30, requests from the Joint Investigative Team, making it likely that Paulson understood that there would be limitations on the NWSL's ability to share it. Levine's explanation for her response to these emails was that she was focused on language in the emails regarding how the NWSL would respond to Shim's initial 2015 complaint-despite indicia in the emails that Shim and Farrelly were dissatisfied with the NWSL's response to Shim's 2015 complaint and despite Farrelly having provided additional pertinent information in her email. The revised 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy sets forth multiple channels for reporting suspected violations of the policy, including the RealResponse hotline, the NWSL HR Manager, and the Joint Investigative Team. Ms. LaHue was placed on unpaid administrative leave while the NWSLs third-party investigator reviewed the matter. Paul Riley (Portland Thorns, Head Coach, 2014-2015; Western New York Flash, Head Coach, 2016; North Carolina Courage, Head Coach, 2017-2021) Players Lacked Clear Guidance Regarding What Constituted Misconduct .. Paulson's and Wilkinson's accounts of the information shared with the Flash are inconsistent with a document the Flash prepared for the Joint Investigative Team's review summarizing the club's vetting and hiring of Riley. As one player explained, an emotionally or verbally abusive coach would "yell to hurt [players'] feelings, not make them better." She recalled Harrington commenting that some players had "good bodies but unattractive" faces, and he would refer to those players as "butterfaces" or "shrimpheads." To the player, the undertone of the response-and of the owner's consistent approach to such requests over the years-was clear: "Why are you not grateful for what I'm providing? The player recalled thinking, I can be grateful and still ask for progress." 6. These fears were not unfounded. Players from the team met with club owners Angie and Chris Long, and other club staff, to raise these concerns. even if the relationship . During a break for West Ham in the summer of 2019, Simon returned home to New Jersey, where Holly lived about 20 minutes from her home. @sarahlgorden I'm so sorry for what happened to you & your loved ones. 4. The Spirit's policy stated that the club will "take all steps necessary to prevent and eliminate unlawful harassment" and contains a definition of "unlawful harassment." Hammond said that Kurtz's agent had requested a trade, and Hammond reached out to teams to try to find a trade for Kurtz. Levine said after the player survey comments were shared with the club, the club moved Lines to a front office role. Despite learning this information, investigators and individuals kept apprised of the investigation, including the Thorns and Levine, did not probe further by interviewing other witnesses, requesting additional text messages or emails, or asking Riley about his relationship with Farrelly, among other things. that he had created a "sexualized team environment" at a Chicago youth club that "crossed the line to sexual relationships in multiple cases, though those relationships may . Instead, it stated only that [e]mployees, without fear of retaliation, have the responsibility to bring any form of intimidation, threats, and sexual or other harassment to the attention of any member of management." In December 2021, the Joint Investigative Team received a complaint about Clarkson and began an investigation. Investigators said after interviews that Burke did not acknowledge the offensiveness of his behaviors with the Washington Spirit, and that Clarkson "exhibited a lack of candor Clarkson denied ever raising his voice at players or losing control of his emotions, notwithstanding credible evidence to the contrary." Farrelly sat on Riley's lap, though she felt strange doing so, and she described that Riley grabbed her hips. One player for the Dash noted that the HR representative primarily worked for the MLS team and was unfamiliar with the reporting channels for the women's team. One player recalled that the men's team was allowed to train on better practice fields, and the women were asked to train on inferior fields despite the availability of better fields near where the men practiced, apparently because the men's team found it distracting to practice near the women. 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. In 2014, when he read that players felt Dames was creating "a hostile work environment," Whisler responded that the players who raised those concerns probably "didn't start or play the way they wanted to." In February 2016, after learning that the Flash were set to announce Riley's hire as head coach, Plush wrote in an email to Gulati, Flynn, and Levine, that he guess[ed] Wilkinson may have "helped [Riley] with [Lines]," and that he had given Golub's phone number to the Flash's then-general manager. In addition to the SafeSport Trained Core Course, players who are not minors are required to take a 30-minute SafeSport Training for Adult Athletes. The club encouraged Simon to consider Following public reporting about Hansen's statements, the NWSL conducted an investigation and pushed Hansen to sell the club. Instead, these conversations occurred on an ad hoc basis and were left to individual clubs. Starr recalled that the NWSL volunteer chaplain coordinator "didn't know what to do," and had never navigated a similar report of abuse. Support Former and Current NWSL Players in Pursuing Coaching Careers in the NWSL The reasons for his departure were not shared publicly. 68, Coaches can also engage in verbal misconduct when they target players for personal attributes or immutable characteristics, such as their appearance, parental status, medical condition, or socioeconomic and educational background. When Racing Louisville was considering hiring Holly, no one contacted Novo regarding Holly or the reason he departed Sky Blue. After participating in an initial interview with the Joint Investigative Team, LaHue, through her counsel, canceled another scheduled interview and declined the Joint Investigative Team's repeated requests to reschedule. Riley and Dames refused to speak to the joint investigation team or Yates' team, while Pauw "appeared, but refused to cooperate" and ultimately issued a written statement. Because the Joint Investigative Team was not tasked with imposing discipline on individuals accused of misconduct, it expresses no opinion on whether it would be appropriate to impose discipline for conduct that would have violated a policy that did not exist when that conduct occurred. 