Allegations of misconduct have appeared in many walks of life over the last several months, with elected officials, Hollywood executives and television personalities implicated. On Friday evening, word broke that misconduct allegations have made their way into the realm of NFL ownership, as Jim Trotter of ESPN broke news that Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is being investigated.
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Shortly thereafter, the Panthers made a formal announcement of what they deem as "an internal investigation into allegations of workplace misconduct against the team's owner and founder, Jerry Richardson." Beyond that, the franchise indicated that the inquiry will be operated by law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan, LLP, with oversight from Panthers owner and former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles.
In addition, team spokesman Steven Drummond released the following statement:
"The Carolina Panthers and Mr. Richardson take these allegations very seriously and are fully committed to a full investigation and taking appropriate steps to address and remediate any misconduct. The entire organization is fully committed to ensuring a safe, comfortable and diverse work environment where all individuals, regardless of sex, race, color, religion, gender, or sexual identity or orientation, are treated fairly and equally. We have work to do to achieve this goal, but we are going to meet it."
That is the extent of what the Panthers announced, with the exception of a notice that the team will not be commenting about "the specifics of the allegations" due to legal ramifications. Stay tuned as this story develops.
