Sen. Schatz and Rep. Speier Call on Goodell to Clarify Policy on Stopping Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in the NFL
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) sent a letter to National Football League (NFL) Commissioner Roger Goodell, urging the NFL to clearly spell out how it will penalize teams that do not proactively move to prevent domestic and sexual assaults by league employees.
In their letter to NFL Commissioner Goodell, Senator Schatz and Congresswoman Speier wrote, “We urge you to create accountability at all levels of the NFL, particularly among team owners, who have the most direct financial incentives to avoid long-term suspensions and quickly get players back on the field. We noted that your January 15, 2015 letter did not address the potential removal of draft picks as a penalty for teams that do not address domestic violence and sexual assaults properly. Please provide further clarification on whether the removal of draft picks will be used as a penalty for teams that do not appropriately address domestic violence and sexual assault.”
During a December 2, 2014 Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Senator Schatz questioned Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations, about domestic violence in the NFL. In response, Mr. Vincent stated that the NFL was reviewing options to hold teams more accountable for the culture of excusing domestic violence which include “the removal of draft picks.” Following the hearing, Senator Schatz sent Commissioner Goodell a letter calling on the NFL to address domestic violence and the pervasive culture of avoiding long-term suspensions to quickly get players back on the field for financial motives. Although Commissioner Goodell responded, his letter did not clearly state the NFL’s policy or penalty for teams that do not appropriately address domestic violence and sexual assault.
Congresswoman Speier also sent a letter to Commissioner Goodell last September, calling on the league to put in place protocols that would hold the owners, teams, and players accountable. She requested that the NFL adopt a policy of suspending players immediately following a credible accusation of domestic violence, as numerous public and private sector organizations do, in order to send a signal that the league takes these offenses seriously.
Full text of the letter is as follows:
February 24, 2015
Dear Commissioner Goodell,
Thank you for your response to our concerns regarding the National Football League’s (NFL) updated policies related to domestic violence and sexual assault. We appreciate the efforts that the League has made to address violence, particularly by providing enhanced education and prevention efforts, incorporating domestic violence and sexual assault awareness into the NFL’s public service and charitable giving, and strengthening the League Personal Conduct Policy to include clear steps for disciplinary action. We respect your efforts to establish this policy with input from multiple stakeholders and your commitment to ensuring that child abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, animal abuse, and other violent behaviors are not tolerated.
We urge you to create accountability at all levels of the NFL, particularly among team owners, who have the most direct financial incentives to avoid long-term suspensions and quickly get players back on the field. In the December 2, 2014, hearing by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the NFL’s representative Mr. Vincent noted that a potential penalty for teams that do not proactively move to prevent and punish domestic violence and sexual assaults by their employees would be the removal of future draft picks.
The NFL has previously penalized teams by removing draft picks for other infractions, including the 2007 New England Patriots (videotaping opposing team signals) and the 2009-2012 New Orleans Saints (giving non-contract bonuses for injuring opposing team players). We support this potential disciplinary action as a significant indication that the NFL takes these issues very seriously and intends to hold teams responsible for allowing cultures of violence and abuse.
We noted that your January 15, 2015 letter did not address the potential removal of draft picks as a penalty for teams that do not address domestic violence and sexual assaults properly. Please provide further clarification on whether the removal of draft picks will be used as a penalty for teams that do not appropriately address domestic violence and sexual assault.
Thank you for your attention to this pressing issue.
Sincerely,
BRIAN SCHATZ
U.S. Senator
JACKIE SPEIER
U.S. Representative
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