Tigers executive Sam Menzin resigns after probe revealed that he allegedly sent unsolicited lewd photos to women on staff: Report
Content warning: This story contains depictions of alleged sexual harassment.
Detroit Tigers assistant general manager Sam Menzin resigned last Thursday after an internal investigation revealed that he allegedly sent unsolicited photos of his genitalia to multiple women on staff, The Athletic reports.
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Menzin resigned before the Tigers acted on their plan to fire him for improper workplace conduct, according to the report. Two women who work for the Tigers told The Athletic that Menzin sent them photos of his genitalia via Snapchat, an app where images are automatically deleted after they’re viewed.
The Tigers confirmed that an investigation revealed that Menzin allegedly engaged in improper behavior and that it intended to fire him in a statement to The Athletic. The statement did not confirm the nature of the allegations.
“Upon being made aware of the allegations as to Sam Menzin’s conduct, the club promptly completed an investigation,” the statement reads. “Before the club could terminate Mr. Menzin, he resigned. This type of behavior is contrary to our standards and has absolutely no place within our organization. We have a positive and safe culture for our colleagues and will continue to emphasize respect, inclusion, and professionalism.”
Menzin wrote in a text message to The Athletic on Friday that he sought a career change and was moving to New York to deal with “family issues.” Per The Athletic, he didn’t respond to inquiries for further comment on Monday. Menzin resigned six games into Detroit’s 162-game season.
Two women who have worked for the Tigers told The Athletic that Menzin had sent them photos of his genitals dating back to 2017. A third woman who works in baseball but not for the Tigers said that she received photos from Menzin of his genitals sometime around 2018-19. The women spoke to The Athletic anonymously.
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The Athletic spoke with individuals who confirmed that all three women told them that they received the photos shortly after Menzin allegedly sent them. The Athletic did not identify who those individuals were or the nature of their roles. One of the women who worked for the Tigers explained to The Athletic why she believed the allegations didn’t surface earlier.
“It’s like no one says anything, because who is going to believe them when they say Sam Menzin did this? It’s not like a bat boy or security guard,” she said. “It’s Sam Menzin. …
“It always felt like saying something wasn’t an option, because who is going to believe you and do anything about it? It’s just this overall sense that (reporting something) wasn’t an option.”
Menzin, 34, worked for the Tigers for 13 years prior to his resignation. He joined the team in 2012 under former general manager Dave Dombrowski as a baseball operations intern. He was promoted to director of baseball operations and pro scouting in 2015 and promoted again to assistant general manager in 2021.
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