Who is Richard Dalrymple?
Richard Dalrymple is a former Public Relations Executive of the Dallas Cowboys. He worked with the Dallas Cowboys for over thirty years and was primarily valuable to the Cowboys through his ability to soften Jerry Jones’ words to media. Jerry Jones, one of the more popular and outspoken owners in the NFL, needed someone of Dalrymple’s skillset. Clearly, Dalrymple was a trusted friend of Jerry Jones, as he speaks of him highly and Dalrymple has stayed with the Dallas Cowboys since he came on in 1990. However, since Dalrymple retired two weeks ago, his name has come up regarding troubling allegations of voyeurism and connected settlement reports.
Allegations
The main allegation against Richard Dalrymple stems from an incident that occurred between him and Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders in 2015. The accusation details the incident in which Dalrymple had entered the cheerleader’s locker room and held his phone camera in their direction while they were getting changed.
In addition, there are additional reports from ESPN that Dalrymple was caught taking an “upskirt” picture of Charlotte Jones Anderson during the 2015 NFL draft. For those who don’t know, Charlotte Jones Anderson is the Executive Vice President and Chief Branding Officer of the Dallas Cowboys. To add insult to injury, she also happens to be the daughter of team owner Jerry Jones.
Dalrymple released a statement addressing both allegations:
"People who know me, co-workers, the media and colleagues, know who I am and what I'm about," Dalrymple said in his statement. "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."
Settlement/Aftermath
ESPN received documentation of the settlement reached between four cheerleaders involved in the incident and the Dallas Cowboys in 2016. Each cheerleader received just under $400,000, which included nondisclosure agreements activating prohibitions against the cheerleaders and their spouses from speaking publicly of the incident.
Although an investigation was done internally by the Dallas Cowboys, no evidence of wrongdoing was discovered, and the only step taken was to issue a written formal warning to Dalrymple.
Dalrymple has kept his position despite this incident since 2015. ESPN reports that Dalrymple’s retirement comes shortly after ESPN interviewed sources and investigated the allegations, although Dalrymple refutes reports that the timing of his retirement and these allegations are correlated in any way.
These issues are becoming more prevalent in professional sports. As you might recall, the Washington Commanders are currently in the midst of investigation regarding the toxic behavior and culture led by Dan Snyder. In addition, we have seen the Pittsburgh Penguins become a topic of discussion after reports surfaced that they covered up sexual assault in the organization. We’ll see what steps professional leagues look to take not only in investigating and punishing this behavior, but preventing it.
Sources:
1. ESPN
2. CBS Sports
3. New York Post
4. D Magazine
5. thesporto.com
