Washington's NFL franchise has hired veteran broadcaster Julie Donaldson to be the team's new play-by-play announcer, days after several former female employees accused the team's former play-by-play man of sexual harassment, according to NBC Sports Washington and The Washington Post.
According to a report from Westwood One, Donaldson will be the first woman to be a regular member of an NFL team's radio broadcast booth. Her role with the team will also include a "senior-level position" within the organization.
Donaldson's hiring comes about a week after Larry Michael retired as Washington's radio voice last week after 16 years with the team. Days later, The Washington Post published an explosive story in which 15 women accused Michael and four other team employees of sexual harassment. The women also accused team owner Dan Snyder of fostering a workplace environment that allowed sexism to run rampant.
The hiring also comes weeks after franchise said it was dropping the team name that it had used for more than 80 years — a term that is a dictionary-defined slur against Native Americans.
Donaldson previously hosted NBC Washington's pregame and postgame shows as well as several other football-related shows. She's previously held similar roles at NBC Sports Washington in covering the NBC's Wizards. She has been with the network since 2010.
