DALLAS – A new report shows the Dallas Cowboys paid $2.4 million in a settlement with its cheerleaders, after a group of cheerleaders accused a team executive of spying on them while they changed.
Four members of the cheerleading squad accused the executive of watching them during a 2015 event at AT&T Stadium, ESPN reported. One of the cheerleaders said she saw Richard Dalrymple, senior vice president for public relations and communications for the Cowboys, standing behind a partial wall in their locker room with his iPhone pointed at them while they were changing, ESPN reported. Dalrymple was also accused of taking “upskirt” photos of Charlotte Jones Anderson, who is both a Cowboys senior vice president and the daughter of the team’s owner, ESPN reported.
Dalrymple has denied the allegations, and issued a statement to ESPN saying, “People who know me, co-workers, the media and colleagues, know who I am and what I’m about. I understand the very serious nature of these claims and do not take them lightly. The accusations are, however, false. One was accidental and the other simply did not happen. Everything that was alleged was thoroughly investigated years ago, and I cooperated fully.”
The Cowboys said that they investigated both incidents thoroughly and found no reason to take action against Dalrymple, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. “The organization took these allegations extremely seriously and moved immediately to thoroughly investigate this matter,” Jim Wilkinson, a public relations consultant hired by the Cowboys told The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “The investigation was handled consistent with the best legal and HR practices and the investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing. If any wrongdoing had been found, Rich would have been terminated immediately.” Dalrymple worked for six more years with the Cowboys before his retirement earlier this month, the Star-Telegram reported.
The Cowboys told ESPN there have been security upgrades to the cheerleaders’ locker room, including reconfigured key card access and new signs and cameras.
