A bombshell report on the internal climate of the Washington Redskins football organization alleges that former executives and top officials inside the team created a workplace filled with sexual harassment and fear.
Fifteen former female employees were cited in an exclusive report released by the Washington Post on Thursday, which details a pattern of verbal abuse and unwanted sexual overtures that spanned the ownership of team president Dan Snyder.
The article revolves around Emily Applegate, a former marketing coordinator for the Washington football club, who said she would join other female employees in the bathroom to vent their frustrations with comments made about their physical appearances. Applegate recounted how she had been instructed on more than one occasion to wear a tight dress, “so the men in the room have something to look at.”
“It was the most miserable experience of my life,” 31-year-old Applegate told the newspaper. “And we all tolerated it, because we knew if we complained — and they reminded us of this — there were 1,000 people out there who would take our job in a heartbeat.”
The women, many of who did not want to be identified in the report, claimed they were pressured to flirt with clients to boost sales at the Washington organization.
Several executives, including Larry Michael, the club’s longtime radio voice, and Alex Santos, the team’s director of pro personnel, resigned earlier this week in anticipation of the searing report. Michael, who refused to speak with the Washington Post, was caught on a “hot mic” in 2018, commenting on the physical appearance of a college-aged intern.
“I have never been in a more hostile, manipulative, passive-aggressive environment … and I worked in politics,” said Julia Payne, a former vice president of communications for the team who also served as assistant press secretary in the Bill Clinton administration.
Applegate accused former Chief Operating Officer Mitch Gershman of trivializing technical difficulties she encountered at her job and of routinely complimenting her body. Gershman denied the allegations.
“I barely even remember who she is,” Gershman said. “I thought the Redskins was a great place to work.”
Snyder, who is rumored to be on the outs with the league after years of underperforming in one of the NFL’s top media markets, refused to participate in an interview with the Washington Post.
