Washington Redskins officials say they are concerned about reports that cheerleaders for the NFL football team were required to be topless during a photo shoot.
In an article published by the New York Times on Wednesday, members of the cheerleading squad told the paper they were required to take their shirts off for pictures, even though nude pictures weren’t going to be used.
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The allegations are surrounding a 2013 trip to Costa Rica for a calendar photo shoot at an adults-only resort, and come as other NFL teams are under scrutiny for how they treat cheerleaders.
While posing topless isn’t usually controversial, cheerleaders said officials had invited spectators – including male sponsors and stadium suite holders — to watch the photoshoot.
After the shoot, nine of the cheerleaders were singled out to be personal escorts at a nightclub for some of the male sponsors.
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“They weren’t putting a gun to our heads, but it was mandatory for us to go,” one cheerleader told the paper. “We weren’t asked, we were told. Other girls were devastated because we knew exactly what she was doing.”
The cheerleaders also said their passports were taken from them by Redskin officials once they arrived in Costa Rica.
In a statement on the Redskins website, president Bruce Allen said they were “very concerned” about the allegations and will be looking into them.
“Based on the dialogue we’ve had with a number of current and former cheerleaders over the past 48 hours, we’ve heard very different first-hand accounts that directly contradict many of the details of the May 2 article,” the statement reads.
The allegations come after another NFL cheerleader has accused the league of gender bias after being fired for violating the New Orleans Saints’ social media policy.
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The organization claimed the image of 22-year-old Bailey Davis went against their policy of posting photos on social media that appear nude, semi-nude or in lingerie.
Davis said the image wasn’t any more revealing than the Saints’ official outfit and that the NFL players weren’t held to the same strict social media rules, which include a ban for cheerleaders to “friend” NFL players on social media.
She has since taken legal action claiming unequal treatment based on gender.