Six attorneys general urge NFL to take 'swift action' to improve conditions for female employees, promise to prosecute as needed

Kristina Sgueglia, CNN

Updated 1931 GMT (0331 HKT) April 6, 2022

The letter, released by New York State Attorney General Letitia James' office, was co-signed by the AGs of Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington.

(CNN)A coalition of six attorneys general, led by New York AG Letitia James, urged the NFL to take «swift action to improve workplace conditions and protect its female employees» in a Wednesday letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

The state AGs promised to use the «full weight» of their authority to investigate and prosecute allegations of harassment, discrimination or retaliation following recently surfaced reports from female NFL employees. The letter, released by James' office, was co-signed by the AGs of Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington.The warning comes as the NFL faces an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against a franchise owner and is under scrutiny for its lack of diversity in leadership positions.In the letter, the AGs cite a February report from the New York Times in which more than 30 former league employees described a workplace hostile to women.«Female employees described experiencing unwanted touching from male bosses, attending parties where prostitutes were hired, facing unfair criticism based on stereotypes, being passed over for promotions based on their gender, and being pushed out for complaining about discrimination,» the letter said, citing the report.Read More«In fact, some former female employees have since learned that there were no records of their complaints of gender discrimination,» the letter continued.Roughly 37% of the 1,100 employees at the NFL are women, and 30% are people of color, the letter noted.In a statement