Forum on domestic violence for ESPN employees preceded tonight’s OTL special

Tonight on ESPN2 (7 p.m. ET), Outside The Lines presents “Domestic Violence and Sports: Out of the Shadows” hosted by veteran journalist Bob Ley.

Yesterday, in advance of this important, topical programming, ESPN held a “Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Employee Forum” on its Bristol, Conn. campus. The 90-minute discussion was moderated by Keri Potts, senior director, Communications and included espnW’s Jane McManus; Joe Ehrmann, former Syracuse University and NFL player; and Karen Jarmoc, CEO, Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

“Domestic violence and sexual assault are complex social problems that extend far beyond the sports world,” explained the company-wide invitation to the event, “yet it is relevant to discuss in this context because of the important role that sports play in shaping cultural values and expectations around gender roles.

“The goal of this forum is to spark an internal conversation and lay the groundwork for ongoing discussion that will positively impact our workforce, workplace and marketplace objectives.”

“Our company has taken these issues very seriously,” said Potts before sharing the staggering statistic that someone is sexually assaulted every two minutes.

“I don’t think we should shy away from this topic on air,” said McManus, who has made it a point to learn as much about the topic as she can.