Baroness Karren Brady was aware that West Ham co-owner David Sullivan had been banned from contacting the club's women's and youth teams because of safeguarding concerns, but has defended continuing to work for him for three years, the BBC has learned.
In her first response to a joint BBC Panorama and Times investigation that revealed Sullivan had been accused of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour, lawyers for Brady said she remained at the club because of the principle of a “presumption of innocence”. They denied it was hypocritical for her to stay while being a vocal supporter of women’s rights.
“Karren Brady knew David Sullivan was banned from women's and youth teams but stayed at West Ham, her lawyers say.”
Sullivan, 77, has categorically denied all allegations against him. He announced his resignation as a director and co-chair of West Ham last Saturday, before the publication of the investigation in which seven women accused him of abusing his power and preying on them for sex, in claims dating back to the 1980s and 1990s. He remains the club’s largest shareholder, with a 38.8% stake.
Brady’s lawyers said she had “no knowledge” of the allegations made in the investigation and was “not involved in, nor did she witness... [any] of the incidents alleged in the reports”. However, they acknowledged she was made aware that the Football Association had raised concerns about Sullivan when the FA contacted West Ham in July 2023, following a complaint about a historic allegation from the 1980s.
Brady’s lawyers said she was not involved in the decision by West Ham, in conjunction with the local authority and the FA, to impose restrictions on Sullivan’s access to the club’s women’s and youth teams. Her role, they said, was to “ensure the club’s established and robust safeguarding structures, procedures and necessary confidentialities were followed and respected throughout”.
Sullivan has described the restriction as “meaningless and did not amount to a ban” and said he accepted it “for a quiet life”.
Brady continued working for the club until April this year, when she stepped down abruptly five games before the end of the season. Her lawyers said she relied “on the principle of presumption of innocence in continuing to work at the club”.
Meanwhile, a nonexecutive director of the Independent Football Regulator, Tara Warren, will not be involved in the inquiry into the allegations against Sullivan to avoid a conflict of interest over her links to West Ham. Warren was an executive director of West Ham United and the club’s women’s team before joining the regulator in February, appointed by culture secretary Lisa Nandy. She left the club last December. West Ham said “only a very limited number of West Ham United employees were informed” of the 2023 safeguarding measures.
The regulator has called the allegations “extremely serious” and has been given statutory powers to force a club owner to divest their shares should they be deemed unsuitable.