The club’s owner has declined to comment.
In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, the NFL team received the Washington Redskins harsh criticism for their club name, which many believe is racist.
In June, the online newspaper reported on the demand made by several politicians, among them Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser who stated that “it is high time for the team to do something about what offends so many people.”
In mid-July, the club itself confirmed that they were changing their name after several years of criticism of what is seen as degrading to the indigenous people of the United States.
Also read: Requires name change for one of America’s most popular teams
Also read: Washington’s NFL team confirms name change after massive criticism
– Most miserable experience in my life
A few days after the decision, the Washington DC team is hit by new problems.
Now 15 former employees testify about sexual harassment they experienced during their time at the club, it writes Washington Post.
The club is now said to have started an investigation after the women, as well as two journalists who followed the team closely for a long time, have all said that they were subjected to sexual harassment and verbal assault.
Club owner Dan Snyder is in bad weather.
Photo: Patrick Semansky (AP)
The newspaper is said to have conducted interviews with over 40 former employees in the organization. 14 of the 15 women are said to have signed a declaration of confidentiality stating that they may risk legal action if they go out with their names.
Still, it is one of the women who has stood up and called her time in the club the “most miserable experience of her life.”
She states that she has, among other things, been told to wear tight-fitting clothes in meetings with customers.
– Everyone tolerated it because we knew that if we complained, there were 1000 other people out there who could replace us in no time, says Emily Applegate to Forbes.
Strong accusations
The accusations are not directed directly at owner Dan Snyder or former club president Bruce Allen, but Snyder is harshly criticized for having fostered a culture where such behavior was tolerated.
One of the women says that she received comments from employees of the club.
– He told me that I had a great butt to be white, Alex Santos, who is former director of the professional athletes in the club, is said to have said according to Nora Princiotti, one of the women who accuses the club.
Santos was fired from the club last week.
– The general perception was that I should wear smaller clothes, Princiotti continues.
The Norwegian NFL expert Jørgen Hoff commented on the Redskins name for Nettavisen in June.
He pointed out that it is difficult to understand the social and cultural conditions and feelings around the Redskins name, but he points out that the name debate in DC is not a new phenomenon.
– The debate has been going on since the 60s, and of course renewed relevance and strengthened arguments for those who demand change in light of recent events in the US, Hoff tells Nettavisen.
Hoff believes it is unlikely that anyone would start a team today, with such a name and believes the name choice was not controversial when it was done in the 30s.
– In a 2020 context, it would be completely unmusical to create a new sports team and give it a name that has long been dictionary-defined as offensive and stigmatizing. At the same time, one should not forget that the Redskins name dates back to 1933 and was created in a completely different world than the one we live in today.
The NFL team from Washington DC is one of the most traditional teams in American sports. They have won five NFL championships since being established in 1932. Three of those titles are Super Bowls, the most recent in 1992.
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