Sam Menzin, until recently the assistant general manager of the Detroit Tigers, has resigned amidst a scandal in which he stands accused of sending unsolicited pictures of his genitals to female staffers.
Menzin resigned his post on Thursday, and while the team did not specifically say why he left, a report from The Athletic says the former executive had sent unsolicited lewd photos to two former female employees.
According to The Athletic, two women allege that Menzin began sending them unsolicited pictures of his genitals via Snapchat as far back as 2017. A third woman, who didn’t work for the Tigers but worked for Major League Baseball, claims she also received similar pics from Menzin via Snapchat between 2018 and 2019.
Snapchat has a feature where pictures will automatically delete.
“Upon being made aware of the allegations as to Sam Menzin’s conduct, the club promptly completed an investigation,” the Tigers said in a statement to The Athletic. “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.”
The Tigers are conducting their own investigation into the matter.
The allegations starkly contrast with Menzin’s explanation for his abrupt departure. The former executive told The Athletic that he had left because he was looking for a career change and to deal with “family issues.”
When asked why the allegations were only recently revealed, one woman expressed concerns that no one would have believed her.
“It’s like no one says anything because who is going to believe them when they say Sam Menzin did this?” the person said. “It’s not like a bat boy or security guard. It’s Sam Menzin.” She added that very few women worked in the front office, and “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 worked for the Tigers for 13 years, beginning as a baseball operations intern in 2012 and rising to assistant general manager.
