WFT Cheerleaders Livid Over Topless Photo Leak In Gruden Email Scandal
Now that the NFL has picked through and devoured Jon Gruden, members of the Washington Football Team organization would like a chance to walk through the cancellation buffet as well.
Among them are former WFT cheerleaders who are seeking emails between Gruden, Washington Football Team employees and possibly its owner that reportedly include topless photos of them. The news that topless photos could be floating around the internet without their consent has left members of the squad feeling queasy.
“It’s despicable, really, to see that there is more evidence of exploitation and violation of these cheerleaders who I worked very closely with," Melanie Coburn, a former WFT cheerleader told The Daily Beast.
Coburn helped create a petition that already has more than 40,000 signatures, asking the NFL to "do the right thing and make the sexual misconduct investigation of the WFT public AND hold Dan Snyder accountable for the history of serial sexual harassment within his organization."
She tweeted that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell should "show us the other nearly 649,998 emails" that ultimately sealed Gruden's fate, but no one else's.
Coburn reiterated, per NPR, that news of potential leaks of topless photos has some former WFT cheerleaders shook.
"They're all traumatized. It's just more anxiety-producing evidence that very private, compromising content was circulating not just amongst our team but apparently the entire NFL. So it's been an emotional 24 hours, to say the least."
The concern of Coburn, her former WFT cheerleading teammates, and many others is that the NFL took down Gruden, but turned a blind eye to the sexual misconduct within the Washington organization.
"All we wanted all along is transparency and accountability," said Coburn, per NPR.
Unfortunately, Coburn and previous members of the WFT squad are likely to walk away from this unsatisfied. Transparency and accountability are two items rarely listed on the NFL's menu.
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