In the course of the investigation, the Joint Investigative Team investigated not only historical misconduct by coaches and other club staff, but also ongoing concerns of misconduct raised by players and staff regarding current player-facing personnel in the NWSL, including concerns that were raised for the first time after the investigation commenced. Require Clubs to Revise Their Anti-Harassment Policies to Be Consistent with the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy
The player said that LaHue was also critical of her religious beliefs and told her that she and other team members who shared those beliefs were seen as judgmental. The League and Clubs Failed to Take Adequate Steps to Protect Players in Hiring and Filling Positions
The Joint Investigative Team considered whether the conduct at issue violated the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy, regardless of when the conduct occurred. 2. During this conversation, he asked Holly, "How would you like to handle that?" I.
A former player told the Joint Investigative Team she believed the investigation was "inconclusive because no action was taken." In addition,
The NWSL has plans to engage a law firm to provide anti-harassment training to all NWSL and club staff, volunteers, and players. The investigator made no effort to verify the accuracy of Dames's explanation, yet the report stated that Dames had offered [a] credible explanation[]" as to the reason for his treatment of the player. The failure to take intermediary action left players in an unsafe environment for well over a year while the investigation was ongoing. The NWSL announced an investigation into abuse and misconduct towards NWSL players. WPS's problems compounded in 2011, when Dan Borislow, the owner of the WPS club magicJack, became embroiled in a series of conflicts over his violations of WPS procedures.
Key individuals involved in the 2015 Thorns Investigation and
a) Perceptions of Bias and Cronyism
Between 2019 and 2021, Holly engaged in repeated sexual misconduct and abuse targeting Erin Simon, including touching her genitals without her consent, touching her body on other occasions without her consent, forcing her to touch his genitals without her consent, sending her unsolicited pictures of his penis, and asking her to send him sexually suggestive pictures of herself. With regards to the League's legal and HR functions, from 2012-2017, then-U.S. Soccer General Counsel Levine handled the NWSL's legal and HR responsibilities in the absence of an NWSL general counsel. These aspects of the culture in the NWSL discouraged some players from reporting any concerns. Inattentiveness, neglect, and concealment allow misconduct to fester.
Weight-Shaming by Farid Benstiti
B.
95, stated: "I had no direct involvement in the creation, administration or review of the player surveys. 59, said that the staff member allowed the player "to get things reimbursed that didn't qualify" for reimbursement. 18, Riley's subsequent hiring by the Flash would not speak with the Joint Investigative Team, including the Thorns's HR director who conducted the investigation, the former Flash vice president, and Riley himself. On December 1, 2022, Paulson announced the decision to sell the Thorns. The NWSL ran its standard background check, and its resulting report contained no significant adverse findings. A PDF version of this document with embedded text is available at the link below: Report of the
After the group returned to the hotel, Harrington came upstairs to two players' hotel room.
The non
While Simon's parents gave Pearce Rampone a tour of the home, Holly grabbed Simon's buttocks and felt her over her leggings. 18.2k members in the NWSL community.
Witnesses also reported that the coach attempted to get another player to dance with him and told her he did not care about her sexuality. After the HR employee sent this response, Levine informed the employee that Baird would respond directly to Farrelly, which the employee communicated to Farrelly. NJ/NY Gotham FC, having put in the past the ghosts of their former Sky Blue FC selves and all the baggage that came with it, have been thrust back into a state of uncertainty. Holly offered Simon another contract in 2017, which she accepted. A staff member reported that he and another staff member told Clarkson that they did not believe it was a hangover. July 9, 2021 Alyse LaHue is fired as general manager of Gotham FC . WUSA, the first women's professional soccer league in the United States, began play in April 2001. Pauw appeared for an interview with the Joint Investigative Team, but refused to cooperate. Passion for Real Sociedad runs as deep as San Sebastian's love for Basque culture and cuisine, Top 10 greatest FA Cup shocks after Grimsby stun Southampton, Oral history: When Barcelona, Real Madrid played four Clasicos in 18 days back in 2011, Infighting of Women's World Cup faves Spain, France, Canada reveals big issues in the sport. Another Spirit player recalled Burke "screaming" at a player, "You don't ever fucking call a coach before a game, after the player asked for feedback on her performance two days before a game. On at least two occasions when Riley was recruited by the Flash and later when he was recruited by the Courage-the Thorns, U.S. Soccer, and the NWSL were not transparent with the recruiting club about the allegations and findings of misconduct against Riley in 2015. She was hired that May as vice president. 7. Players reported the club did not take sufficient action to address players' concerns after the meeting. Simon told Holly she was uncomfortable and did her best to get out of the house, but she did not want to anger Holly because she was scared.
