Commanders accuse Jim Irsay of violating the NFL constitution after he claimed Dan Snyder should go

The Washington Commanders have accused Indianapolis Colts‘ owner Jim Irsay of violating the NFL’s constitution before the two teams faced each other Sunday afternoon. 

At an owner’s meeting on October 18, Irsay became the first to publicly state that his controversial counterpart should go as he claimed that there is ‘merit to remove’ Snyder. 

The Commanders have now hit back at the Colts’ CEO and owner as they claimed he was acting in a way that violated the League’s constitution. 

‘It’s unfortunate that Mr. Irsay continues to behave in a way that clearly is in violation of the Constitution of the NFL,’ a spokesperson for the Commanders said. ‘We look forward to playing his team on Sunday. ‘ 

The spokesperson was apparently referencing Article IX of the NFL Constitution, which stipulates that no club member can publicly criticize another organization or its management. 

According to Article IX, Section 9.1 (C) (4) of the league’s Constitution & Bylaws, any owner is prohibited from ‘publicly criticizing any member club or its management, personnel, employees, or coaches and/or any football official employed by the League. All complaints or criticism in respect to the foregoing shall be made to the Commissioner only and shall not be publicized directly or indirectly.’

The Commanders have accused Colts’ owner Jim Irsay of violating the NFL’s constitution 

Irsay became the first to publicly state that Commanders’ owner Dan Snyder should go 

DailyMail.com reached out to the Colts for comment.  

Snyder and Irsay have not had any contact since the latter’s comments, according to ESPN. 

It could have made for an awkward interaction when the two teams met on Sunday afternoon at 4.25pm ET as Snyder would have attended the game and sat in the visitor’s owners box, provided by Irsay.

‘I only run into owners if it’s really coincidental,’ Irsay told the Washington Post. ‘Most of us don’t see each other unless we happen to be passing each other on the field or somewhere at the same time. It has nothing to do with Dan Snyder. If I was playing the Ravens, I wouldn’t know if [owner] Steve Bisciotti was going.’

Irsay grabbed attention at the NFL meetings earlier this month with his open criticism of Snyder. 

‘We have to look at all the evidence, and we have to be thorough going forward,’ Irsay said. ‘But I think [removal] is something that has to be given serious consideration. I believe it’s in the best interest of the National Football League that we look it squarely in the eye and deal with it.’

‘I just believe in the workplace today, the standard that the shield stands for in the NFL, that you have to protect that,’ Irsay added. ‘I just think that once owners talk among each other, they’ll arrive to the right decision. My belief is that — unfortunately — that’s the road we probably need to go down. And we just need to finish the investigation. But it’s gravely concerning to me the things that have occurred there over the last 20 years.’

Removing Snyder would be unprecedented and requires 24 votes from the other owners.

Irsay grabbed attention at the NFL meetings on October 18 with his open criticism of Snyder

Snyder has testified to Congress about sexual harassment and hostile workplace accusations against himself and his team. It is claimed that rival NFL owners want him removed

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But Snyder reportedly believed that he has enough ‘dirt’ on fellow NFL owners, commissioner Roger Goodell and league officials that he could ‘blow up’ several people and organizations, according to an ESPN report earlier this month.  

Snyder has since made attempts to convince his fellow NFL owners of his innocence while he’s currently under investigation by the league.

In a long letter sent to each owner in the league, Snyder addressed an article from ESPN claiming he hired private investigators to dig up ‘dirt’ on other owners in the league as well as Goodell.

‘That is patently false and intended to erode the trust and goodwill between owners that I take quite seriously. I have never hired any private investigator to look into any owner or the Commissioner. I have never instructed or authorized my lawyers to hire any private investigator on my behalf for any such purpose. And I never would.

He also said ESPN, ‘ignored our efforts to correct the many falsehoods in their article before its publication.’

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also responded to Irsay’s comments, saying, ‘Speculation without facts is not a very positive thing to do.’

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell responded to Irsay’s comments, saying speculation without facts is not ‘a positive thing to do’ 

The club currently faces a criminal investigation in Virginia, where the Commanders are accused of financial malpractice for allegedly swindling season ticket holders out of security deposits and improperly withholding ticket revenue from NFL teams. The Commanders have denied these claims. 

Furthermore, the Commanders are the subject of a congressional investigation into sexual harassment and hostile workplace allegations.

Various reports have detailed claims of sexual harassment made by female ex-employees against male co-workers and supervisors, many of whom have since been dismissed.

Sexual harassment allegations against team employees ranged from inappropriate comments to the creation of a lewd behind-the-scenes video from a cheerleader calendar shoot in 2008, according to a 2020 Washington Post report that first publicized the claims.

Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder has faced waves of scandals in recent years

A name card for Washington Commanders owner Snyder sits at a table where the Committee on Oversight and Reform held a hearing about the toxic workplace culture at the Commanders

Furthermore, a former cheerleader also alleged that team owner Dan Snyder suggested that she join his ‘close friend’ in a hotel room in 2004 so they ‘could get to know each other.’

Those revelations prompted a team investigation handled independently by DC-area attorney Beth Wilkinson, but the league quickly assumed control of that probe with Wilkinson’s team reporting to the commissioner’s office.

The NFL then issued a $10 million fine to punish the club (which is worth an estimated $4.2 billion) and Snyder volunteered to cede day-to-day control of the team to his wife, Tanya.

But the league’s refusal to release a report on its investigation, citing privacy concerns of witnesses, prompted the Oversight Committee to launch its own investigation into the team, Snyder, and even the NFL.

