Under Armour admits to misconduct after newspaper report

Under Armour is no longer allowing employees to use corporate expenses to fund visits to strip clubs. In the age of the #MeToo movement, it shouldn’t be surprising that a public company would refuse to pay for its staff’s visits to strip clubs. However, it is surprising that this policy was only recently banned.

In an article published by Wall Street Journal, it was revealed that executives at Under Armour have entertained athletes and coworkers at strip clubs on the company’s dime. The article also alleges multiple counts of sexual misconduct within the company.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Under Armour notified employees via email in February that it would no longer reimburse adult entertainment and gambling. Executives and employees including chief executive officer Kevin Plank had apparently been partaking in these expenses for years.

Under Armour spoke out after the Wall Street Journal published its report yesterday. In a statement, the brand stated: "Inappropriate behavior that challenges our values or violates our policies is unacceptable—and will not be tolerated. We are committed to providing a respectful and inclusive workplace.”

Under Armour also sent out an internal email following the article, written by both Plank and company president Patrik Frisk. The email stated that the article was “tough to read.” It continued, This is not the culture we envision for Under Armour. We believe that there is systemic inequality in the global workplace and will embrace this opportunity to accelerate the ongoing meaningful cultural transformation that is already underway at Under Armour. We can and will do better.”