Roger Goodell: Commanders' Workplace Culture Was 'Unprofessional and Unacceptable'

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will testify to Congress that the Washington Commanders had a workplace culture that was "unprofessional and unacceptable."

Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith shared prepared remarks from Goodell that were provided by the NFL:

"It is clear to me that the workplace in Washington was unprofessional and unacceptable in numerous respects: bullying, widespread disrespect toward colleagues, use of demeaning language, public embarrassment, and harassment. Moreover, for a prolonged period of time the Commanders had a woefully deficient HR function, particularly with respect to reporting practices and recordkeeping."

Last October, the House of Representatives' Committee on Oversight and Reform shared the letter it sent to Goodell requesting documents related to the NFL's investigation into the Commanders' workplace atmosphere.

The NFL hired Beth Wilkinson to conduct an investigation into the Washington organization in 2020, around the time the Washington Post published a pair of investigations laying out allegations of harassment and misconduct by employees of the organization. The second implicated Commanders owner Daniel Snyder directly.

Larry Michael, a broadcaster and vice president for the team, allegedly instructed a staffer to collect "lewd outtakes" from a cheerleader photo shoot that would then be sent to Snyder's office.

Tiffany Bacon Scourby, a former Commanders cheerleader, also alleged that Snyder suggested at a 2004 charity event that she should go up to a hotel room with one of his friends. Donald Wells, Scourby's former cheerleader director, told the Washington Post she "was more or less propositioned."

Following an investigation, the NFL announced in July 2021 it had fined the Commanders $10 million and that Snyder would also no longer be running the organization's day-to-day operations "for at least the next several months."

The scrutiny on both the Commanders and the NFL has remained, though.

Goodell acknowledged in his remarks to Congress the league "did not receive a written report" from Wilkinson despite any feeling the investigation's findings should have been made public.

The House Oversight Committee also said in February the NFL may not be able to divulge the full details of the findings without Snyder's permission, a claim he and the league refuted.

Goodell will tell Congress on Wednesday the NFL didn't get a written report from Wilkinson "for compelling reasons that continue to this day":

"A critical element of any workplace review is broad participation by both current and former employees. Encouraging employees to come forward and share their experiences, which were frequently painful and emotional was essential to identifying both the organization’s failures and how to fix them. To encourage this participation, Ms. Wilkinson promised confidentiality to any current or former employee."

Although Goodell agreed to testify before Congress, Snyder cited a scheduling conflict and said he would be unable to speak Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the committee argued Snyder's decision "sends an unmistakable signal that Mr. Snyder has something to hide and is afraid of coming clean to the American public and addressing major worker protection concerns facing the NFL."