Sexual Misconduct Claim Against Daniel Snyder Settled for $1.6M

In the midst of what has actually been somewhat of a positive year for the Washington Football Team on the field, the organization’s off-field issues continue to be a source of negative press and embarrassment.

According to The Washington Post, the organization paid a former female staffer $1.6 million in 2009 as part of a confidential settlement related to a claim of sexual misconduct she made against team owner Daniel Snyder.

Characterized as a “serious accusation of sexual misconduct,” the alleged incident occurred on Snyder’s private plane on a flight back from the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas.

Snyder, 56, and the team declined to comment or answer any questions about the settlement or allegations, as did NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy.

This is far from the first time there have been allegations of improper sexual conduct within Snyder’s organization.

Over the summer, 15 women told the Post they were sexually harassed and verbally abused during their time working for the WFT from 2006 to 2019.

“No woman accused Snyder or former longtime team president Bruce Allen of inappropriate behavior with women, but they expressed skepticism the men were unaware of the behavior they allege,” according to the Post’s report.

Now, based on the $1.6M settlement revelation, it appears Snyder himself actually did face accusations of sexual misconduct.

“What a franchise,” Post sports columnist Barry Svrluga writes in an op-ed. “When you root for sports teams, whether it’s by birth or by choice, you bring a desire for everyone involved — the players, the coaches, even the owner — to be upstanding, hard-working, trustworthy people. Maybe that’s unreasonable. It’s certainly unrealistic. But with Snyder in charge, fans of the Washington Football Team can never fully embrace the organization as a whole because the leadership is ruinous, and something always lurks around the corner.”

Snyder has owned the team since 1999.