NFL owners approve new personal conduct policy

NFL owners unanimously passed a stricter personal-conduct policy proposed by commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday.

Goodell unveiled a stricter policy after a morning session with NFL owners in a news conference in Dallas — the latest step in his mission to make integrity a top priority.

Goodell, who came under fire for his handling of the Ray Rice domestic violence case among others, sent a memo to the NFL owners outlining his plans.

The league said the policy was developed after an extensive series of meetings and discussions over the past four months with a wide range of experts and others inside and outside of the NFL, including current and former players, the NFL Players Association, domestic violence/sexual assault experts and advocates, law enforcement officials, academic experts, and business leaders.

The NFL has had a formal policy and program addressing off-field conduct since 1997 that was enhanced in 2007.

“With considerable assistance from the many people and organizations we consulted, NFL ownership has endorsed an enhanced policy that is significantly more robust, thorough, and formal,” Goodell said. “We now have a layered evaluation process to take into account a diversity of expert views. This will better enable us to make appropriate decisions and ensure accountability for everyone involved in the process.”

The new policy lays out a series of steps to be taken when there is an incident that requires review. New measures include:

—Additional NFL-funded counseling and services for victims, families and violators.

—A more extensive list of prohibited conduct.

—Independent investigative procedures.

-Specific criteria for paid leave for an individual formally charged with a crime of violence, including domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.

—An expert group of outside advisors to review and evaluate potential violations and consult on other elements of the policy.

—A baseline suspension of six games without pay for violations involving assault, battery, domestic violence, dating violence, child abuse, other forms of family violence, or sexual assault, with consideration given to possible mitigating or aggravating circumstances.

—The appointment by the commissioner of a league office executive with a criminal justice background to issue initial discipline. The disciplinary officer will be hired for a newly created position of special counsel for investigations and conduct. This individual will oversee the NFL’s investigatory procedures and determine discipline for violations of the personal conduct policy. The league said this is consistent with past practice under the Collective Bargaining Agreement in which a member of the commissioner’s staff has generally issued discipline for off-field misconduct.

—An appeals process of the CBA for players or to applicable club or league procedures for non-players. The commissioner may name a panel that consists of independent experts to participate in deciding an appeal.

—The appointment by Goodell of a new league conduct committee comprised of representatives of NFL ownership that will review the policy at least annually and recommend appropriate changes with advice from outside experts.

Arizona owner Michael Bidwell will be chair of the nine-person committee.

“The policy is just not about discipline. It’s about education and training,” said Bidwell, a former federal prosecutor from 1990-96.

Other members of the committee are Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, Dee Haslam (wife of Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam), Dallas Cowboys executive vice president and chair of The NFL Foundation Charlotte Jones Anderson, Chicago Bears owner George McCaskey, Houston Texans owner Robert McNair and two former NFL players that are part of NFL ownership — Warrick Dunn of the Falcons and John Stallworth of the Steelers.

“It’s very important we work together … to really bring about cultural change to all levels of football. We want to evaluate, we want to measure with a long-term perspective,” Anderson said.

Robert Kraft, an owner for 21 years, said watching the NFL grow as the No. 1 entertainment product can be traced to leadership from the office of the commissioner.

“The most important piece of the whole process is making sure players are treated properly,” Kraft said. “That’s the one person that understands what’s important — long-term interests of the game. The commissioner is always looking at the long-term best interests of the game.”

McNair said, “We’ve always had values, mission statements and conduct policies that are extremely important to us as to how we run our businesses. This is not a policy that is pointed at our players. This is a policy that covers all of us. It’s a comprehensive policy, and one we can be proud of.”

The NFLPA had stated previously it wanted any changes to the personal conduct policy to be collectively bargained.

Last month, an arbitrator threw out Rice’s indefinite suspension by the NFL for hitting his then-fiancee and now-wife Janay in an Atlantic City hotel elevator in February. Rice is eligible to sign with any team.

Goodell initially suspended Rice for two games. Goodell then made the suspension indefinite after the emergence of a second video showing Rice knocking out Janay with a punch.

“I blew it,” Goodell told The Wall Street Journal of his handling the Rice matter. “Our penalties didn’t fit the crimes.”

The policy states:

“It is a privilege to be part of the National Football League. Everyone who is part of the league must refrain from conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the NFL. This includes owners, coaches, players, other team employees, game officials, and employees of the league office, NFL Films, NFL Network or any other NFL business. Conduct by anyone in the league that is illegal, violent, dangerous, or irresponsible puts innocent victims at risk, damages the reputation of others in the game, and undercuts public respect and support for the NFL. We must endeavor at all times to be people of high character; we must show respect for others inside and outside our workplace; and we must strive to conduct ourselves in ways that favorably reflect on ourselves, our teams, the communities we represent, and the NFL.

“To this end,” the policy states, “the league has increased education regarding respect and appropriate behavior, has provided resources for all employees to assist them in conforming their behavior to the standards expected of them, and has made clear that the league’s goal is to prevent violations of the Personal Conduct Policy. In order to uphold our high standards, when violations of this Personal Conduct Policy do occur, appropriate disciplinary action must follow.”

The policy further says: “If you are convicted of a crime or subject to a disposition of a criminal proceeding, you are subject to discipline. But even if your conduct does not result in a criminal conviction, if the league finds that you have engaged in conduct (prohibited by the policy), you will be subject to discipline.”

An element of the new policy is expanded services of evaluation and counseling available to all NFL employees.