The Dallas Cowboys have paid multi-million dollar settlements to four cheerleaders after women claimed executives filmed them undressing in the locker room, ESPN reports.
The settlement and alleged affair happened several years ago, but came to light just days after a top executive retired from the Cowboys. The former employee and the Cowboys deny any wrongdoing.
In an article published Wednesday, ESPN said the Dallas Cowboys paid four members of the cheerleading squad $2.4 million after they accused Rich Dalrymple, the team's communications director, of voyeurism. Reported.
Team officials confirmed the settlement to NBC 5.
The incident happened in 2015, according to documents obtained by ESPN and people close to the team.
Cheerleaders claim they witnessed Dalrymple using his iPhone to film them undressing in the locker room during the team's season kickoff luncheon at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
After taking the issue to human resources, the cheerleaders, dissatisfied with the Cowboys' response, hired a lawyer.
Dallas Cowboys spokesperson Jim Wilkinson issued the following statement to NBC 5:
The organization takes these allegations very seriously and moved immediately to thoroughly investigate this matter. The investigation was handled in accordance with best legal and human resources practices and no evidence of wrongdoing was found. If the wrongdoing had been discovered, Rich would have been fired immediately. Cheerleaders are an integral part of the Dallas Cowboys family, and with the settlement the organization wants to ensure that cheerleaders understand that their allegations were taken very seriously and immediately and thoroughly investigated. I wanted to go above and beyond to get that. Everyone involved felt really terrible about this unfortunate event. ”
According to ESPN, a settlement was reached in May 2016 after another alleged incident was reported to the Cowboys.
A fan watching the Cowboys' livestream during the 2015 NFL Draft said he saw Dalrymple taking an “upskirt” photo of Charlotte Jones.
Regarding this matter, Mr. Wilson said in a statement:
“The most basic common sense is that if Jerry Jones believed in any way that someone had even remotely done something like that to someone in his family, that person would be summarily fired.”
Rich Dalrymple, the longtime spokesperson for Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys, spent 32 years with the team. Two weeks ago, six years after these allegations, he announced his retirement.
NBC 5 was unable to reach Dalrymple for comment Wednesday, but in a statement, Dalrymple told ESPN:
“I understand the very serious nature of these allegations and do not take them lightly. However, this accusation is false. One is a coincidence and the other simply did not happen. This was all thoroughly investigated years ago and I have cooperated fully.” ”
NBC 5 attempted to contact the attorney representing the former cheerleader in the settlement agreement, but did not receive a response.
