Dallas Cowboys pay $2.4 million settlement in alleged cheerleader voyeurism case

The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are an iconic brand, perhaps almost as famous as some NFL teams. But being in such an elite group has not protected them from becoming the alleged victims of voyeurism, leading to a case that has now resulted in a settlement.

The Dallas Cowboys have now paid the cheerleaders a sum totalling USD 2.4 million. This amounts to nearly USD 400,000 per claimant.

The Dallas Cowboys latest in line in mistreatment of cheerleaders

Denver Broncos v Dallas Cowboys

The NFL was already dealing with the fallout of the Washington Football Team affair, which among other allegations included senior executives surreptitiously spying on cheerleaders.

Dallas now also finds itself dealing with a similar situation to Washington, however, the former has opted to deal with it privately via a settlement. It relates to the allegations against longtime Vice President Richard Darlymple, who is accused of recording the cheerleaders when they were changing during an event in 2015.

One of the alleged victims saw Darlymple standing behind a partition wall and recording them on his phone as they undressed. It is believed that Richard Darlymple gained access using his security key to enter through the back, which led him to be in such close proximity to the cheerleaders' changing room.

This was not the only incident, as he was accused of taking photos up the skirt of Charlotte Jones Anderson, daughter of owner Jerry Jones, in the same year.

It should be noted that Darlymple has denied all the allegations. He said that he accidentally entered the locker room and immediately left, and he flatly disputes the second allegation.

He was investigated at the time of the two incidents and was cleared of any wrongdoing. He then worked for a further six years after the allegations before retiring after more than three decades worth of collaboration with Jerry Jones just before this story broke.

The four cheerleaders who were the alleged victims of the incident also stand by their recollection. It has now emerged that the Cowboys have settled with them, which raises the specter of some impropriety. However, it could also mean that they acknowledged that an entry took place that should not have happened, but may not consider Darlymple guilty of any wrongdoing.

Whatever the case, the NFL will hope that such alleged behavior, which seems way too commonplace to be comfortable at the moment, will be taken seriously by all its franchises. For a group known as America's Sweethearts, it appears that they were not treated like people with that moniker.