New England Patriots owner Victor Kiam promised ”mammoth changes”
Sunday in the team`s management while angrily complaining he had not been informed by Patriots officials for several days about sportswriter Lisa Olson`s allegations that she had been sexually harassed in the team`s locker room.
Kiam, appearing on NFL pregame programs on NBC and CBS, said, ”The fact that no action was taken from Monday until Thursday is a disgrace and the fact that I was not even told by my own people is worse.”
Asked about the future status of New England General Manager Patrick Sullivan, Kiam said, ”I think there will be changes in the ultimate responsibility at the Patriots.”
But, shortly afterward, he was told by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue that he could not make any personnel changes until the league office completes its investigation.
”We`ll be announcing tomorrow that a special counsel will investigate this fully, clearly and objectively,” Tagliabue said.
Sullivan, in his eighth season as general manager, said he would cooperate in the investigation.
”I continue to remain general manager of the Patriots,” he said.
Olson and Bob Sales, the Boston Herald`s executive sports editor, met with Kiam for 75 minutes Sunday morning.
Terming the incident ”a grievous injury to a lovely young lady,” Kiam repeated apologies to Olson.
Kiam placed full-page advertisements in Boston and New York newspapers Sunday proclaiming, ”There`s no excuse for what happened in the locker room,”
On the NBC`s ”NFL Live,” Olson charged that what she called ”the most disgusting, humiliating thing I`ve ever gone through in my life” was ”a premeditated act, planned an hour and a half beforehand.”
She said she was leaving the country next week ”just to get my life together.”