Players told the Joint Investigative Team that this environment dissuaded them from reporting misconduct. A Dash player also described her coach, Pauw, having outbursts" of emotional yelling in which she would get up in a frenzy, and recalled a player receiving warning calls to inform her of incoming phone calls from Pauw. Clarkson was suspended in April amid an ongoing investigation, but until Wednesday, no reasons were provided publicly. Second, U.S. Soccer and certain NWSL clubs asserted the attorney-client privilege and work product doctrine over information relevant to this investigation, or delayed providing key evidence on privilege grounds or due to confidentiality or non-disparagement provisions in agreements with coaches fired for misconduct. From her perspective, the concerns about Dames were not an emergency situation because the players identified as Dames's primary targets were no longer with the team" and the issues involved "older conduct." Holly also told Simon on more than one occasion that he wanted to have a threesome with her and another former player, and he would refer to it as "the most epic threesome. Holly also sent Simon inappropriate messages on Snapchat, including a photo of him lying on his bed in boxers
U.S. Soccer Chief Legal Officer Lydia Wahlke directed the USSF Dames Investigation, asking the NWSL to stand down even though she believed U.S. Soccer did not have the authority to take action against Dames. Another child, tween, teen and beyond will know the world is better when it's . The Joint Investigative Team requested an interview of the Current owners, and Angie Long sat for an interview.
Although Novo said he shared these concerns with others at the club, key decision-makers within the club did not recall Novo telling them about Holly's mistreatment of players. Riley made sexual comments towards Kurtz, including giving her detailed accounts of his sex life on a number of occasions in what appeared to be an attempt to invite her to do the same in return; that conduct waned only when Kurtz was in a serious relationship. One Courage player reported feeling that the club was moving in the right direction in 2021 after the firing of Riley, but that the club's signing of Daniels was a decision that "says a lot" and did not "align with the direction we thought we were heading in.
Jeff Plush received Shim's September 2015 complaint alleging sexual misconduct by Paul Riley, and he then forwarded the complaint to individuals at U.S. Soccer and discussed it with Merritt Paulson and Gavin Wilkinson. Additionally, the 2015 allegations and findings against Riley were often downplayed, including by discussing only certain aspects of the allegations and at times by using the phrase that no unlawful harassment" occurred as a way to summarize the investigative findings. A third player recalled that during trips for away games, the team would "go to the bar together and Riley would "be there buying players . The Joint Investigative Team also reviewed documents collected from the League relating to League organizational structure, policies, and trainings regarding harassment, abuse, and discrimination, as well as documents related to complaints and reports of misconduct and investigations into those reports of misconduct, and communications between League personnel. Wilkinson did not follow up with Riley, staff, or players to confirm that his instruction had been followed. Both Williams and Angie Long recalled the club trying to find a trade within the NWSL for one player, but being unable to find a trade partner. In discussing the player surveys, Flynn also noted he could "not remember any concerns that were ever brought to [his] attention by USSF personnel that specifically related to the quality of coaching or any abusive coaching tactics." Levine's email contained no context or explanation for why she was forwarding the report. Holly then declined to speak to the Joint Investigative Team. . On Tuesday, one player, who attended the dinner and was expected to start in the day's game, became ill during the warm-up. Pauw, too, was described by players as a "power freak" who would monitor players' use of their apartment complex pool and "text at 8:00 p.m. saying that training for 5:00 p.m. the next day was moved to 8:00 a.m. the next day. Like many institutions, the League has been influenced by sexism, racism, homophobia, and other biases. On September 15, 2014, legal counsel for the USWNTPA emailed Gulati a memorandum of that meeting, which included a summary of Press's comments that Dames "created a hostile work environment." The Joint Investigative Team promptly conducted a thorough investigation and, based on the evidence, found that Wilkinson did not engage in wrongdoing or violate the Anti-Harassment Policy. Some within the NWSL held the misconception that SafeSport deals with misconduct against youth athletes and does not investigate misconduct against professional athletes. This included withholding documents and other information, for the better part of a year, related to an investigation U.S. Soccer conducted into reports of misconduct by Rory Dames.
How a trailblazing female general manager transformed the worst B. Within a few months, investors had spent what was originally expected to sustain the league for three to five years. On September 20, 2020, the Royals placed Head Coach Craig Harrington on a leave of absence, which public reporting stated was related to "inappropriate comments of a sexual nature with staff." The player heard that during the meeting, Wilkinson asked about Shim's March 2021 email to the NWSL and stated he could not believe Riley had been hired by
Standards of acceptable coaching behavior are evolving. These protocols mandated that all coach, general manager, and president hires had to be approved by the NWSL and that such employees had to complete a New Hire Certification, complete an NWSL-directed background check, and have certain language included in their contracts. U.S. Soccer's 2018 investigation into Dames's conduct surfaced several concerns about his interactions with players, but minimized the breadth and severity of these concerns and failed to protect players during the 16 months it took to complete the investigation. The prospective owner shared that he had learned of a relationship between an owner and a player at one club, and a coach and a player at another club. Players were confused about where to report misconduct, and the absence of clear guidance about reporting channels or designated personnel to receive reports compounded the problem. a) Definition of Retaliation
Two interviewees reported that Clarkson told the team captains that the players "should be scared."
