On Wednesday The New York Times released a detailed and scathing report alleging the Washington Redskins sent its cheerleading squad to Costa Rica, only to then confiscate their passports and put their safety at risk during a 2013 photo shoot.
According to five Redskins cheerleaders who spoke to the Times on the condition of anonymity, the team sent the squad to Costa Rica for its yearly calendar shoot. There the women explained that a photo shoot took place at the adults-only Occidental Grand Papagayo resort on Culebra Bay, where some of the women were allegedly required to be topless, while others wore nothing but body paint. While many assumed the shoot would be private, they apparently learned upon arrival that several high-level male sponsors were invited to watch.
“At one of my friend’s shoots, we were basically standing around her like a human barricade because she was basically naked, so we could keep the guys from seeing her,” one of the cheerleaders told the Times. “I was getting so angry that the guys on the trip were skeezing around in the background.”
Following the shoot, the women said that nine of their cheerleading teammates were told they had a "special assignment," which was to escort those sponsors to an area nightclub.
“They weren’t putting a gun to our heads," one of the cheerleaders told the Times, "but it was mandatory for us to go. We weren’t asked; we were told. Other girls were devastated because we knew exactly what she was doing.”
While the night did not involve sex, the women claimed it was tantamount to "pimping us out."
“It’s just not right to send cheerleaders out with strange men when some of the girls clearly don’t want to go,” one cheerleader who attended the trip told the Times. “But unfortunately, I feel like it won’t change until something terrible happens, like a girl is assaulted in some way or raped. I think teams will start paying attention to this only when it’s too late.”
Stephanie Jojokian, the director and choreographer for the Redskins' cheerleaders, denied the claims made by the women in the report. According to the Times, Jojokian choked up when asked about the allegations and said, “It breaks my heart because I’m a mom and I’ve done this for a long time. Where is this coming from? I would never put a woman in a situation like that. I actually mentor these women to be strong and to speak up, and it kills me to hear that."
In an additional statement provided to the Times, a spokesperson for the Redskins said, "The Redskins’ cheerleader program is one of the NFL’s premier teams in participation, professionalism, and community service. Each Redskin cheerleader is contractually protected to ensure a safe and constructive environment. The work our cheerleaders do in our community, visiting our troops abroad, and supporting our team on the field is something the Redskins organization and our fans take great pride in.”
