It has been reported by ESPN that the Dallas Cowboys have agreed to pay a confidential settlement in the sum of $2.4 million in connection with charges of voyeurism leveled against members of the team’s cheerleading squad.
In 2015, Rich Dalrymple was accused of entering the Cowboys’ cheerleaders’ locker room while they were undressing and holding up a cell phone in their direction, allegedly aimed at the group of women who ranged from “fully clothed” to “completely unclothed.”
The women were then notified by team security, team counsel, and club human resources of the incident.
In the words of one former cheerleader who was familiar with the alleged incident, “It broke my heart because I knew how deeply it had affected the people who were involved.” “It was a very… shut the book on it, don’t talk about it, this person is going to stay in his position… situation….” “All they did was make it go away.”
According to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr.:
“According to several people with knowledge of the events and letters later sent to the Cowboys by attorneys representing the cheerleaders, one of the cheerleaders claimed that she clearly saw Richard Dalrymple, the Cowboys’ longtime senior vice president for public relations and communications, standing behind a partial wall in their locker room with his iPhone extended toward them while they were changing their clothes.”
The cheerleaders’ closed dressing area was accessible only through the back door, which Dalrymple got access to by using a security key card.”
During the 2015 NFL Draft, it is alleged that Dalrymple photographed Charlotte Jones-Anderson, the Cowboys’ Executive Vice President and Chief Branding Officer, who is also the daughter of owner Jerry Jones, inside the Cowboys’ war room,
according to a signed affidavit signed by someone who claimed to have witnessed the incident; however, it is unclear whether the formal lawsuit was also based on this incident. Dalrymple has denied the allegations.
Dalrymple, for his part, maintained that he was unaware that there were ladies in the locker room when he entered and that he promptly fled when he realized there were women present. Several individuals who were present at the time of the occurrence are said to be in disagreement with that narrative.
“People who are familiar with me, including coworkers, members of the media, and colleagues, are aware of who I am and what I stand for,” Dalrymple stated in his official response to the charges.
“I am fully aware of the seriousness of these allegations and do not take them lightly. The accusations, on the other hand, are completely baseless. There were two events that happened by chance, and the other did not happen at all. Everything that was stated was thoroughly probed years ago, and I gave my full cooperation during the investigation.”
It is claimed by the Cowboys that they have initiated an investigation into the situation and have found no proof of misconduct on the part of Dalrymple.
In the words of communications consultant Jim Wilkinson, “The organization takes these allegations extremely seriously and acted swiftly to thoroughly investigate this problem.”
It was determined that there was no evidence of misconduct because the inquiry was conducted in accordance with the best legal and human resource procedures. If any evidence of impropriety had been discovered, Rich would have been fired on the spot.
“Everyone who was a part of this horrible affair felt bad about themselves.”
Dalrymple was reportedly handed a formal written warning, but he stayed with the Cowboys in his current position until his retirement in 2022, according to reports at the time. Every single one of the ladies who were engaged in the lawsuit received a compensation of $399,523.27.