The NFL has fined Washington for failing to disclose a trove of embarrassing cheerleader photos. A recent investigation by the Washington Post alleges that WFT staffers were instructed to record behind-the-scenes content during a swimsuit photo shoot. The cheerleaders have not seen the full report or any results, but they claim to be the “actual victims” of the scandal. Cheerleader Candass Correll called the latest development “despicable.”
Facts:
Former cheerleaders for the Washington Football Team are requesting that the NFL make public the full findings of its inquiry into the organization’s workplace culture in response to claims that coaches secretly sent offensive emails to players.
The allegedly racist, homophobic, and misogynistic language used by Raiders head coach Jon Gruden was revealed in emails that were published by the New York Times on Monday. Later on Monday, Gruden tendered his resignation.
Cheerleaders from Washington claim that Bruce Allen, the general manager of the Washington team at the time, received emails from Gruden that included pictures of topless cheerleaders from a previous swimsuit photo session video.
Allen had recruited Gruden’s brother Jay to coach the team at the time, and Jay Gruden was a color analyst on ESPN.
The 10-minute video, which was first made public by The Washington Post in 2020, purportedly shows Washington staffers being told to record behind-the-scenes footage from the cheerleaders’ swimsuit photo shoot in order to package and produce a video with only “the good bits”—bare nipples and pubic areas while the cheerleaders changed clothes or moved around. The outlet claims that team owner Daniel Snyder received the video; however, Snyder later refuted the claims.
A lawsuit crafted by cheerleaders alleging inappropriate behavior against the team’s leadership was settled out of court. The NFL investigation concluded in July with a US$10 million fine against WFT. But this investigation was just the tip of the iceberg. The fine was the beginning of Gruden’s downfall, and images from the cheerleader photo shoot are now part of the investigation. The NFL’s findings are not yet public, but former cheerleaders have shared their emotional turmoil with the media.
Cheerleaders were considered part-time employees. They also had to keep a day job. In addition, they had a special assignment for nightclub goers. Male sponsors even selected nine cheerleaders to act as personal escorts for them. When the director told the squad to get ready, the cheerleaders began crying. In a witty moment, the cheerleaders were asked to kiss the male sponsors.
A former Washington Football Team cheerleader is calling on the NFL to release the findings of its investigation into workplace culture. The photos, videos, and emails revealed by the leak of leaked emails included homophobic, racist, and misogynistic remarks directed at cheerleaders. These images, as well as the inflammatory language they contained, have led to the ouster of Raiders head coach Jon Gruden.
These videos were produced under the direction of senior vice president Larry Michael and broadcasting staffers. One ex-employe said the videos were made for the team’s owner Daniel Snyder. Snyder, however, has denied knowing about the videos. The videos showed the cheerleaders’ nipples and pubic areas when they were shifting positions. In the authorized version, the cheerleaders wore beaded necklaces.
In a recent Washington Post article, Jon Gruden, the head coach of the Raiders, acknowledged that he had topless cheerleader photos in his email inbox. The photos were sent to him by former WFT executive Bruce Allen. Earlier this year, the Washington Football Team produced lewd videos of its cheerleaders. Sadly, the Washington Football Team has failed to do anything meaningful to address this scandal.
After the scandal broke, Scourby accused actor Jeremy Piven of sexual assault. The actor denied the accusation, and CBS canceled Piven’s television drama. The cheerleaders were reportedly asked to take unofficial videos during a routine production meeting in 2008. The cheerleaders were just returning from an Aruba calendar shoot when the incident happened. A former employee of the team told ABC News that Scourby had asked for the unofficial video after a routine production meeting.
The Washington Redskins’ cheerleading squad once traveled to Costa Rica for a calendar photo shoot. When they arrived at the resort, the team officials collected the cheerleaders’ passports. This deprived them of official identification and kept them from enjoying themselves. The cheerleaders were photographed in an adults-only resort known as the Occidental Grand Papagayo on Culebra Bay. Many of the cheerleaders had to pose topless. Others wore body paint. Some of the cheerleaders even invited spectators and posed for photos.
