#moralsclause

[medialawreview]

11 March 2020

[saempointpark-blog]

The Morals Clause in Effect; Paula Dean and Tight End Aaron Hernadez Dropped

Contributed by Steve Tanzilli, Director of the SAEM Program

Twice in a week, corporate sponsors have had to execute the Morals Clause to extract themselves from any involvement with their clients. The Food Network immediately terminated its very successful on-air relationship with Paula Dean when she was linked to using a racial slur in a deposition and Muscle Milk dropped New England Patriot Tight End, Aaron Hernandez whom is being investigated in connection with a murder.

The Morals Clause is a contractual provision which curtail, or restrain, or proscribe certain behavior of individuals or party(s) to the contract. A moral clause within contracts used as a means of holding the individual or Party(s) to a certain behavioral standard so as not to bring disrepute, contempt or scandal to other individual or party to the contract and their interests. The use of Morals Clause by the Food Network and Muscle Milk this week remind us that entertainers/athletes are humans and make mistakes..sometimes very serious mistakes. The execution of this clause will enable both corporate entities to separate themselves from the wrong doing of their former clients.