New York’s Letitia James and five other state attorneys general leaned on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Wednesday, demanding action on allegations of discriminatory practices in the league against women and minorities.
The letter comes on the heels of a February report by the New York Times of incidents in recent years involving more than 30 women, all former league employees, who described to the newspaper a hostile working environment.
“All of this is entirely unacceptable and potentially unlawful,” said Ms. James in the letter to Mr. Goodell, warning the NFL boss that she and the attorneys general would use “the full weight of our authority to investigate and prosecute allegations of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation.”
The potential clash with Ms. James comes as the NFL just chalked up its highest television ratings since 2015, with viewership increasing last season by 10% over 2020.
Ms. James, a Democrat and a former New York City Council member, played a pivotal role in overseeing the investigation of sexual misconduct allegations that forced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to step down last year.
The NFL is also facing a lawsuit by Brian Flores, the former Miami Dolphins coach who says he faced discrimination while interviewing for head coaching positions earlier this year because he is Black.
The NFL is also under scrutiny from a congressional panel looking into sexual misconduct and harassment allegations against Washington Commanders executives, including owner Dan Snyder.
• Peter Santo can be reached at psanto@washingtontimes.com.
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