Under Armour Caught In #MeToo Spotlight: Report

BALTIMORE, MD — Top executives at Under Armour responded Monday night to a Wall Street Journal story that criticized the athletic apparel maker by saying that the Maryland-based company "can and will do better" in its treatment of female employees, according to a media report. The Wall Street Journal detailed a corporate culture in which women are demeaned; in recent years, for example, Under Armour has reimbursed male employees who spent money at strip joints, the Baltimore Business Journal reported.

The company stopped that practice earlier this year, and in an email sent to their 14,000 employees Monday night, CEO Kevin Plank and President Patrik Frisk expressed contrition. "This is not the culture we envision for Under Armour," they wrote, according to the Baltimore Business Journal.

"The Wall Street Journal story comes as the #MeToo movement has highlighted the plight of women facing mistreatment in the workplace," the Business Journal noted.

Founded by Plank in 1996, Under Armour has grown into a $5 billion company with shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange. It has become a top rival to Nike, Adidas and other major players in the sports apparel market.

But in launching the company, Plank hired his friends to fill top positions, and the Wall Street Journal reported that female executives came to believe they were not being given enough opportunities for promotions.

Under Armour also has hosted parties at Plank's Sagamore Farm estate in Reisterstown to celebrate the Preakness, the annual Triple Crown horse race in Baltimore. The Wall Street Journal reported that company event planners allegedly invited female workers to the parties based on their attractiveness to male guests, according to the Baltimore Business Journal.

The company did not hold the party this year, the Business Journal reported.

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Image: Patch file