Four Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders were paid a total of $2.4 million to settle a lawsuit in which they claimed that Richard Dalyrmple, a senior executive with the team, took voyeuristic photographs of them while they were changing in their locker room in 2015.
The women were required to sign a non-disclosure agreement after settling that prevented them from discussing the matter, according to reporting by ESPN on February 14. ESPN reportedly received a copy of the NDA and other evidence of the claim that had not been disclosed to the public until now.
According to a letter from the attorneys hired to represent the four women, Dalrymple allegedly accessed the women’s locker room using a security key card that he, along with other personnel at the time, was authorized to possess. The letter states the women heard the rear entrance door open, and they verbally announced the locker room to be in use. According to the letter, one of the women noticed a man’s hand and a black cellphone pointed in the direction of the four women, who were in various states of undress.
One of the four women involved recognized Dalrymple and allegedly said, “Hey, what are you doing?” The letter claims Dalrymple fled the scene after the women noticed him. The women immediately reported the incident to a security guard posted at the front entrance, who advised contacting law enforcement.
Instead, the women, who were attending a team luncheon, reported the incident to their supervisor, Kelli Finglass, later that day after the event had finished. Finglass recommended that the women report the incident to the Cowboys HR department.
According to Jim Wilkinson, a Cowboys communications consultant authorized to speak to ESPN about the matter, the team began an investigation the day of the incident, calling the cheerleaders and other staff who may have been witnesses to ask preliminary questions. The Cowboys did not formally interview the cheerleaders until eight days after the incident.
While researching the incident, ESPN became aware of another alleged incident involving Dalrymple in 2015. During the team’s draft selections, a Cowboys fan claims to have witnessed Dalrymple taking “upskirt” photographs of Charlotte Jones Anderson, Jerry Jones’ daughter. While no video evidence of the incident remains available to the public, the team claims that an investigation into the matter resulted in a finding of no wrongdoing by Dalrymple.
Likewise, the investigation of the allegations made by the four cheerleaders determined that Dalrymple accidentally entered the occupied locker room, believing it to be empty, and left immediately after discovering the women. The Team conducted forensic checks on his work-issued phone to determine if any photographs or videos had been taken and deleted but found no evidence. Dalrymple claims that the work phone was the only phone he carried that day.
A statement released by Dalrymple on February 14 denies any wrongdoing in either incident.
“People who know me, co-workers, the media and colleagues, know who I am and what I’m about,” Dalrymple said in his statement. “I understand the very serious nature of these claims and do not take them lightly. The accusations are, however, false. One was accidental and the other simply did not happen. Everything that was alleged was thoroughly investigated years ago, and I cooperated fully.”
The four women, three spouses, and members of the organization involved in the incident signed a non-disclosure agreement that prevented them from discussing the claims. ESPN received the settlement documents that indicate each of the women was paid $250,000 upfront, $12,500 per month for one year, and a final $150,000 after her final season with the team. Attorneys for the four women received $802,000.
Following the allegations, the Cowboys made numerous changes to security, camera systems, and key card access to prevent incidents such as this from occurring. Additionally, Dalrymple was issued a warning but stayed on with the team until his retirement in 2022. Dalrymple said in a statement that his retirement had nothing to do with the surfacing of the old allegations.
“If any wrongdoing had been found, Rich would have been terminated immediately,” Wilkinson said. “Everyone involved felt just terrible about this unfortunate incident.”
ESPN learned of the allegations after a tip from an unnamed source within the Cowboys organization provided the information to reporters.
