"Never really got to start with a culture that had momentum" - Raiders owner Mark Davis addresses allegations of hostile work culture

The Las Vegas Raiders were accused of a hostile work environment in May of this year. Former Raiders president Dan Ventrelle said that his employment was terminated by the franchise for bringing the issue to the attention of the NFL. Ventrelle asserts that he brought his concerns to the organization but was ignored, which is why he took them to the NFL.

It’s unclear if the NFL has launched its own investigation into the allegations against the Raiders. When Ventrelle’s statements originally were released, the NFL released a statement saying:

“We recently became aware of these allegations and take them very seriously. We will promptly look into the matter.”

The claims of a hostile work environment were recently addressed by owner Mark Davis. stating that the franchise’s culture is important and is starting to make the necessary changes to improve the team’s culture:

“The culture of this organization for me is so important. Since the articles that came out, not only in the New York Times, but the RJ … I take those very seriously."

He continued:

"So, we did an investigation into all those things and we listened to the people who work in the organization and I believe we started to make those changes that are necessary to get the culture back to where we feel we can all be positive.”

He concluded by saying:

“We never really got to start the Las Vegas Raiders with a culture that had momentum.”

Davis believes that relocating the franchise from Oakland to Las Vegas in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic played a part in the working conditions. He feels it impacted people traveling between Northern California and Southern Nevada. He also thinks that the inability to work in an office setting right away due to safeguards had an influence on the culture.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal investigation uncovered claims of an unsympathetic workplace from ex-employees, with some females asserting a concerning pattern of harassment, forced demotions and dissimilar treatment.

In 2021, former Team Human Resources employee Nicole Adams filed a grievance against the franchise with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Adams cited the team in the complaint of being discriminatory towards her due to her race. She said that they sought revenge against her following her reporting issues relating to pay discrepancy and unequal treatment.

Las Vegas Raiders make historic hire

Las Vegas Raiders Introduce Sandra Douglass Morgan As Team President

The Raiders recently hired Sandra Douglass Morgan as team president. Morgan is the first black female team president in NFL history. Davis feels she will provide new strength to the organization. He stated that Morgan understands the culture that the franchise is trying to build:

“She understands that it is the people first and that’s the kind of culture that we’re going to build. She’s looking forward to meeting everybody in the organization, one-on-one, to get to know them and get their feedback and start building that family culture again.”

Las Vegas will compete in the talent-packed AFC West in the upcoming season. The West is seen as the toughest division in the NFL and has been dominated for the last six consecutive seasons by the Kansas City Chiefs.

After making the playoffs last season, Las Vegas will be hoping they can go further in 2022. They were defeated last year by the Cincinnati Bengals 26-19 in the Wild Card round.

Following the blockbuster trade deal for Davante Adams, there is a real sense of optimism in Las Vegas. With Tyreek Hill no longer featuring for the Chiefs, the balance of power may have shifted. If that is the case, they only have to contend with a Russell Wilson-led Denver Broncos and the uber-talented Los Angeles Chargers.

It will be high-scoring, hard-hitting football in the AFC West and it will be terrific to see them in action in two months' time.

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Las Vegas Review-Journal, Pro Football Talk and H/T Sportskeeda.