Ron Rivera Files Harassment Against Skins Owner
CHARLOTTE, NC — Former Panthers head coach, Ron Rivera, has filed a harassment suit against Redskins owner Dan Snyder with the Charlotte police department. The police report states the harassment started when Rivera gave his statement to the media regarding his termination from the Panther’s organization. Seconds after proclaiming he fully intends to continue his coaching career, Rivera’s phone received an incoming call from the Redskins’ owner. In the report, Rivera claims he was initially “flattered” by the speed at which Snyder contacted him. He returned Snyder’s call after the press conference and the two arranged to meet later that week in Washington. The owner greeted Rivera warmly and informed him that he considered Rivera their top target for Washington head coaching position. However, Rivera described the meeting as “off-putting.” He specifically mentioned Snyder’s “unblinking stare” and Bruce Allen’s insistence that Rivera call him “Mr. President” as reasons as to why he broke off negotiations after their initial meeting. But Dan Snyder refused to accept that Rivera was not interested in the Redskins head coaching job.
Over the next several weeks, Snyder sent the former head coach “thousands of text messages” frequently addressing Rivera as “MP,” which is short for “missing piece.” Rivera repeatedly told Snyder he was not interested, but to no avail. Snyder sent him texts at all hours of the day, including early in the morning and late at night. One of the recurring late-night texts he would receive was “u up? Thinking of how many games we would win together next season. Lmk and I’ll make it happen. xoxo -Dman.” Rivera recounts that he did not respond to or welcome such texts. The hundreds of texts began to wear on the normally good-natured head coach. Frustration boiled over into anger and Rivera began to block the numbers Dan was texting him from, but there were too many.
Things escalated on a Saturday evening in late November while Rivera was enjoying a quiet night in. The head coach was in the middle of watching True Detective when Snyder’s usual 9:10 PM text caused his phone to ring. Rivera claims at that point he did not even bother reading Snyder’s texts, but as he picked up his phone to silence his ringer, the words on the screen stopped him dead in his tracks. “ooo watchin TrueD? Love that show, maybe we can watch together sumtime and talk about Skins football? LMK #HTTR.” Rivera had never mentioned that he was watching the show to the owner. Rivera was disturbed and concerned about his safety as he was obviously the “object of Dan’s obsession.” Two weeks later, Rivera reported the incident to police and decided to file a harassment suit for his “own protection.”
It seems safe to say that Ron Rivera will not be the next coach of the Washington Redskins.
