On multiple occasions over the last 24 hours, someone has violated the confidentiality provisions of the substance abuse policy in relation to Browns receiver
Josh Gordon.
The first came when someone leaked to FOX Sports, the
Associated Press, and NFL Media that Gordon had failed a drug test last month. The second came when someone leaked to Adam Schefter of ESPN that the NFL wants to see Gordon stay clean over the next two or three months before reinstating him.
It’s clear that a violation of the broad confidentiality requirement occurred.Consider Section 1.2.1 of the substance abuse policy: “The Medical Advisor, Medical Director, Program Administrator, Team Substance Abuse Physician, Chief Forensic Toxicologist and all employees and consultants of the NFL, NFL Management Council, NFLPA (including its employees, members and Certified Contract Advisors), Evaluating Clinicians, Treating Clinicians and NFL Clubs (‘Interested Parties’) shall take all reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of information acquired in accordance with the provisions of this Policy, including but not limited to the history, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, test results, or the fact of participation in the Intervention Program of any Player or the Club(s) employing or having employed the Player (‘Intervention Program Information’).”