NFL Films is currently embroiled in a legal battle over sexual harassment.
The content producing organization which is owned by the NFL is a defendant in a lawsuit filed by former employee Nadia Axakowsky. News of the civil complaint, filed in federal court in Camden, NJ, was originally reported on by NJ.com.
Sexual harassment suit against NFL Films contains specific allegations of misconduct by former V.P. of broadcasting https://t.co/3CstUU0YdT
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) July 3, 2017
NFL Films Facing Sexual Harassment Lawsuit From Former Employee
According to Axakowsky, who performed voiceover work for NFL Films beginning in 1997, she was subject to numerous incidences of sexual harassment that began almost immediately after she began working there. It included unwanted advances, crude remarks and instances of her being groped by male bosses among other things. They continued throughout her tenure with the company which ended when she was fired in September 2016.
Of particular note in the complaint are the alleged actions of Glenn Adamo, who worked as a producer for NFL Films during her time there. Axakowsky claims that Adamo regularly told her how pretty she was and that he wanted to “smother her with millions of kisses.” She also said that Adamo wanted her to personally thank him for promotions and that he groped her multiple times in his office.
Other incidents named in the suit include a supervising producer who repeatedly asked her out on dates despite her continued refusals. He later threatened to terminate her employment with the company if she didn’t accept. That individual is not named a defendant in Axakowsky’s complaint.
Axakowsky reported the alleged incidents to superiors within the company, including manager Kevin McLoughlin. But her complaint claims that neither McLoughlin nor anybody else took appropriate action from an investigation and prevention standpoint.
In filing the lawsuit, Axakowsky is seeking damages for “being discriminated against, sexually harassed, retaliated against by her employer solely due to her sex and for complaining of the ongoing harassment.”
Brian McCarthy, the NFL’s vice president of communications, said in a statement that Axakowsky’s suit “has no merit.” He also emphasized that the league “will vigorously defend these claims in court.”
The next course of action is for the league to respond, either by making a motion to dismiss the case or by filing a formal statement in response to each allegation in the complaint. If it does go to court, key witnesses will include both Axakowsky and Adamo along with former co-workers who can enhance either the plaintiff or defendant’s case.
