CLEVELAND — During Monday's City Council meeting, a resolution was passed urging FirstEnergy to remove its name from Cleveland Browns stadium.
Council passed the resolution 16-1.
The council cited the company's role in a bribery scheme that is currently under federal investigation as the reason for the resolution.
In 2013, FirstEnergy bought the naming rights to the stadium for a reported $107 million.
FirstEnergy released the following statement on the resolution:
"FirstEnergy is extremely proud of our longstanding commitment to community involvement through philanthropic giving, employee volunteerism and sponsoring local events and organizations. It’s disappointing that the resolution overlooks the important community benefits afforded by our partnership with the Cleveland Browns, which represents so much more than just a name on the stadium.
FirstEnergy leverages all of our sponsorships to do good in the communities we serve. Our great community work with the Browns has helped disadvantaged areas create opportunities for youth. For example, we’ve installed lighting at Bump Taylor Field in Glenville and Dwayne Browder Field on Cleveland’s east side to make “Friday Night Lights” possible for high school athletes. We’ve also provided new uniforms for the Glenville and John Adams football teams.
Through sponsorships like we have with the Browns, we look forward to continuing to enrich our communities for years to come."
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