Former Panthers Employee Provides Damaging Details, Thanks Bob McNair for Revealing Jerry Richardson Violated Sexual Harassment NDA

Sports Illustrated has several open letters to various people, written by one of the women who claims she was sexually harassed by Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson.

The piece starts out by saying that the NFL investigation to this point has been toothless, and Richardson has not released any of the people with whom he entered non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to speak with the NFL. Thus, the NFL cannot protect them from legal exposure if they talk with the league, while it is investigating the very owner whose behavior prompted those agreements.

The piece then drops a “gotcha” on fellow owner Bob McNair:

"Thank you. Your comments on March 25, which affirmed you still have no clue or compassion in regard to sexual harassment and racism, also let me know that Jerry Richardson broke the non-disclosure agreement he had signed with me. According to you, Richardson shared his side of the story with owners. You said, “He was very candid in what he said and what he did.’’ Because Jerry Richardson spoke on the subject, I can write these letters and finally speak my truth."

And even though it doesn’t reveal the author’s name, oh does it speak. (Richardson has to know who it is, since it provides specific details and encloses hand-written letters).

The letters also call out the NFL for its investigation, other enablers within the organization for protecting Richardson (and not reporting personal conduct violation to the NFL), and Ron Rivera for publicly supporting the owner after the story broke.

It also lays bare the comments of other owners in defending Richardson, as we head into one of the key public moments for the league on draft night. The letter to Richardson details some of his behaviors, some of which were reported in the December story by Sports Illustrated about Richardson, and others new.

For example, the victim says that she had to go to Richardson’s office, where he would take her shoes off, make her put her legs in his lap, and rub her from toes to crotch. The story also attaches several hand-written notes from Richardson. Those notes include comments that other owners are going to regret trying to spin as innocent.

They include “if I could I’d pamper you more, rub your feet, shave your legs, put lotion on your body, etc etc” followed by a heart shape, and “you did not answer me, do you consider me (1) your grandfather; (2) your second dad; (3) your husband; (4) your second husband; (5) your boyfriend; (6) or something else. I regret that I have never been able to give you pleasure.”

Now that it’s been publicly reported about Richardson stonewalling the NFL investigation, and we can see the hand-written notes (not denied by the Panthers or Richardson), expect the scrutiny on Richardson, and the owners like Bob McNair who have spoken on his behalf, to ramp up again.