The National Football League will not release any emails obtained during an investigation of the Washington Football Team's workplace.
“Based on the material that we have reviewed, we haven’t identified anything that needed to be reported to club or league leadership,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told the Associated Press.
“We have released no emails during this process.”
The NFL has maintained that it has not released any emails in an official capacity, but a few of the emails it obtained were leaked to the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. Last week, the Wall Street Journal uncovered an email in which former Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden compared NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith's lips to Michelin tires. Days later, the New York Times found emails in which Gruden made several other homophobic, racist and misogynistic remarks. Not to mention, he advocated against player safety. Ultimately, these leaked emails led to Gruden's resignation on Monday evening.
"I have resigned as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, and staff, and fans of Raider Nation. I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone," Gruden stated.
In the aftermath of Gruden's leaked emails, many fans, reporters and players have asked the NFL to release the remaining emails. Many people have argued that Gruden is not a rotten apple, but rather a reflection of larger issue within the NFL.
"Jon Gruden’s offensive emails were selectively leaked from a trove of 650,000 emails collected by the NFL as part of its workplace misconduct inquiry of the Washington Football Team. Where are the rest of the toxic emails, including any that were sent or received by Dan Snyder?" ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. asked.
"Wasn't this case about the toxic workplace of the Washington Football Club? This feels like this is just the beginning, not the end," Sports Illustrated Columnist Andrew Brandt added.
In a recent interview, NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith revealed that the union will petition the league to release the remainder of the emails. Adding on, attorneys representing 40 former Washington Football Team employees plan to petition the league's release of the emails as well.
"It is truly outrageous that after the NFL's 10-month investigation involving hundreds of witnesses and 650,000 documents related to the longtime culture of harassment and abuse at the Washington Football Team, the only person to be held accountable and lose their job is the coach of the Las Vegas Raiders," attorneys Lisa Banks and Debra Katz stated.
"If the NFL felt it appropriate to release these offensive emails from Jon Gruden, which it obtained during its investigation into the Washington Football Team, it must also release the findings related to the actual target of that investigation. Our clients and the public at large deserve transparency and accountability. If not, the NFL and [commissioner] Roger Goodell must explain why they appear intent on protecting the Washington Football Team and owner Dan Snyder at all costs."
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