The Arizona Cardinals have been in the news for many things they probably would not like to be known for. After former team executive Terry McDonough filed a claim of wrongful termination, accusing him of a hostile work environment, a report from The Athletic details some of the problems in the building as a work environment.
The consistent theme is that employees fear owner Michael Bidwill and women feel targeted for certain behaviors.
Much of what was mentioned is well known.
The Cardinals did not have a human resources department until recently. It was not fully staffed until 2022.
Anonymous employees (the report says more than a dozen current and former) detailed how they essentially felt like they had to walk on eggshells when Bidwill was in the building because, depending on his mood, he could go off on little things (someone walking too slowly, lights being off, squeaky wheel on a cart).
There were spoken and unspoken rules about women and interacting with players, coaches and staffers, suggesting sexist policies.
Women were expected to avoid interaction with players and staff and there was an unwritten dress code. In-house female media members were not allowed into the locker room until last year even though women from outside media organizations could go in during media availability.
The Cardinals have made policy changes and Bidwill issued a statement about some of the workplace allegations.
As I have said personally to every member of the Cardinals organization, I certainly have room to grow and with the benefit of hindsight, would have done some things differently over the years. I also know that my direct approach doesn’t always land well, and I’m working on that. I have always been driven by the desire to learn and improve and more importantly, to use those lessons in building the best organization possible. Over the last several years, we have taken significant steps to improve our culture and build a stronger community. We are a better and more inclusive organization today than we were yesterday and I’m extremely excited about what we can be tomorrow.
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