Report Details Abuse and Gender Disparity at Nike

A new report details accounts of abuse and gender disparity issues at Nike. Find out the latest on the brand's ongoing company culture issues here.

Nike Store Tuscaloosa
Nike

Image via Nike

Nike Store Tuscaloosa

Details are emerging on the developing cultural shakeup at Nike.

A new report published by The New York Times attempts to get to the bottom of the issue, which became public in March and preceded the departure of several top-ranking execs including brand president Trevor Edwards, vice president and general manager of global categories Jayme Martin, and vice president of global brand digital marketing innovation Daniel Tawiah, among others

As noted in the days that followed Edwards' exit, an informal survey circulated among female employees at the company was believed to have sparked an investigation into inappropriate behavior. And thanks to The Times, we're learning more about the results of that survey and other issues that have been brewing at the brand.

Interviews with over 50 current and former Nike employees paint a picture of a toxic workplace with regular instances of verbal and emotional abuse toward women. The most troubling examples include a boss who allegedly threw his car keys at a female employee while calling her a "stupid bitch" and an experience in which a current employee says she was forcibly kissed in a bathroom by a supervisor. 

The report also describes accounts of Tawiah's behavior specifically, with multiple women telling the publication they'd been verbally abused by the former marketing president.

Further examples of reported gender inequality include a gap in resources and budget for women's categories compared to those that are traditionally male dominated, such as basketball.

Many female employees also felt they were overlooked for promotions in favor of their male co-workers. These frustrations led to the 2017 departures of several high-ranking women including president of workplace design and connectivity Patty Ross, vice president in global brand marketing for running Nikki Neuburger and longtime employee Kerri Hoyt-Pack.

Read the full report here.