Redskins issue statement on story about mistreatment of cheerleaders

The New York Times published a bombshell story earlier in the week that details some instances of sexual harassment Washington Redskins cheerleaders were subject to in recent years, and the team insists the claims are being taken seriously.

On Thursday, Redskins president Bruce Allen said the organization is fully looking into the matter and that there will be “significant repercussions” for any employees who are found to have acted inappropriately. However, Allen also said team officials have spoken with people who have “very different first-hand accounts that directly contradict many of the details of the May 2 article.”

Here’s Allen’s full statement:

#Redskins statement from Bruce Allen on NYT’s cheerleader story: pic.twitter.com/5SLmFDbKT5

— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) May 3, 2018

The article from the New York Times alleged that some Washington cheerleaders were forced to pose topless for a calendar photo shoot during a trip to Costa Rica in 2013, even though they were assured there would be no nudity on the finished product. Some of those same cheerleaders say they were then ordered to serve as escorts at a nightclub for some FexExField suite holders, who were also given up-close access to the calendar shoot.

“They weren’t putting a gun to our heads, but it was mandatory for us to go,” one cheerleader told the Times. “We weren’t asked, we were told. Other girls were devastated because we knew exactly what she was doing.”

This is not the first time a cheerleader has claimed to have been mistreated by a pro sports organization, though the allegations against the Redskins are particularly disturbing.