The Washington Commanders are no longer the only NFC East team under fire for misconduct allegations from their cheerleaders.
According to a report by ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr., the Dallas Cowboys paid $2.4 million out in confidential settlements to four team cheerleaders after they accused a then-senior executive of voyeurism in 2015.
Richard Dalrymple, the Cowboys’ former senior vice president for public relations and communications, was accused by the cheerleaders of recording them while they undressed in the locker room. The women allege that they saw Dalrymple trying to take an iPhone video of them while hiding behind a wall in the locker room, according to ESPN.
The team paid out just under $400,000 to all four cheerleaders, with the rest going to their legal teams, in a May 2016 settlement. ESPN also reported a separate allegation against Dalrymple from 2015, when a fan said they saw him taking lewd photos of Charlotte Jones Anderson, the daughter of team owner Jerry Jones, from underneath the table during the NFL draft.
Dalrymple, who worked for the organization for 32 years and retired earlier this month, denied both allegations.
“People who know me, co-workers, the media and colleagues, know who I am and what I’m about,” Dalrymple said in a statement to ESPN. “I understand the very serious nature of these claims and do not take them lightly. The accusations are, however, false. One was accidental and the other simply did not happen. Everything that was alleged was thoroughly investigated years ago, and I cooperated fully.”
“If any wrongdoing had been found, Rich would have been terminated immediately,” Jim Wilkinson, a communications consultant hired by the Cowboys, told ESPN. “Everyone involved felt just terrible about this unfortunate incident.”
The settlement, ESPN reported, includes nondisclosures for all four women, their spouses and Cowboys officials. None of the four women are currently employed by the team.
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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