Washington president Bruce Allen said Thursday the NFL team is "looking into" troubling allegations former cheerleaders made to The New York Times about the treatment of cheerleaders at a 2013 calendar photo shoot in Costa Rica.
In a statement, Allen said the team had spoken with "a number of" cheerleaders who provided accounts that "directly contradict" details in the Times' story, which cited five cheerleaders present at the photo shoot who did not disclose their names because they had signed non-disclosure agreements.
"The [Washington] organization is very concerned by the allegations involving our cheerleaders in the recent New York Times article," Allen said. "We are immediately looking into this situation and want to express how serious we take these allegations. Based on the dialogue we've had with a number of current and former cheerleaders over the past 48 hours, we've heard very different first-hand accounts that directly contradict many of the details of the May 2 article. I can promise that once we have completed looking into this matter, if it is revealed that any of our employees acted inappropriately, those employees will face significant repercussions."
Allen continued: "Our entire organization has great appreciation and respect for our cheerleaders. From the work they do in the local community, to visiting our troops abroad, and for always representing the [Washington] organization in a first-class manner, these women are exemplary members of our organization and are worthy of our utmost respect. We are proud of these women and support them during this time. We will continue to take all necessary measures to create a safe and respectful work environment."
The team came under fire Wednesday after the Times' story revealed disturbing allegations about the way franchise officials have treated the team's cheerleaders, with former cheerleaders saying the team made them vulnerable for the benefit of sponsors and big-spending ticket holders.
The Times cited five former cheerleaders who described a 2013 photo shoot for a team calendar in Costa Rica. At the shoot, according to the report, male sponsors and suite holders observed cheerleaders posing topless or in body paint. After a 14-hour day of photos and dance practice, nine cheerleaders were chosen to serve as personal escorts for the sponsors and suite holders at a nightclub. The arrangement did not include sex.
Also present at the nightclub, according to the report, were two prominent team officials: senior vice president for operations Lon Rosenberg, who has since parted ways with the team, and president of business operations Dennis Greene.
Reached Thursday morning, Rosenberg said he did not work for Washington any more and declined to comment. As of Thursday afternoon, he had not responded to a follow-up email.
Through an email, Greene deferred comment to the team's public relations staff.
Stephanie Jojokian, the director of the team’s cheerleaders, denied that she forced any cheerleaders to attend the nightclub and contested the description the five cheerleaders provided.
The report also detailed a 2012 mandatory "team-bonding" party on the yacht of a businessman and former suite holder named William R. Teel Jr. According to five cheerleaders the Times cited, other men were on the boat when the cheerleaders boarded, and they were given copious alcohol and encouraged to participate in suggestive dance contests.
Teel told the Times that he believed no one from the team pressured cheerleaders to attend the party and "no one was disrespected."
The report comes as the NFL's practices toward cheerleaders have come under scrutiny. Two former cheerleaders — one with the New Orleans Saints and one with the Miami Dolphins — recently filed discrimination claims against their former teams, one on the grounds of gender discrimination, the other on gender and religious grounds.
The Times report "made me cry," said Sara Blackwell, the Florida lawyer representing the two cheerleaders who filed discrimination cases. "It made my stomach sick. I think [NFL Commissioner] Roger Goodell has the power to change this and every single one of the teams, but he is choosing to not do it."
Blackwell said she wants to meet with Goodell to discuss cheerleader welfare and has said Bailey Davis, the former Saints cheerleader, will drop her case for $1 if the NFL agrees to a meeting.
"The NFL statement is constantly that the cheerleaders deserve a professional environment free of discrimination and sexual harassment," Blackwell said. "Apparently, they mean they deserve it — the NFL just has no intention to actually provide it. That's very clear by the lack of response thus far from Goodell to the media, the cheerleaders or to our settlement demand."
In a statement Thursday afternoon in response to specific questions, the NFL did not directly address the allegations against Washington or the Times story.
"The NFL and all NFL member clubs support fair employment practices," a spokesman said in an email. "Everyone who works in the NFL, including cheerleaders, has the right to work in a positive and respectful environment that is free from any and all forms of harassment and discrimination and fully complies with state and federal laws. Our office will work with our clubs in sharing best practices and employment-related processes that will support club cheerleading squads within an appropriate and supportive workplace."
One former Washington cheerleader, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said hitting specific body weights is no longer contractually obligated but that team members understand certain body proportions must be kept to remain on the team. "You know it exists," she said. "They may not have it writing, but it exists."
Four current cheerleaders, who spoke to The Post with team approval, described a different experience last month. They said they enjoy the camaraderie the team provides, believe the team protects their safety and do not feel pressured to attend events they do not wish to. They said the only events they attended were ones for which they volunteered. One described recent negative attention on attitudes toward cheerleaders as "frustrating," and another called it "bizarre."
The Washington Post's Mark Maske contributed to this report.
