Redskins investigating report of misconduct with cheerleaders

Washington Redskins president Bruce Allen said Thursday the organization is investigating the veracity of a New York Times report detailing a 2013 cheerleader trip to Costa Rica which is said to have involved a topless photo shoot in front of male sponsors.

Redskins cheerleaders told The Times they were required to take part in the shoot at the adults-only Occidental Grand Papagayo resort on Culebra Bay in front of a group of male sponsors and suite holders.

"We are immediately looking into this situation and want to express how serious we take these allegations," Allen said in a statement. "Based on the dialogue we've had with a number of current and former cheerleaders over the past 48 hours, we've heard very different first-hand accounts that directly contradict many of the details of the May 2 article.

"I can promise that once we have completed looking into this matter, if it is revealed that any of our employees acted inappropriately, those employees will face significant repercussions."

Cheerleaders interviewed by The Times also said their passports were taken by the team upon arrival at the resort, and nine of the 36 women were told they'd personally been selected to escort sponsors to a nightclub.

Related: Redskins remove 'who's hotter' cheerleader feature from website

The cheerleaders said they weren't asked to participate in sexual intercourse, but were distraught over being used a sex symbols to satisfy the team's male sponsors.

Those accounts are disputed by Stephanie Jojokian, the director and choreographer for Washington's cheerleading team. Jojokian said the nightclub outing was optional and that sponsors did not hand-pick cheerleaders to serve as escorts.

Copyright (C) 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.