Resignation Of Raiders Head Coach Underscores Value Of DEI Training To Help Prevent Crises

The resignation Monday of Jon Gruden, head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders NFL team, is a timely reminder for business leaders about the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training to help prevent corporate crisis situations.

Gruden’s resignation came hours after the New York Times published a story about his use of misogynistic, homophobic and racist language in emails over the years. In announcing Gruden’s resignation and his interim replacement, the football team made no mention of the story on their website or the reason for his sudden departure.

The NFL and the Las Vegas Raiders did not immediately respond to requests for comment for this story.

Process Needed

Rosalind Chow, associate professor of organizational behavior at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, observed that, “It’s great that the NFL is taking a strong stance on this. Given the particulars of the case, that seems appropriate. That being said, it would be ideal if there was a process for how these cases are dealt. No one seems to have a standard of what would constitute a fireable offense vs. warning, etc.