Former Washington Football Team employees call for NFL to release findings of investigation

LANDOVER, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - The season may be over but 20 former Washington Football Team employees say they’re still waiting for results, sending a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Thursday calling for the league to publicly release the findings of its investigation looking into allegations of sexual harassment and abuse within the organization.

The former employees wrote that they endured or witnessed "a sexually hostile work environment, bullying, and other mistreatment," and added, "we shared our experiences, often at great emotional cost, taking you at your word that the investigation would be conducted transparently and in good faith."

"The reason we want it out there is because there has to be accountability," explained attorney Lisa Banks, who is representing 40 former team employees, including some of the former Washington cheerleaders who recently settled with the team. "This was a two decades long problem, and I understand that the team is making changes and that’s great, but there has to be accountability and we need to understand the facts."

In a separate letter sent to Goodell Thursday, Banks noted that the league has made other reports public in the past, including the investigations looking into the Tom Brady Deflategate scandal and also assault allegations made against Ray Rice.

LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 25: A general view of the Washington Football Team logo on the stadium before the game between the Washington Football Team and the Dallas Cowboys at FedExField on October 25, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch

Expand

"They have obviously found it important to make these investigations and reports public in the past, and I think this is no different," Banks said. "We shouldn’t treat it any differently because it’s an owner rather than a player."

The NFL said Friday that they have yet to receive the new report. Asked for comment on the letters, a spokesperson directed FOX 5 to comments made by Goodell at the Super Bowl in response to a question from the Washington Post.

"The Washington Football Club has made a lot of changes already," the commissioner said at the time. "They asked for this type of review, they asked for the recommendations on this, and Dan and Tanya [Snyder] have already begun making those changes for the football club, and it’s really, it’s good to see that."

Goodell added that he expects the report’s recommendations to be implemented as well – one of the things Banks said her clients deserve.

Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and Weather

"The people who came forward, the people who were victims, the people who were hurt deserve to know the truth," she said.

The Washington Football Team declined comment for this report.