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Cowboys owner Jerry Jones responded to the news of a $2.4 million settlement paid to four members of the team’s cheerleading squad who accused former team executive Rich Dalrymple of voyeurism, per documents obtained by ESPN.
“First of all, the cheerleaders are iconic,” Jones told NBC 5 in Dallas-Fort Worth on Friday. “A vital part of what our organization is, the Dallas Cowboys. We took these allegations very seriously. We immediately began to look-see, an investigation into the situation. I can assure you that had we found that it need be, there would have been firings or there would have been suspensions. As it turns out, in the best interest of our fans, what we decided to do was show the cheerleaders how seriously we took these allegations, and we wanted them to know that we were real serious and so the settlement was the way to go.”
Dalrymple, the team’s longtime senior vice president for public relations and communications, retired in February. According to the ESPN story, one cheerleader alleged she saw him standing behind a partial wall in their locker room while the cheerleaders were changing, with his iPhone extended. Dalrymple was also accused in the story of taking upskirt photos of Jerry Jones’ daughter, Charlotte Jones Anderson.
Dalrymple denied the allegations in a statement to ESPN.
“People who know me, co-workers, the media, colleagues, know who I am and what I’m about,” Dalrymple said. “I understand the very serious nature of these claims and do not take them lightly. The accusations are, however, false. One was accidental and the other simply did not happen. Everything that was alleged was thoroughly investigated years ago, and I cooperated fully.”
According to ESPN, the Cowboys issued Dalrymple a formal warning in October 2015, though a team representative told the Worldwide Leader it found no wrongdoing.
The settlement reportedly included a nondisclosure agreement signed by the four women, three of their spouses and Cowboys officials.
“The investigation was handled consistent with the best legal and HR practices and the investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing,” Jim Wilkinson, a communications consultant for the Cowboys, told ESPN. “If any wrongdoing had been found, Rich would have been terminated immediately.”
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