DC Lawsuit Against the Commanders Signals Expansion of Consumer Protection Laws
| 4 min
Attorney General Karl Racine announced a new lawsuit against the Washington Commanders, team owner Dan Snyder, the NFL, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for “colluding to deceive DC residents about an investigation into toxic workplace culture and allegations of sexual assault to maintain a strong fanbase and increase profits.”
The lawsuit claims that “for decades, Snyder has cultivated an environment within the Team that glorifies sexual harassment and punishes victims for speaking out.” Throughout the 45-page complaint, the AG details examples of a hostile work environment which, if true, are reprehensible. But why are you reading about a lawsuit that focuses on a hostile work environment on a blog that focuses on advertising law?
The AG argues that DC’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act (or “CPPA”) “establishes an enforceable right to truthful information from merchants about consumer goods and services that are or would be purchased, leased, or received in the District of Columbia,” that the defendants are “merchants” under the law, and that they provide “consumer goods and services” to DC residents. Nothing too surprising there.