Less than 48 hours after the Carolina Panthers launched an internal investigation into whether their founder and principal owner, Jerry Richardson, engaged in workplace misconduct, the NFL announced that it has taken over the investigation. The Panthers’ decision to investigate was a response to a Sports Illustrated investigative story, published on Sunday, concerning Richardson’s aberrant behavior as an owner and his treatment of employees. As revealed by Jon Wertheim and Viv Bernstein in an exclusive story, Richardson’s alleged misconduct primarily concerns sexual harassment and inappropriate physical contact with women.
Multiple witnesses told Wertheim and Bernstein that Richardson would often objectify the women who worked for him.