Another former NFL Network employee has come forward with allegations of improper workplace misconduct. And the story told by Erin McParland to Tim Rohan of TheMMQB.com implicates an NFL Network employee who had not been mentioned in the lawsuit filed by former NFLN employee Jami Cantor.
McParland’s account includes allegations involving NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin. Here’s the relevant excerpt from the article:
"[O]nce, on the set of GameDay, [Irvin] grabbed my waist while I was powdering him on set during a commercial break. I was mortified. Not only was this unwanted attention not acceptable, I was worried that everyone witnessing this might believe I thought this was okay. Or worse -- welcomed.
“From then on, my guard with Irvin was up. I went out of my way to avoid him, and if I did have to work with him, I’d have to remind him to ‘not touch.’ In what world is it normal for someone to have to remind their coworker to not touch them?”
McParland explains that she reported her concerns about Irvin and now-former NFLN employee Eric Davis to the network’s Human Resources department. She says that he never heard from H.R. about Irvin.
The network handled it very differently with Davis. His employment at the network ended as a result of the allegations made against him, as confirmed by a statement NFLN provided to Rohan: “NFL Media thoroughly investigated the allegations and took swift, appropriate remedial action, including severing our relationship with Mr. Davis. The NFL is committed to providing a safe work environment for all of our employees.”
Davis, whose misconduct included allegedly groping McParland, exited without any public disclosure of his behavior. It’s unknown whether FS1 knew or should have known about the past allegations before hiring him. FS1 has not suspended Davis in the aftermath of the Cantor lawsuit, but ESPN Radio has.
It’s also unknown whether the league has taken or will take any action against Irvin. The statement provided by NFL Media to Rohan doesn’t mention Irvin.