The Associated Press
The Washington NFL Team said it is concerned by allegations made by cheerleaders in a New York Times article about a trip to Costa Rica for a photo shoot in 2013.
Team president Bruce Allen said in a statement May 3 the organization is immediately looking into the situation. Allen says if the investigation shows any employees acted inappropriately, “those employees will face significant repercussions.”
FILE – In this Aug. 24, 2013, file photo, Washington Redskins cheerleaders run out of a tunnel before an NFL preseason football game against the Buffalo Bills in Landover, Md. The Redskins say they’re concerned by allegations made by cheerleaders in a New York Times article about a trip to Costa Rica for a photo shoot in 2013. Team president Bruce Allen said in a statement Thursday, May 3, 2018, that the organization is immediately looking into the situation. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
The New York Times reported the cheerleaders had their passports collected, were forced to be topless for a calendar photo shoot that included male spectators and were asked to be escorts for sponsors at a nightclub. The story, published May 2, quoted cheerleaders on condition of anonymity because they signed confidentiality agreements.
Allen says team officials have had dialogue with a number of current and former cheerleaders and have “heard very different firsthand accounts that directly contradict many of the details” of the article. Allen says the Redskins “will continue to take all necessary measures to create a safe and respectful work environment for their cheerleaders.”
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