Goodell’s Failed Leadership Strikes Again

Washington, D.C. – Roger’s Goodell’s failed leadership strikes again.  Goodell has insisted that Ray Rice misled him about what happened in that elevator in Atlantic City.  But it turns out Goodell knew the truth all along—he just didn’t care.  What he cared about was keeping his job.

Instead of listening to the multiple domestic violence experts that have approached Goodell throughout his tenure, he continues to diminish, evade, and deny the realities of the problem.  Instead of working to keep Janay Rice safe, he removed economic security from her and her abuser – a known cause of increasing the risk of domestic homicide.

NOW has been saying all along that the NFL doesn’t have a Ray Rice problem, it has a violence against women problem.  An independent judge has called Goodell’s leadership an “admitted failure” and NOW could not agree more.

NOW continues to call for Goodell’s resignation and for his successor to conduct a top-to-bottom, comprehensive, independent investigation into the NFL’s response to domestic violence incidents.

Contact: Elise Coletta, elise@now.org, (951) 547-1241