Ex-Commanders employee Tiffani Johnston told Congress’ Oversight Committee that Snyder once groped her thigh during a team dinner and pushed her toward his limousine with his hand on her lower back. Snyder has denied the allegation 

That investigation has led to more allegations of sexual harassment. Specifically, former team employee Tiffani Johnston testified in February that Snyder grabbed her thigh at a team dinner and pressured her to get into a limousine – claims that Snyder has since denied.

Johnston’s testimony triggered a new league investigation that’s currently being led by Mary Jo White, a former US attorney and chairwoman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

White hasn’t informed the league of a timeline to submit a report, though it’s anticipated she’s nearing the end of the investigation, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the investigation remains open.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS SEXUAL HARASSMENT FALLOUT:

Team owner Dan Snyder: There are several outstanding allegations against Snyder. 

A former cheerleader named Tiffany Bacon Scourby told the Washington Post that Snyder suggested that she join his ‘close friend’ in a hotel room in 2004 so they ‘could get to know each other.’ 

In February of 2022, a female former employee told HBO that she saw Snyder laughing and puffing on a cigar while watching a male executive grope her female co-worker’s backside in Snyder’s private suite at FedEx Field. 

Another former employee, Tiffani Mattingly Johnston, said Snyder put his hand on her knee once at a dinner and later pressured her to get into his limousine, which she refused. 

Snyder privately settled one sexual harassment allegation in 2009 for $1.6 million following an incident aboard his private plane, according to the Washington Post. The woman, a former club employee, claims Snyder asked her for sex, groped her and attempted to remove her clothes while the pair were on a team plane returning from Las Vegas. 

His accuser had agreed not to sue the team or disclose her allegations as part of the settlement, but The Washington Post made them public in June 2022. The newspaper obtained a letter by a team attorney that detailed her allegations while arguing the claims were not credible.

Furthermore, the billionaire is accused of belittling executives, according to three members of the executive staff. Specifically, it’s claimed that he ridiculed an employee named Dennis Greene for being a college cheerleader, once allegedly ordering him to do cartwheels for his amusement. Snyder temporarily handed over day-to-day control of the club to his wife, Tanya, as the club was fined $10 million by the NFL. He now faces a criminal investigation in Virginia, where the club is accused of financial malpractice for allegedly swindling season ticket holders out of security deposits and improperly withholding ticket revenue from NFL teams. The Commanders have denied these claims.  

Dan Snyder (left) still owns the Washington Football Team, but temporarily ceded day-to-day control of the franchise following the NFL’s investigation into sexual harassment claims against the club. He has since accused now-former team president Bruce Allen (right) of conspiring to spread false information about him to an Indian website 

Chief operating officer Mitch Gershman: Former team employee Emily Applegate said he would routinely compliment her body while also regularly berating her for insignificant problems, like printer malfunctions. Her allegations were supported by two other female former employees. When contacted, Gershman told The Post, ‘I barely even remember who she is,’ adding that he ‘would apologize to anyone who thought I was verbally abusive.’ Gershman left the team in 2015.  

Team president Bruce Allen: Although Allen was not accused of sexual harassment or verbal abuse, Applegate claims he must have known about her problems because ‘he sat 30 feet away from me… and saw me sobbing at my desk several times a week.’ The brother of former Virginia Governor and US Senator George Allen, Bruce found himself at the center of Jon Gruden’s email controversy in October of 2021 when the now-former Raiders coach’s racist, homophobic messages were mysteriously leaked to the media. Ultimately the emails led to Gruden’s dismissal as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Bruce Allen was fired after the 2019 season, when Washington went 3-13.

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Former Washington Redskins director of pro personnel Alex Santos

Director of pro personnel Alex Santos: Six former employees and two reporters who covered the team told the Washington Post that Santos made inappropriate remarks to them about their appearances. He also asked them if they were interested in him romantically. In 2019, he allegedly pinched Rhiannon Walker, a reporter for The Athletic, and told her she had ‘an ass like a wagon.’ This resulted in an internal investigation. Another reporter, the Ringer’s Nora Princiotti, also accused Santos of harassing her. Santos, who declined to speak with The Post, was fired in July of 2020.

Team radio play-by-play announcer Larry Michael: Seven former employees told The Post that ‘the voice of the Washington Redskins’ frequently talked openly about female co-workers looks, often making sexually disparaging remarks. He was once caught on a ‘hot mic’ in 2018 discussing the looks of one intern, six sources told The Post. He is also accused of ordering employees to edit together a video of lewd behind-the-scenes outtakes from a 2008 calendar shoot. Michael, who declined to speak with The Post, retired after 16 seasons in July of 2020.

Former radio announcer Larry Michael (left) and former assistant director of pro personnel Richard Mann II (right)

Assistant director of pro personnel Richard Mann II: In a text message obtained by The Post, Mann told a female colleague that he and other men in the office debated whether she had plastic surgery on her breasts. He also warned another female coworker to expect an ‘inappropriate hug’ from him, adding, ‘don’t worry that will be a stapler in my pocket, nothing else.’ Mann declined to speak with The Post after being fired in July of 2020.

Former president of business operations Dennis Greene

President of business operations Dennis Greene: Five former employees told The Post that Greene asked female sales staffers to wear revealing outfits and flirt with wealthy season ticket holders and suite holders. Greene worked for the club for 17 years until 2018, when it was revealed that he had sold access to team cheerleaders at a bikini photo shoot in Costa Rica as part of a ticket package. According to a New York Times investigation, the 2013 calendar shoot did not involve any sex, but team officials did worry the cheerleaders by taking their passports. Some cheerleaders say they were required to be topless, although the shoot did not include any nudity. After a 14-hour shoot one day, nine of the 36 cheerleaders were reportedly asked to escort suite holders to a local nightclub. Several of the women began to cry, according to the Times. Greene declined to comment and has not worked for the team since he resigned in 2018.