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 ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL CALLS ON NFL TO
ADDRESS GENDER-BASED DISCRIMINATION

Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined a coalition
of six attorneys general expressing grave concerns about recent
reports of the National Football League’s (NFL) hostile workplace
culture. Recent reports indicate that more than 30 former
employees have now come forward and described a pervasive
culture of sexism and widespread workplace discrimination
within the NFL including, but not limited to, sexual harassment,
targeted retaliation, and harmful stereotyping. In a letter to NFL
Commissioner Roger Goodell, Raoul and the coalition call on
the league to take swift action to improve workplace conditions
and protect female employees.

“Nobody deserves to be discriminated against or feel
unsafe in their workplace, no matter who or how powerful their
employer,” Raoul said. “I urge the NFL to address these ongoing
claims of gender-based discrimination and take steps to ensure
every person, regardless of gender, feels safe and respected – no matter their role. I am committed to continuing to oppose discrimination and harassment of any kind in the workplace.”

In February 2022, the New York Times published reports
from over 30 former employees of the NFL, describing a hostile
workplace for women. Female employees reported that they
were subjected to repeated viewings of the Ray Rice video –
which showed the Baltimore Ravens running back punching
and knocking unconscious his then-fiancé in an elevator – with
commentary by coworkers that the victim had brought the violence on herself. In a training intended to improve sensitivity
on the issue, women were reportedly asked to raise their hand
to self-identify if they had been victims of domestic violence or
knew someone who had.

Female employees describe experiencing unwanted touching
from male bosses, attending parties where prostitutes were
hired, facing unfair criticism based on stereotypes, being passed
over for promotions based on their gender, and being pushed
out of their jobs for lodging complaints about discrimination.
Following their departure, some employees even learned that
discrimination complaints had never been recorded.

In the letter, Raoul and the coalition urged Commissioner Goodell to explain this continued inaction to address these issues. If true, the NFL’s failures may violate local, state, and federal antidiscrimination laws, which prohibit employers from discriminating against women, people of color, and domestic
violence victims, or subjecting them to a hostile work environment.

Raoul and the coalition will use the authority of their offices to investigate and prosecute all allegations of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation by employers throughout their
states.

Joining Raoul in in the letter are the attorneys general of
Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, and Washington.

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