As a result, players reported multiple instances in which they did not report concerns or misconduct. The clause prevented Dames from making any negative, critical, or disparaging remarks about Whisler or the Red Stars, but did not restrict Dames's remarks about players. Which duo has the most goal contributions in Europe this season? One player reported that club staff observed Burke's mistreatment of players but did nothing, reinforcing players' view that raising concerns about Burke would be futile. Lisa Baird (NWSL, Commissioner, 2020-2021)
In the letter, players demanded that the NWSL adopt policies to protect players, including by requiring clear reporting channels for complaints as well as procedures for thorough and impartial investigations. 5, Investigative Methodology
Weight-Shaming Comments and Pressure
36, findings about Riley's inappropriate behavior beyond that night. Kurtz reported that Riley shared details of his sex life and asked her probing questions about her relationship. Support Former and Current NWSL Players in Pursuing Coaching Careers in the NWSL
In addition to the anti-racism and unconscious bias training and anti-harassment policy changes described above, the NWSL should take further steps to create a more inclusive environment for all players and staff, including players and staff of color and LGBTQIA+ players and staff. Although U.S. Soccer told Duffy and Levine that U.S. Soccer's outside counsel would investigate the reports, and Duffy said she received one or two updates about the investigation, there is no evidence that Duffy requested additional updates regarding the investigation or its outcome. When Baird asked Levine if they should meet with Farrelly, Levine replied that they should email Farrelly first. Amanda Cromwell (Orlando Pride, Head Coach, 2021-2022), Sam Greene and Aline Reis (Orlando Pride, Assistant Coaches, 2021-2022)
Despite the discussions between U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and both the Thorns and Courage regarding Riley's unsuitability to coach the USWNT, no steps were taken to remove or prevent him from coaching NWSL players. She also recalled that when the club left the player unprotected in an expansion draft, the staff member "went berserk" and "th[rew] other players under the bus." One player noted "bystander training" for players could be helpful so that players could help other players experiencing misconduct. Williams acknowledged that club leaders also identified to him specific players who organized the meeting, although he did not know all the players who participated. Farrelly felt coerced into having sexual intercourse with Riley based on the dynamic between them and his control over her soccer career. Holly told Simon that he may have talked to people behind the scenes to get her signed to the Dash. For example, while Whisler told the Joint Investigative Team that he had not uncovered any red flags regarding Dames before his hire, two players expressed that concerns about Dames were known in the soccer community. Towards the end of the interview, she told Garcia that she was afraid of what Riley could do to her career, noting Riley "ha[d] contacts, help[ed] players play overseas, [and had] big ties." Whisler said he then proceeded with the trade based on "soccer reason[s]" after consulting with the League. Can Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga's hottest team, topple Bayern for the title? When U.S. Soccer did respond to the Joint Investigative Team's requests, it produced limited documentation and refused the Joint Investigative Team's request to identify the documents withheld.". A player who participated in the USSF Dames Investigation told the investigator about an instance in which Dames kept her from visiting her parents. As described below, individuals from U.S. Soccer, including General Counsel Lisa Levine, her successor Chief Legal Officer Lydia Wahlke, President Sunil Gulati, and CEO Dan Flynn, failed on numerous occasions to disclose what they knew about Riley's misconduct to other NWSL clubs that hired him. Players described how emotional misconduct affected their performance. When he was not yelling, players felt that Dames was emotionally manipulative" and would use information he knew about them against them. 34, another club following the 2015 investigation. Kurtz recalled speaking to Riley in late 2020 to again tell him she wanted to leave the club. 7. This reduces the risk that the concentration of power in a single individual will chill reporting of misconduct. When the investigation concluded in September 2019, Wahlke failed to share relevant information about the investigative findings with the NWSL or the Red Stars, citing U.S. Soccer's privilege as the rationale for not sharing this information. In September 2014, U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati was made aware of a complaint by Christen Press that Dames created a toxic environment at the Red Stars, but did not prompt U.S. Soccer to act in response to the complaint. He noted, for instance, that if Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler quit the League, the League would fail.
. 72, her a new one," about a player and within earshot of the player after she asked about practicing set pieces during training.
120, An explanation of the reporting channels should also be a key component to antiharassment training, anti-bullying training, anti-retaliation training, and any other trainings the NWSL or clubs provide. The attitude that women's sports are not professional, or not as valued as men's sports, gave players the impression that they were less valued and that their concerns would not be addressed. One former player recalled that her college goalkeeper coach and assistant coach were both married to former players.
Report: Former OL Reign Coach Farid Benstiti Subject of Verbal Abuse . For instance, one player recalled Holly telling her in the weight room that he wanted to "grab her ass" when he saw her squat. That player also said that Black players were uncomfortable because the club often placed the substantial burden of engaging in race and other culture-related activities on them.