Washington Football Team star Dwayne Haskins has apologized after being caught partying maskless with women wearing the team's shirt after a game - while reports have said the team has settled a separate scandal for $1.6 million.
Rumors surfaced on Sunday that Haskins was the man pictured in photos from a strip club and party taken hours after his side's 20-15 defeat to Seattle Seahawks, coming less than two months after the rookie was reportedly fined for breaching the team's Covid-19 protocols.
An Instagram account that was later made private appeared to show the 23-year-old in the kind of close proximity to dancers usually required by strip club patrons, and he is now awaiting potential further action from the team after he admitted his indiscretions and his employers confirmed they were aware of the development.
"I want to publicly apologize for my actions this past Sunday," humiliated Haskins announced.
"I spoke with coach [Ron] Rivera yesterday and took full accountability for putting the team at risk.
"It was irresponsible and immature of me and I accept responsibility for my action. I will learn and grow from this and do what’s best for the team, moving forward."
Fans were less forgiving, with many lambasting Haskins and calling for him to be cut from the team.
"Washington has had zero positive cases of Covid on its active roster because this team has taken every precaution and followed the guidance," said Rudy Gersten, a Washington supporter and writer who initially highlighted the incriminating photos on Twitter.
"Haskins can do what he wants as long as it doesn’t jeopardize the team. But partying with maskless strippers puts himself and teammates at risk."
The fiasco played out as The Washington Post published a story about a separate incident that has been one of several to embroil the team in controversy this year.
Washington are said to have paid a female former employee $1.6 million as part of a confidential settlement in 2009, according to a copy of the agreement seen by the outlet and said to center on accusations of sexual misconduct on a plane against team owner Daniel Snyder.
The alleged incident happened on Snyder’s private aircraft on a flight on the way back from the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, according to account from a person who was not authorized to speak on the matter and had discussed it on condition of anonymity.
Snyder’s business partners were said to have called the matter "a serious accusation of sexual misconduct" during an ongoing ownership feud, and the Post added that lawyers for the team were appealing to a federal court in an attempt to hush the details of the agreement.
The Post said that Snyder and the team had declined to comment or answer any questions about the settlement or allegations, as did NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy when asked whether the league was aware of the settlement or any related allegations.
A copy of the agreement reportedly showed that an attorney for Snyder and two other team executives had signed an agreement after the female employee was fired, but they did not detail the nature of the allegations or acknowledge any wrongdoing.
The woman had left her job for cause and agreed to have a case of voluntary resignation recorded on her personnel file, as well as receiving a letter of recommendation from the team's then-chief operating officer, Mitch Gershman.
Also on rt.com 'I was warned by other women': Scandal over alleged sexual harassment ERUPTS at Redskins as NFL team owner faces pressure to QUITThe former employee and her attorney did not respond to requests for comment from the Post, which was also turned down for comment by her husband in the summer, it said.
The Post explained that it had not identified the woman because she was an alleged victim of sexual misconduct, and also asked Gershman for comment.
In separate cases in July, 15 women accused former Washington employees of sexual harassment and verbal abuse.
The team has had an eventful year, changing its name from the Washington Redskins in the same month because of accusations of racism from Native Americans.
Snyder was said to have reluctantly agreed to the move, pending a potential further name change in the future, as pressure to resolve the problem increased amid heightened sensitivities around similar race issues this year.
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