The NFL will be the subject of an investigation over its workplace practice and cultures, attorneys general from New York and California announced on Thursday.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a joint investigation into the league over allegations of “employment discrimination and a hostile work environment,” according to a news release. The investigation will look to see whether the NFL violated federal and state pay equity laws and anti-discrimination laws.
“No person should ever have to endure harassment, discrimination, or abuse in the workplace,” James said in a statement. “No matter how powerful or influential, no institution is above the law, and we will ensure the NFL is held accountable.”
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A general view of the NFL shield at Footprint Center on Feb. 6, 2023 in Phoenix. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Bonta added, “California will not tolerate any form of discrimination. California will not tolerate any form of discrimination. We have serious concerns about the NFL’s role in creating an extremely hostile and detrimental work environment. No company is too big or popular to avoid being held responsible for their actions.”
The NFL did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The investigation announcement comes more than a year after James and other attorneys general addressed a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to address the “grave concerns” of the allegations made public in a New York Times report.
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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks from the podium during Round One of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. (Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
According to the Times in February 2022, more than 30 former employees described a toxic workplace culture. Female staff members told the newspaper they were forced to watch the 2014 video of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice striking his then-girlfriend in a hotel elevator and were asked whether they have experienced or know someone who has experienced domestic violence.
Jennifer Love, a former director of NFL Enterprises LLC, sued the league last month for age and gender discrimination and alleged “pervasive sexism” in the workplace and a “boys club” mentality. The former official filed the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court. Love said her complaints led to her layoff in 2022.
In the press release, James and Bonta pointed to another lawsuit relating to alleged race discrimination and sexual harassment of a female wardrobe stylist. The NFL Network and the stylist settled in 2018.
The NFL is also in the middle of Brian Flores’ discrimination lawsuit. The case is set to go to court.
New York Attorney General Letitia James attends a campaign rally with community leaders in the Jackson Heights neighborhood in the Queens borough of New York City on Nov. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File)
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Flores sued the league and three teams in 2022, saying the league was “rife with racism.” The NFL and the three teams have denied Flores’ allegations.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
