate told the Post, but not sexual harassment.

But when she began working for him, Gershman often commented on her body or appearance, along with insulting her work performance, she told the Post.

“I barely even remember who she is,” Gershman, who left the team in 2015, told the Post. “I thought the Redskins was a great place to work … I would apologize to anyone who thought that I was verbally abusive.”

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