NFL Network suspends Marshall Faulk, two other ex-players over claims of sexual harassment
The NFL Network suspended a trio of analysts, including Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, after allegations of sexual harassment by a former co-worker.
The former football players, including Heath Evans and Ike Taylor, allegedly groped and made sexually explicit comments to female colleague Jami Cantor, according to a lawsuit filed against NFL Enterprises by Cantor, a former wardrobe stylist at the NFL Network.
The allegations against the retired players and former NFL Network executive producer Eric Weinberger, who’s now president of sports commentator Bill Simmons’s media group, are part of a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court. An amended complaint filed Monday detailed specific acts of harassment by several individuals who aren’t named as defendants.
Cantor said Weinberger sent “several nude pictures of himself and sexually explicit texts” and told her she was “put on earth to pleasure me.” He also pressed his crotch against Cantor’s shoulder and asked her to touch it, according to the complaint.
She said she was also sexually harassed by on-air talent. Faulk would ask Cantor “deeply personal and invasive questions” about her sex life and fondled her breasts and groped her behind, according to the complaint.
Inappropriate Photos
Taylor sent Cantor “sexually inappropriate” pictures and a video of him masturbating in the shower, according to the filing. Donovan McNabb, a former analyst, also texted her explicit comments, according to the complaint. McNabb now works for ESPN, which said in a statement that neither the former quarterback nor another employee cited in the complaint, Eric Davis, would appear on its networks during an NFL investigation into the allegations.
Alex Riethmiller, a spokesman for the NFL Network, said Faulk, Taylor and Evans were suspended pending the investigation.
Weinberger hung up the phone when reached for comment. He has been suspended from Simmons’s media properties, including The Ringer website, according to a statement. Simmons didn’t return emails seeking comment on the allegations.
Joel Segal, who represents Taylor, didn’t immediately return a voicemail seeking comment. Jordan Bazant, who represents Faulk and Evans, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegations. Representatives for McNabb didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Cantor first filed her case in October, claiming wrongful termination. Laura Horton, a lawyer for Cantor, said by phone “it’s outrageous conduct and I fully intend to hold the NFL Network responsible.”
While men across politics, media, entertainment and the technology industry have been fired over allegations of sexual harassment, there have been few recent high-profile cases in the sports world.
Live Programming
Simmons has praised Weinberger in the past.
“He’s a talented guy with an impeccable reputation, someone who is uniquely equipped to help me build an innovative multimedia company from scratch,” Simmons said in a 2015 statement announcing Weinberger’s hiring.
“I know from experience that you’re only as good as the people around you, and Eric is one of the very best,” he said at the time. At the NFL Network, Weinberger helped create and oversee the network’s live programming, according to the statement.
Cantor said she complained about the sexual advances from former NFL players to Marc Watts, the league’s talent coordinator, but he did nothing and said, “It’s part of the job when you look the way you do,” according to the complaint. Watts didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
Cantor said she also complained about other working conditions at the network, including a failure to reimburse her for expenses and a lack of compensation for the hours she worked. She was terminated by her supervisor at the NFL in October 2016, when she was 51, and replaced by a 30-year-old, according to the complaint.
The case is Cantor v. NFL Enterprises LP, BC678714, California Superior Court (Los Angeles).