Panthers owner under investigation for workplace misconduct

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers are investigating workplace misconduct allegations against founder and owner Jerry Richardson.

The team said Friday former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles is overseeing the investigation by a Los Angeles-based law firm.

Team spokesman Steven Drummond said in a release that the Panthers and Mr. Richardson take these allegations very seriously and are fully committed to a full investigation and taking appropriate steps to address and remediate any misconduct.

“The entire organization is fully committed to ensuring a safe, comfortable and diverse work environment where all individuals, regardless of sex, race, color, religion, gender, or sexual identity or orientation, are treated fairly and equally,” Drummond said in the release. “We have work to do to achieve this goal, but we are going to meet it.”

The 81-year-old Richardson was unavailable for comment.

Drummond told The Associated Press because the matter is under legal review, the Panthers cannot comment publicly on the specifics of the allegations.

The Panthers made the NFL aware on Friday that it has initiated an investigation into Richardson’s alleged workplace misconduct.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league has no comment at this time.

The investigation against the team’s only owner in franchise history is being led by international law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan, LLP, and will be overseen by Bowles, who is a minority owner.

Richardson brought NFL football to the Carolinas in 1993 when he became the first former NFL player since George Halas to own a team.

The Panthers began play two years later in 1995.

Richardson has worked primarily behind the scenes during his tenure with the Panthers and rarely does interviews. But he has been very active through the years with league matters.

Richardson was hospitalized 2008, one month after receiving a pacemaker. Richardson underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 2002 and was placed on a donor waiting list for a new heart. He received the new heart on Feb. 1, 2009, and has not had any known setbacks since.

He is only one of two owners to have owned a franchise since its inception. The other is Houston’s Robert McNair.

___

For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.