Dan Snyder Apologizes for Washington Football Team's Workplace Misconduct

Washington Football Team owner Daniel Snyder apologized publicly for his organization's workplace culture as it faces an investigation into numerous accusations of sexual harassment and verbal abuse made by against men in leadership positions.

"Let's be really clear: This is a human issue. I'm sorry that anyone was hurt," he said last week, per Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal. "But we can change."

Washington commissioned an independent investigation into those accusations in July, though the league is now overseeing it.

In July and August, the Washington Post's Will Hobson, Liz Clarke, Beth Reinhard and Dalton Bennett reported on the alleged toxic culture within Washington's organization. A total of 42 women said multiple members of the organization had sexually harassed or verbally abused them.

A former cheerleader said Snyder suggested she go with a friend of his up to his hotel room so "they could get to know each other better" at a charity event in 2004. The cheerleader director at the time said of Sndyer's suggestion, "She was more or less propositioned." 

Snyder was also implicated in a plan in which play-by-play announcer Larry Michael allegedly requested video staff create a collection of outtakes from a calendar shoot in Aruba that included cheerleaders adjusting their bathing suits and getting changed, revealing their breasts or genitals. Michael allegedly told staff that the video was for Snyder.

Snyder denied both accusations.

"We know that it's hard for people who experience harassment to come forward," said new team president Jason Wright. "Not everything came to light that needed to."

It has been a tumultuous year for Washington. The team finally changed its racist name ahead of the 2020 season after years of calls to do so, with sponsors threatening to leave the team if they didn't make the switch. 

And Beaton added that "Snyder has been engaged in an unusual and contentious dispute with the team's limited partners, who are looking to sell their stakes in the team, over the team's ownership and Snyder's management of the team."

Snyder said he has attempted to change the team's overall culture this year. 

"We thought we needed to change just across the board," he said, "and we've been working very, very hard at it."