Clamour grows for action against Richard Scudamore over sexist remarks

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/may/12/richard-scudamore-sexist-remarks-row

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Pressure was building on football's authorities to launch a full investigation into sexist remarks by the Premier League chief executive, Richard Scudamore, after senior figures from Fifa, Kick It Out and the Football Association's inclusion board called for action.

Moya Dodd, the Asian Football Confederation vice-chair who sits on Fifa's executive committee, said the game needed to "take sexism as seriously as we take racism".

The former NBA player John Amaechi likened Scudamore's comments to the racist remarks of the disgraced Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was kicked out of the sport.

In exchanges with a lawyer friend who referred to females as "gash", Scudamore jokily warned him to keep a female colleague they nicknamed Edna "off your shaft" and told sexist jokes that mocked "female irrationality". The emails were seen by a former temporary PA who leaked them to the Sunday Mirror.

"It is disappointing to see how women are spoken about when people think no one is listening or watching," Dodd told the Guardian. "This kind of discrimination shouldn't be tolerated and football should take the lead, as it has with fighting racism. We need to say: 'This is not OK.' We need to take sexism as seriously as we take racism. We are making progress but we have a long way to go before football is truly inclusive for women."

However, the FA said it would not be charging Scudamore with bringing the game into disrepute, because it was a private matter.

"We note the reported comments of Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore at the weekend, and his subsequent apology," said the FA chairman, Greg Dyke. "This remains a matter for the Premier League to consider.

"The FA remains wholly committed to promoting diversity and will continue to work on challenging discrimination and developing future women leaders."

But Lord Ouseley, the chairman of Kick It Out, compared it to Paul Elliott having to resign for using the n-word in a text message to a former friend, also a private conversation that surfaced in the media, after 20 years of voluntary work for the diversity organisation.

"We expect a strong process for those in the boardroom as well as players and supporters who are in the public eye, particularly for organisations which have a strong code of conduct, especially if you are somebody who preaches equality," he said. "But football appears to have a different rule for those in the boardroom."

Scudamore, who emphasised that they were "private emails exchanged between colleagues and friends of many years" that should not have been accessed by his PA, nevertheless apologised and said "it was an error of judgment that I will not make again."

Amaechi, the first openly gay NBA player, who has become an equality campaigner, said he was "saddened" by the contrast between the "dinosaurs" in football administration and the swift action taken by the NBA to sack Sterling. "He has pulled a Donald Sterling but he will get away with it," said the former Orlando Magic player of Scudamore's comments.

Edward Lord, a member of the inclusion board set up after a No10 summit in 2012 following the rows over racism on the field of play that convulsed the English game, wrote to the FA and the Premier League to argue that Scudamore should be charged under the rules of both organisations.

"It appears to me that Richard's comments must be in breach of FA Rules E3 and E4 and also of the Premier League's own anti-discrimination policy," said Lord.

The policy outlined in the Premier League handbook states: "The League is an equal opportunities employer. It is committed to equality of opportunity within its organisation and to encouraging similar commitment from every other organisation or individual acting within the game."

Although some senior female figures in English football said privately that they were furious with the lack of action against Scudamore, they also said they were scared to speak out publicly given his status as the most powerful figure in the English game.

The campaign group Woman in Football said it had received messages from senior women working across the football industry since the story broke.

"Not only are they concerned by Richard Scudamore's derogatory comments about women in the workplace but even more so by the inertia from football's authorities to take action on this issue," a spokesperson said.

"WiF expect the Premier League and the FA to investigate this issue with the same rigour and due process that would be applied to allegations of racism, or any other equality strands."

A survey by the organisation this year found that two-thirds of women employed in football had encountered discrimination.

The former culture secretary Dame Tessa Jowell and the shadow equalities minister, Gloria De Piero, have said that Scudamore's private views undermined his public championing of initiatives to promote women's football.

Helen Grant, the sports and equalities minister, was in Malaysia – attending a Premier League workshop and promoting Britain as a tourist destination – and unavailable for comment.

The Premier League said that Scudamore had immediately apologised and informed Peter McCormick, who is standing in for Sir Anthony Fry as chairman, and the 20 Premier League clubs.

"The chief executive has immediately apologised for the inappropriate comments contained in private correspondence," it said in a statement. "He also followed board procedure by reporting the matter to the acting non-executive chair of the board, the chair of the audit and remuneration committee and the shareholders, who are the principal decision-making authority of the Premier League to whom the chief executive is ultimately responsible.

"The Premier League is always happy to meet appropriate organisations who wish to discuss their concerns in this area."