Rumored to takeover Commanders, Jeff Bezos sued over inhumane working conditions, racism accusations by past housekeeper

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is rumored to be taking over the Washington Commanders from current owner Dan Snyder. Fans of the franchise, which has been embroiled in controversy over the past few years, are hopeful of a fresh start.

But before anything on that end comes to fruition, Bezos will have to handle a lawsuit filed by his former housekeeper. As per Sky Sports, Mercedes Wedaa pressed charges against Bezos and the companies that manage his properties on Tuesday in King County Superior Court, Seattle.

Wedaa, who worked as the head housekeeper at Bezos' Seattle property, claims that the working conditions there were “unsafe and unhealthy.” She also claims to have been racially discriminated against by others on the staff. The housekeeper mentioned that staff regularly worked between 10-14 hours a day and weren't provided enough time to take breaks in between.

Wedaa also claimed that the property managers were “respectful and polite” to Bezos’ white staff, while the Hispanic cleaning staff was treated poorly. The housekeeper's demand of $9 million though was sharply rejected by Bezos' lawyer Harry Korrell. He claims that Wedaa was fired for performance issues. He went on to add:

"Ms. Wedaa made over six figures annually and was the lead housekeeper. She was responsible for her own break and meal times, and there were several bathrooms and breakrooms available to her and other staff... The evidence will show that Ms Wedaa was terminated for performance reasons."

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The Washington Commanders' infamous past with owner Dan Snyder

Dan Snyder posing with fans before a game against the Seattle Seahawks

There has probably never been as universally disliked an owner as Dan Snyder in the NFL. The Commanders owner took over the franchise back in 1999 for an estimated $800m. Now worth $5.6bn, according to Forbes, Snyder is looking to cash in.

But as he potentially looks to let go of his two-decade project, he leaves behind a legacy ridden with controversies. Here are some of the biggest blunders from his time so far as the Commanders supremo:

The Washington Post expose

An investigation by the Washington Post back in 2020 found toxic masculinity rife in Snyder’s organization. 15 women accused the team's employees of sexual harassment.

While Snyder was not initially among the accused himself, a follow-up to the investigation saw 25 more women come forward. They accused the management of sexual harassment. Snyder was alleged to have requested obscene footage of the team's cheerleaders' private parts. Snyder was also accused of hinting to a cheerleader that they should get intimate at a charity event in 2004. Snyder has denied both claims.

Suing a 72-year-old lifelong Washington fan

This is perhaps the incident that best depicts Dan Snyder's tenure as the Commanders' owner. Back in 2009, following the global economic crisis, a 72-year-old Redskins season ticket holder requested that her season ticket be waived.

Snyder instead sued the elderly woman for backing out of her ticket-renewal agreement and even ended up winning a $66k settlement in court. Snyder, though, was talked out of it. Yet the optics of it all really left a mark on Snyder's image.