Executive Producer of Original Content Michael Mandt and Coordinating Producer of Features Dan Dieffenbach have been ousted at the NFL Network, both having been allegedly caught up in sexual harassment investigations, according to reports.
NFL Network spokesman Alex Riethmiller reportedly informed Deadspin that the network had severed ties with the pair but did not offer further comment.
Deadspin also reported that the two had been on administrative leave since December. Both were let go as of January 19.
Mandt previously worked at ESPN and SyFy Channel, as well as AOL. Dieffenbach previously worked with Mandt in his Original Content Group.
The separations are part of a growing list of accusations of sexual harassment lodged against other network employees.
According to Awful Announcing:
This adds to the turnover at NFL Network. David Eaton, the VP of NFL Media, resigned last month after Deadspin pointed out his history of interacting with porn actresses and escorts on Twitter, while Heath Evans, Marshall Faulk, and Ike Taylor are all still suspended pending that sexual harassment investigation. The lawsuit from former NFLN stylist Jami Cantor that led to those analysts’ suspensions also implicated Donovan McNabb and Eric Davis, who had since moved on to ESPN (that network parted ways with them earlier this month), and former NFL Network executive Eric Weinberger, an executive producer at the network who oversaw their studio programming before he left to run the Bill Simmons Media Group and The Ringer in November 2015 (he’s since been suspended from his role there).
The firings, investigations, and suspensions at NFL Network shows that the Weinstein/Spacey effect is still coursing through the American entertainment scene.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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