Redskins executive Dennis Greene has resigned, 106.7 The Fan has learned.
Greene joined the Redskins organization in 2001 as a Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. He worked for multiple Fortune 500 companies before joining the organization. He was also a board member for Dick Clark Productions until 2012.
In light of the recent allegations made to The Times, The Fan reviewed its own suite holder contract that it held with the Redskins from 2010-2012. The agreement was between CBS Radio and the team. The Fan, which is now owned by Entercom, was owned by CBS at the time.
Visits by "Ambassador Cheerleaders" are on the first page of the document. Visits from the ambassadors during games are listed as the fourth item the station would receive behind tickets, guest passes and parking passes. The clause, listed as (d), under "Other Benefits" on page 1 of the agreement, reads as follows:
d. Ambassador Cheerleader Visits: Licensee shall receive a Redskins Ambassador Cheerleader suite visit during each Washington Redskins home game during the term of this Agreement.
Ambassador Cheerleaders are not a part of the actual cheer squad, but are defined on the Redskins website as follows:
The Washington Redskins Cheerleader Ambassadors consist of ladies from all over the country and are an extension of the Redskins Cheerleaders.
Selected during the Redskins Cheerleaders auditions process every April, the Ambassadors' main focus is interacting with fans during all Redskins home games at FedExField.
While the Redskins Cheerleaders captivate fans with energetic dance routines, the Ambassadors are in the Bud Light Party Pavilion, Touchdown Club and Suites--and even in the stands--bringing a personal, up-close interaction with fans.
The other benefits listed on the agreement are access to other suite holder events, such as chalk talks and an annual golf tournament, FedEx Field events and a Super Bowl trip.
Multiple sources familiar with the purchasing process for suite holder agreements say that the team offered options in regards to "added value" along with the suites, as present in the CBS Radio contract. For instance, Willie Teel -- the suite holder mentioned in the original New York Times story -- got to go on the calendar shoot trip as part of his agreement.
Added value is standard in suite contracts around the league. It is not known how many teams offer access to cheerleaders and in what ways, however a new New York Times story published Thursday morning names at least four teams that have similar groups to the Redskins Ambassador Cheerleaders. The Times names the Patriots, Saints and Texans along with the Redskins.
In the terms and conditions portion of the The Fan’s suites contract, there is a "conduct" clause. The clause says that the suite holder is responsible for any behavior in the suite, including by their guests. There are no specific clauses in relation to the cheerleaders and conduct. Any inappropriate conduct by a fan towards a cheerleader could be taken care of under the conduct clause at the explicit discretion of stadium staff. One former team employee told The Washington Post they have witnessed a fan get ejected for kissing a cheerleader on the cheek.
Presumably, this would also be true at team sponsored tailgate parties, where one ambassador told The Times intoxicated men would grab them and hug them, and make inappropriate comments. Another ambassador said she would use a fake name when signing autographs because she wanted the interaction to end as quickly as possible.
However, per The Times' reporting, it was actually Greene, not fans, who drew the most consistent fear. From the article:
One of the worst parts of the day was the morning inspection.
Dennis Greene was head of business operations for the Redskins from 2007 until several weeks ago, when he was replaced by a new hire, but he is still in charge of hospitality and suites. He is ultimately in charge of the ambassador program, and his job is to sell suites and keep the suite-holders happy. He would have the ambassadors line up so he could examine them and choose two to accompany him to suites during the game.
“He would look each of us up and down and say, I want that one and that one, and everyone hated when you got selected for that,” a former ambassador said of the lineups that occurred just a few years ago. “It was humiliating, like we were cattle.”
As a former captain, I am deeply saddened and disheartened by the idea that women with whom I was on the team with did not feel comfortable expressing their concerns until now. Stephanie appoints captains, co-captains and sideline assistants for the very purpose of creating layers of leadership and influence to: 1) lead by example 2) ensure everyone on the team felt supported, cared for, and heard, and 3) help drive continuous improvements on the team.
What remains unclear is the power structure above Jojokian, and how those people treated and viewed the cheer squad, from leveraging them for suite sales to asking them to work at rates that might not comply with U.S. labor laws based on hourly rates.
Per The Times, Greene was in charge of the ambassador program. He is no longer with the organization. A follow up question on the future of the ambassador program, as well as the status of the ongoing investigation, had not been returned by a Redskins spokesperson at the time of publication.
The Redskins put out multiple statements on the matter after the first New York Times article. First was a statement to The Times that ran in the original reporting. When The Fan submitted a series of follow up questions, the team referred to that statement.
No ambassadors have spoken on the record outside of the unnamed women who spoke to The Times. This story will be updated as new information becomes available.