Courtesy USA Today

(September 13, 2010) The NFL is investigating the treatment of female TV reporter Ines Sainz at New York Jets practice Saturday, including an incident in which players and one coach allegedly tried to run into her during a passing drill.

"When we first heard of it, we immediately started the process of looking into it," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told USA TODAY on Sunday. "It's troubling. We've had contact with the team multiple times and are moving very aggressively to establish the facts."

Aiello said Commissioner Roger Goodell was aware of reports of the incident, which comes 20 years after one of the most publicized episodes involving a woman reporter in a men's locker room, the New England Patriots' harassment of the Boston Herald's Lisa Olson in September 1990. All professional men's sports leagues have given female reporters equal access to men's locker rooms for at least 25 years, and male reporters have equal access in women's locker rooms as well.

Later Sunday, Aiello e-mailed USA TODAY: "We are continuing our fact finding. We will be speaking to Ines (Sunday) as part of the process."

Pro Football Talk reported that Sainz was greeted by catcalls and hooting in the locker room after practice, an experience Sainz described on her Twitter account:

"I die of embarrassment!" she wrote in Spanish. "I am in the locker room of the Jets waiting for Mark Sanchez while trying not to look to anywhere!"

Bruce Speight, senior director of media relations for the Jets, said in a statement that the team is working with the league "to gather the facts and take any appropriate steps necessary to maintain a respectful environment for the media.

"The New York Jets believe that reporters have a job to do and it is our obligation to provide them with proper and professional access. Woody Johnson spoke with (Sainz) today to discuss the time she spent covering the team yesterday. He stressed to Ines that he expects all members of the Jets organization to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times."

The Association of Women in Sports Media (AWSM), which requested the NFL look into the incident of behalf of Sainz, said in a statement:

"AWSM remains steadfast in its long-standing committment to ensure all women in sports media are treated respectfully, equally and professionally while working in the locker room. We will remain on top of this situation."

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