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The Las Vegas Raiders have made some massive moves to shore up their roster this season, headlined by the major acquisition of All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams. However, there have also been bombshells dropping involving the team for reasons other than football.
The Raiders fired team president Dan Ventrelle earlier in the offseason. He later claimed his firing was an act of retaliation, raising allegations that it was due to Ventrelle raising concerns over certain irregularities within the organization as well as a hostile work environment that reportedly fell on deaf ears.
Dan Ventrelle said he was fired by Mark Davis in retaliation to concerns he brought up of a hostile work environment within the organization, that were ignored. Then he brought them up to the NFL. He has retained legal council regarding his firing. #vegas #raiders #raidernation pic.twitter.com/jDzzdgmqtl
— Mick Akers (@mickakers) May 6, 2022
In a recent expose, the New York Times was able to shed light on some of the maltreatment against employees on the lower rung of the ladder from within the Raiders organization. The team didn't just have a few anomalies here and there. It was allegedly an entire system being crafted in order to disadvantage its employees.
Via The New York Times:
What happened in the top offices inevitably affected the employees below. Workers were systematically underpaid, prompting lawsuits that have resulted in the Raiders paying more than $1 million in settlements. In 2017, the Raiders settled a lawsuit with dozens of former cheerleaders who accused the team of paying them less than the minimum wage during the 2010 to 2013 seasons. The team paid $1.25 million to the women to pay them the equivalent of minimum wage, and to cover their out-of-pocket expenses.
Not only were Raiders employees being underpaid for the work they're expected to render, but they were also barred from benefiting from any overtime or excess work that they provide for the team. Nicole Adams, who worked in the team's HR department for over five years, was vocal about some of the practices being imposed to suppress financial compensation for its employees.
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Cheerleaders were not the only employees treated poorly. Adams, who started in the human resources department in 2016, said she was told to create job descriptions that would make it impossible for employees to file for overtime even though workers could log 12 or more hours during game days, training camp and other busy periods.
The orders from above reportedly did not sit well with Adams, who was vocal against the practice but could do nothing as the mandate was alleged to be specifically made by the now-fired Ventrelle.
Adams said that she told her boss that skirting overtime was illegal. Her boss agreed, but said that Ventrelle wanted it done.
The cases against the Raiders were hardly few and far between. In 2020, one employee sued the team not just for her own benefit, but on behalf of other employees who were reportedly denied opportunities for rest and meal breaks during game-days while also being late to distribute wages as well. It was eventually settled for $325,000.
Another case involved a team scout who had been demoted and eventually fired over raising concerns about “balancing his football and family responsibilities. The lawsuit was eventually settled after being moved to arbitration.
It's clear that these major allegations have rocked the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. Now the spotlight is on them to ensure reparations are made to gets its act together.
