Over the summer, Nike found itself in the news for all the wrong reasons after numerous complaints of workplace misconduct led to the departure of top executives including former brand president Trevor Edwards. Now, another major sneaker brand is coming under fire in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
Under Armour was the subject of a new profile by Wall Street Journal which sheds light on several complaints made by women at the sportswear brand.
According to the report, Under Armour is said to have sent an email to employees earlier this year informing them that strip club visits could no longer be charged to company cards. Executives, including founder Kevin Plank, allegedly met with athletes and employees at strip clubs where they'd spend hundreds of dollars on the company's dime. Under Armour disputed the claims of Plank's involvement in a response to Sole Collector's request for comment.
Employees at the Baltimore-based brand told the outlet that the strip club visits were only part of a bigger issue which included inappropriate behavior towards women. Some allege the brand held an annual company event during the Preakness Stakes horse race in which women were invited based on their perceived attractiveness, a method managers were said to have called "stocking the pond."
"Our teammates deserve to work in a respectful and empowering environment. We believe that there is systemic inequality in the global workplace and we will embrace this moment to accelerate the ongoing meaningful cultural transformation that is already under way at Under Armour. We can and will do better," Plank wrote in a statement to WSJ.
UPDATE 11/6: The story has been updated to reflect Under Armour's response to Sole Collector's request for comment.
