Washington Commanders Investigation: Dan Snyder, Roger Goodell and NFL being sued for deceiving people of Washington with bogus toxic workplace investigation
Yesterday, Washington D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine announced there would be a "major announcement" at a press conference regarding Dan Snyder and the Washington Commanders. Many speculated on what the announcement might entail, whether it had something to do with selling the team or not.
Racine just announced that his office is suing not only the team, but the owner, the NFL and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Racine tweeted that the toxic workplace allegations from years ago that persisted until very recently are a big part of why they are suing:
"My office is suing Commanders owner Dan Snyder, the Commanders, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and the NFL for colluding to deceive District residents—the heart of the Commanders’ fanbase—about an investigation into toxic workplace culture."
He went on to provide a bit of clarity:
"After public reporting revealed that sexual misconduct, harassment, and misogyny ran rampant for decades at the team, the defendants promised DC residents that the league was going to fix this toxic culture, including by fully cooperating with an independent investigation."
BREAKING: My office is suing Commanders owner Dan Snyder, the Commanders, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and the NFL for colluding to deceive District residents—the heart of the Commanders’ fanbase—about an investigation into toxic workplace culture.
At the Dan Snyder press conference, the Attorney General revealed to the world that he and his office were not pleased with the Washington Commanders investigation to date.
The owner recently hired Bank of America to oversee potential transactions regarding the team, so it's entirely possible he could see this coming and wanted to get out of trouble.
However, since the announcement was made and he is named as a defendant, he is less likely to walk away unscathed this time.
Why is Roger Goddell being sued?
Roger Goodell is being sued, according to Racine, because he and the NFL evidently did not investigate the toxic workplace allegations levied against the Dan Snyder Washington Commanders in an appropriate manner.
The league did look into the matter and a lot came out of it. Some of the fallout even led to the firing of someone (Jon Gruden) who simply worked for the team during that time.
However, according to Racine, Goodell and the league have not done enough to fix the toxic workplace nor have they cooperated like they said they would. The Dan Snyder press.
Will Dan Snyder be forced to sell the Commanders?
The lawsuit will likely seal the owner's fate regarding the ownership of the team. He had inquired about potentially selling, but this latest lawsuit likely means he's absolutely selling after a long and lengthy Washington Commanders investigation.
The league didn't force him to, but if he decides not to sell after all, they may be forced to eventually end the Dan Snyder Washington Commanders era.
He has owned the team since 1999, and the Washington Commanders investigation was intended to look into many incidents since that time.