When we do "respect in the workplace" training for employees, one of the lines that typically gets the best response is: "Email is forever." It just is. And the lawsuit filed by former Oakland (and now Las Vegas) Raiders coach Jon Gruden against the National Football League (NFL) demonstrates precisely why before anyone hits "send" on an email (or text), we typically advise you to ask two questions before pressing the button:

  • What would you think if that email/text was published in The Washington Post?
  • What would you think if your mother read it?

Why is this important? Here is the backstory.

Gruden resigned as head football coach of the Raiders in October 2021. Gruden stepped down after emails he wrote from 2011-2018 when he worked as an ESPN broadcaster (emails in which Gruden used racist, homophobic and misogynistic language) came to light during the NFL's investigation into workplace harassment issues related to the Washington Commanders and Washington's owner, Daniel Snyder. Reports are that the NFL collected more than 650,000 emails during its inquiry into the Commanders.