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Quarterback Robert Griffin III says he experienced sexual harassment during his time playing for the Washington Football Team.
Earlier this week, Griffinannounced the upcoming releaseof his bookSurviving Washington, which he said will “walk you through one of the most dysfunctional franchises in all of sports.”
“I’m going to tell you the truth about what happened in that playoff game in 2012 against Seattle,” he said in a video posted to Twitter. “I’m going to detail the medical mismanagement that I received during my time in Washington. I’m going to open your eyes to the sexual harassment that permeated the walls of that building, and give you a deep dive into a power struggle between one of the most powerful coaches in all of sports and an owner that many of you want gone.”
While some speculated about whether the sexual harassment Griffin referenced was related to a2020 investigation fromThe Washington Postinto similar allegations from more than a dozen women, the professional football playerclarified on Wednesdaythat the experience was his own.
“Sexual harassment victims should share their stories when they are ready not when you want them to,” he wrote in a tweet. “The book is not about other people’s experiences with sexual harassment in Washington. Its [sic] about my experience with sexual harassment in Washington. Hopefully you will listen.”
A spokesperson for the Washington Football Team declined to comment to PEOPLE.
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Griffin played for the Washington Football Team from 2012 to 2014. The announcement of his book, which is set to release in August 2022, follows the conclusion of an independent investigation into the allegations of toxic workplace culture within the team — whichresulted in a $10 million fine.
The NFL previously said in a statement that the investigation led commissioner Roger Goodell to conclude that “for many years the workplace environment at the Washington Football Team, both generally and particularly for women, was highly unprofessional.”
“Bullying and intimidation frequently took place and many described the culture as one of fear, and numerous female employees reported having experienced sexual harassment and a general lack of respect in the workplace,” the statement said.
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The investigation was ordered after theWashington Postpublished two reports about the team’s workplace environment last summer.
According to the league, the $10 million fine money would be used “to support organizations committed to character education, anti-bullying, healthy relationships and related topics. They will also fund programs directed more broadly at improving the workplace, particularly for women and other underrepresented groups, and training and development programs throughout the league, with recipients identified with the assistance of respected third-party advisors.”
Team owner Dan Snyder also promised to implement recommendations from attorney Beth Wilkinson, whose firm conducted the investigation, which included frequent anonymous surveys about the company culture, an expansion of HR and legal counsel, and a detailed plan to “protect” the cheerleaders.
source: people.com
