Open Letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

MARCH 5, 2021

Dear Commissioner Goodell:

In solidarity with the former Washington Football Team employees, we write to urge you to commit to making the findings of the NFL independent investigation into the Washington Football Team public. 

These former employees — who were sexually harassed, bullied, and abused by owner Dan Snyder and other high-level executives — shared their stories, often at great personal and professional cost, with an expectation that the conclusions that were reached would be released to the public. Coming forward took tremendous courage — particularly given their concerns about retaliation by Mr. Snyder — and they deserve full accountability in return.

When the investigation has been completed, the National Football League must release the report and take actions commensurate with the allegations in the report. It is essential that the NFL hold those responsible for the mistreatment and harassment to which the employees were subjected, while protecting any privacy asked for by former employees.  

In August 2020, you said that the NFL would “review the findings and take any appropriate action” once Beth Wilkinson of Wilkinson Stekloff concluded her investigation. You also said the findings will also be shared with “others.” The people who were involved in this investigation have the right to know the conclusion of this report and determine whether the actions that will be taken will be in alignment with what has been written and determined by Ms. Wilkinson.

The NFL has released reports like this in the past, including the report of the Deflategate investigation in May 2015, and the report of the independent investigation into the NFL’s handling of Ray Rice’s situation in January 2015. Following the Deflategate investigation, Tom Brady was suspended for four games. And following the release of Robert Mueller’s report in 2015, you stated that, “We [the NFL] are grateful to Director Mueller for conducting an extremely thorough and detailed investigation, and we accept his findings and recommendations.”

Following the conclusion of both investigations, the NFL released the reports to the public and determined the appropriate course of action. We are calling for the same transparency and accountability now and stand in solidarity with the survivors who have suffered at the hands of Mr. Snyder and other executives of the Washington Football Team.

It is time for the NFL to step up and do the right thing.

Sincerely,

Wren Arthur
Producer, Activist

Elisa Batista
Campaign Director, Ultraviolet

Condencia Brade
Executive Director, The National Organization of Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault

Paula Brantner
Attorney and Consultant, PB Work Solutions

Jordan Brooks
Executive Director, United State of Women

Jane Campbell
Professional Soccer Player

Gretchen Carlson
Journalist and Female Empowerment Advocate, Lift Our Voices

Terri Carmichael Jackson
Executive Director, Women’s National Basketball Association

JoEllen Chernow
Co-Founder and Co-Director, Survivors Know

Megan Colligan
President, IMAX Entertainment

Karma Cottman
Executive Director, Ujima: The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community

Colleen DeCourcy
President, Wieden + Kennedy

Raffi Freedman-Gurspan
Board of Directors, TIME’S UP

Melissa Fumero
Actor, Activist

Anita Hill

Michelle Hurd
Actor and Activist, SAG-AFTRA

Lisa Gelobter
CEO, tEQuitable

Fatima Goss Graves
President and CEO, National Women’s Law Center

Valerie Jarrett

Allison Jaslow
Iraq War Veteran and Advocate, Duke University

Sarah Jones
Actor, Writer, Producer, Foment Productions

Ashley Judd
Actor, Author, Social Justice Humanitarian

Ali Krieger
Athlete and Activist, USWNT Players Association

Michelle Kydd Lee
Chief Innovation Officer, CAA

Padma Lakshmi
Author, Host, and Producer, Delicious Entertainment, Inc.

Cindi Leive
Journalist, The Meteor

Carmen LoBue
Filmmaker

Eva Longoria Baston
Actor, Director, Producer, Activist

Trace Lysette
Actor

Debra Messing
Actor, Producer, Activist

Alyssa Milano
Producer, Actor, Writer, Activist, Touch by Alyssa Milano

Carolyn McGourty Supple
Executive Director, The Press Forward

Monica R. McLemore
Professor, University of California, San Francisco

Julianne Moore
Actress, Producer

Alex Morgan
Professional Soccer Player, TIME’S UP Advocate

Kathy Najimy
Activist, Actor, Producer, TIME’S UP Advocate

Amy Nauiokas
CEO, Producer, Anthemis and Archer Gray

Ana Navarro
Political Commentator

Ellen Pompeo
Actor, Activist

Ai-jen Poo
Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance & Caring Across Generations

Margaret M. Purce
Athlete

Megan Rapinoe
Athlete Activist, US Soccer, Nike

Alysia Reiner
Actor, Producer, Activist

Shonda Rhimes
CEO, Shondaland

Becca Roux
Executive Director, USWNT Players Association

Becky Sauerbrunn
Athlete, US Women’s National Team and Portland Thorns

Amy Schumer
Actor, Comic, Activist 

Linda Seabrook
General Counsel, Futures Without Violence

Nina Shaw
Activist, TIME’S UP Advocate

Eleanor Smeal
President, Feminist Majority Foundation

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy
Founder and Chairman, theBoardlist

Sophia Smith
Athlete

Jurnee Smollett
Actor, Activist, TIME’S UP Advocate

Mira Sorvino
Actor, Activist

Karla Souza
Actress, Producer

Shari Springer Berman
Filmmaker

Gabrielle Sulzberger
Corporate Board Member, MasterCard, Eli Lilly, Ford Foundation

Amber Tamblyn
Actor, Author, Director, Activist

Tina Tchen
President and CEO, TIME’S UP Foundation

Marisa Tomei
Artist

Gabrielle Union
Actor, Producer, Author, Activist

Julie Wainwright
CEO, The RealReal

Kerry Washington
Actor, Producer, CEO, Activist

Paula Weinstein
Producer

Lynn Williams
Professional Soccer Player

Sara Ziff
Founder and Executive Director, Model Alliance

Women’s National Basketball Players Association Executive Committee