Within the last six weeks, two NFL franchises have been publicly accused of mistreating its cheerleaders and fostering discriminatory work environments. Those stories, coupled with multiple lawsuits that cheerleaders have filed against teams for workplace malfeasance, should be enough to warrant a league-wide inquiry into the practices of every team run cheerleading squad across the NFL.
The New York Times published an investigative story Wednesday that details the Redskins' sleazy treatment of its cheerleaders. The seediest allegations revolve around a trip to Costa Rica in 2013, in which five cheerleaders told the NYT they were instructed to serve as nightclub escorts for male sponsors who accompanied them on the tropical excursion. These male sponsors were also permitted to watch the cheerleaders pose topless for the team's yearly calendar –– even though none of the shots used for it contain any nudity.
At least four NFL clubs have settled lawsuits with cheerleaders over unpaid wages. Perhaps the most egregious case was levied against the Bills, with two ex-Jills telling the NYT they were paid $420 and $105, respectively, for more than 800 hours of work. The Bills disbanded their cheerleading squad shortly after the allegations came to light.
In recent years, the Bengals, Buccaneers and Jets have also settled lawsuits over unethical pay practices. In March, a former Saints cheerleader filed a complaint claiming she was fired for posting a photo of herself in a once-piece outfit on Instagram. New Orleans prohibits its cheerleaders from posing nude or in skimpy clothing, and socializing with the team's players in any setting –– including social media. Bailey Davis filed her charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency that enforces civil rights laws. It says the Saints treat their male and female employees differently.
It seems like she has a pretty good case.
The Redskins' story contains no allegations of withholding wages or other illegal business practices. Instead, it describes a demeaning work environment that best belongs on the set of "Mad Men." In addition to the Costa Rica trip, where cheerleaders say their passports were confiscated, the team had them perform at a party in 2012 where men shot alcohol into their mouths with turkey basters. One cheerleader told the NYT she was afraid to complain about the experience.
"That was not for me, and lots of us felt the same way," she said. "But we were too scared to complain. We felt that our place on the team would be compromised if we did."
There is a belief that women who choose to dance in revealing clothing inside of football stadiums are hypocritical when they complain about being objectified. In other words, they're asking for it. But there is a big difference between doing carefully choreographed routines while protected by barriers and security personnel and accompanying unfamiliar men to a nightclub in a foreign country without proper identification. To state the obvious, one scenario is far riskier than the other.
Stephanie Jojokian, the director of the Redskins cheerleading team, told the NYT she was anguished over the accusations.
"It breaks my heart because I'm a mom and I've done this for a long time," she said. "Where is this coming from? I would never put a woman in a situation like that. I actually mentor these women to be strong and to speak up, and it kills me to hear that."
As a mom, it's worth asking Jojokian if she would feel comfortable sending her daughter to Costa Rica to pose topless at a secluded resort for male strangers and then go out with them at night. It doesn't matter that the team says only six sponsors, including couples, were on the trip. No employee, never mind young female employee, should be put in those precarious situations.
I emailed the NFL about the Redskins NYT report and did not immediately hear back. But this is not an isolated occurrence. Cheerleading squads appear to be run with little regard for professional rules. It seems like the wild, wild west, where toxic masculinity reigns.
Two former NFL cheerleaders suing the league recently proposed holding a four-hour "good faith" meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell to devise regulations for all cheerleading teams. If the meeting is accepted, they say they'll settle their claims for $1.
That would be a nice first step for the NFL to take. Ignorance and inaction are not the proper responses when it comes to the degradation of employees.