77, temporary administrative leave pending the results of an investigation. Riley directed Additionally, the explanation put forth by U.S. Soccer did not account for the risk that players who remained on the team and under Dames's management did not report contemporaneous conduct for fear of retaliation. It is hard to overstate how much the conversation has changed around Sky Blue FC in less than a year, with Tammy Murphy taking on a lead role on behalf of ownership, and Alyse LaHue serving as. As with former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates recent investigation for the U.S. Soccer Federation, this report did not hold back in its allegations. Mishandling of Rory Dames's Misconduct by U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and the Chicago Red Stars Finally, players and club staff recalled that Riley made caustic remarks to Thorns players, calling players idiots and motherfuckers, harshly criticizing their weight, and commenting about players' sexual orientations (including stating that a player loves a strapon"). Most critically, when the investigation was completed, U.S. Soccer did not communicate the results of the investigation to the players, the Red Stars, or the NWSL on the basis of attorney-client privilege. While much of the sexual misconduct she described took place when Simon and Holly were alone, Simon confided in her friend and teammate, Brooke Hendrix, who spoke to the Joint Investigative Team and shared what Simon told her about some of Holly's abuse as it was occurring. Cromwell also sought to waive or trade other such players. He shared personal information with her, talking about his ex-wife, his relationship status, and his sex life, including describing his preferred sexual positions. The Courage learned nothing of the allegation that Riley had said players could avoid the suicide mile by kissing, or of the other clearly established A. The NWSL should consider preparing an annual report regarding the operation of the Anti-Harassment Policy, including aggregated data regarding reports to the League of potential violations of the Anti-Harassment Policy, and the outcomes and resolutions of those reports. Rather, working closely with U.S. Soccer, she proceeded "stepwise" until she felt she had collected enough information to speak to Dames and Whisler. For instance, the Courage credibly recounted that the club was only informed that players went to Riley's apartment after drinking with Riley in a nearby bar, and that someone stated that Riley had suggested they kiss. 6. b) Failures of Background Checks Wilkinson said that he informed Riley this could not occur again, and he separately told Thorns staff members that they could not go out drinking with players. During the 2022 preseason, the Dash traveled to Mexico City for preseason games against the Mexican club Pumas. a) One player who was waived after the 2021 season had signed a multi-year contract extension with the club before the August meeting. Multiple current and former players from the Kansas City Current raised concerns that Head Coach Huw Williams retaliated against players for participating in an August 2021 meeting with other club leaders, including club owners Chris and Angie Long. 10 Stanton reflected that Dames "knew how to take the things that meant the most to you and turn them against you." Ms. Just when we thought it was safe to go back in the water, too. Simon first met Holly in 2016. Gotham's policy contained a provision stating that [e]mployees who witness offensive behavior in the workplace-whether directed at them or another employee-are encouraged, though not required, to immediately address it with the employee whose behavior they found offensive." Richie Burke (Washington Spirit, Head Coach, 2019-2021) To ensure DEI initiatives are prioritized and effective at creating a more inclusive environment for all players and staff, the NWSL should consider creating a Diversity Advisory Committee dedicated to making DEI improvements within the League. They also spoke with Cindy Parlow Cone-former Thorns head coach and current U.S. Soccer President who indicated that Riley was better with up and coming players, was not as good with established players, and that players felt Riley over-trained them. Riley had a long and successful coaching career when he joined the Thorns in 2014, having held several head coach positions and having been named coach of the year in two soccer leagues. Independence. WPS faced many challenges, including poor attendance, low television ratings, and declining revenue. She did not recall any concerns about Williams's treatment of players being raised at the August 2021 meeting, instead recalling that players shared concerns about the level of training and the team's poor performance. The NWSL should regularly remind club staff of their obligation to elevate information regarding misconduct to the NWSL HR Office or NWSL General Counsel. Malik published an open letter on October 6, 2021, stating that when the Courage bought the Flash, the Courage was made aware of a 2015 investigation into Riley but was "subsequently assured he was in good standing. Paulson also published an open letter on October 4, 2021, stating that once the Thorns received Shim's 2015 complaint, the club placed Riley on immediate suspension, conducted an investigation that led to Riley's termination, and shared investigative findings with the NWSL. We interview the founders, investors, technologists, and early stage employees who are part of today's entrepreneurial ecosystem. One player who witnessed this incident described that Dames's comments that had nothing to do with actually playing soccer" were constant." The Joint Investigative Team identified and examined facts relevant to potential abuse or misconduct against players by those in positions of power in the NWSL and its member clubs. The NWSL periodically distributed annual player surveys seeking feedback from players about a variety of topics. This trial and error process is what highlights need and in turn creates important policies and guidelines for stability in our infrastructure, Zerboni told Equalizer. The NWSL should develop clear rules and guidelines addressing appropriate interactions between club staff and players to help ensure that individuals throughout the League understand and maintain appropriate boundaries that promote player safety and well-being. The NWSL has not consistently offered anti-harassment training to players and club staff beyond the SafeSport trainings. Christy Holly's Sexual Misconduct and Abuse 7. The team tried to fit into a rented van to return to their hotel, and team members sat on each other's laps. Clarkson admitted speaking to players about drinking and professionalism, and although he understood that the players may have felt attacked, he denied "attacking" anyone. He stated that he told Lines that Riley was a "good coach but definitely never stated" that he would hire Riley. This information sharing between the staff member and the player led other players to express concerns to team management that the staff member was sharing players' private medical information with the player they were dating. Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue was fired in July after an investigation connected to the league's antiharassment policy. One player reported that Williams stopped communicating with her, would ignore her when greeting other players, and made efforts to avoid her. Players and staff at the Red Stars said that the close relationship between Head Coach Rory Dames and club owner Arnim Whisler made them feel that raising complaints to ownership would be pointless. Simon said she told Holly that now that he was her boss, he would have to stop the inappropriate behavior, and he replied that he had until January 1, because that was when her contract started. The same day, The Athletic reported that the investigation was related to a violation of the NWSL's anti-harassment policy. He also sent friendly emails to Lines, sometimes copying Riley or favorably discussing Riley; in one email, Paulson wrote to Lines, "Happy to see [the Flash] and Paul doing so well!!" Any individual who receives a report of potential misconduct must immediately submit the report to the NWSL HR Office. This assessment of Whisler failed to acknowledge the report's own statement that "four of the players with the most significant concerns did not, for various reasons, believe Whisler [was] willing to address those concerns." We have so much work to do." Alyse LaHue @alahue Follow @alahue . The Joint Investigative Team also posted these reporting lines on the NWSL webpage and in the League's Anti-Harassment Policy. Insufficient HR Staff at the NWSL and Clubs Golub told the Joint Investigative Team he did not recall speaking with Lines during that time regarding Riley. History of Professional Women's Soccer in the United States In response, the owner pointed out that the player was one of the highest-paid players in the League and discussed how club expenses came out of his own pocket. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team he thought it would be important to Malik that, from Paulson's perspective, the Thorns accurately announced that Riley's contract would expire at the end of the 2015 season. U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and Clubs Failed to Adequately Share Information Regarding Misconduct Those findings will remain confidential and the league will not comment further on individual club personnel matters.. 61, Another player recalled that Harrington went to a strip club with players after a seasonending loss when he was an assistant coach with the Red Stars. 4. However, Wahlke did not take steps to engage with the League or the Courage about why Riley was still coaching in the NWSL. Another player also reported that Williams said, I'm going to ream her, I'm going to rip The League should request mutual cooperation and informationsharing from U.S. Soccer and other organizations to ensure the League is made aware of findings of misconduct concerning candidates seeking employment in the NWSL. However, this position appears inconsistent with the email from the Thorns's counsel transmitting the Riley report to the League, which Plush received and which did not place any restrictions on the League. Shim described Riley as obsessed" with players' romantic and dating relationships. The article further reported that in 2021, Shim and Farrelly asked the NWSL to reopen the investigation into Riley, but that then-Commissioner Lisa Baird declined to investigate further. The report found that Riley had (i) violated instructions by Wilkinson not to socialize with players "when alcohol was involved; (ii) engaged in inappropriate and unprofessional behavior and exercised poor judgment by sending inappropriate text messages, not establishing and maintaining appropriate professional boundaries, inviting players to his apartment, serving alcohol to players, dancing with a player and touching her while doing so, inviting a player to his hotel room, having one-on-one dinners (and involving alcohol), having one-on-one game film sessions in his apartment, and failing to notify his supervisor of the July 5 email; and (iii) likely violated his employment contract by doing so. The player recalled that a staff member who lived in her apartment complex "would offer to come over" to her apartment to give [her] a massage or help [her] with things like hanging [her] blinds." Clarkson denied In a publicly reported incident, the Orlando Pride supporters group displayed a banner during a game in protest of the Florida "Don't Say Gay" bill, and the club had the banner removed. The latest report also focuses on racism and microaggressions in a way that the Yates report did not. Craig Harrington: The former Utah Royals coach is reported to have. Two prior leagues have." It established that Riley, Shim, Farrelly, and Thorp drank at a bar one night and ended up at Riley's apartment, where alcohol was made available. 10. Sauerbrunn: NWSL players horrified and heartbroken, Morgan shames former NWSL commissioner Baird for inaction over Riley abuse, Morgan: Mana Shim was failed by the system, NWSL report explainer: What's new, what's recommended and what's next, Foden's return to form helps mask De Bruyne's troubles, Nelson sends Arsenal into euphoria with last-gasp winner over Bournemouth, Arsenal rally, net late winner in 5-goal thriller, Garber: MLS would be flexible for Messi move, City beat Newcastle to keep pressure on Arsenal, Arteta: Arsenal win my 'most emotional moment', Ancelotti defends Benzema after Clasico loss, Klopp, Ten Hag tell fans to 'lose the poison', Xavi on Clasico critics: Barca world's hardest club, Guardiola: Next three games define City's season. Three days after Benstiti's speech, a player formally reported Benstiti's conduct to the League pursuant to the Anti-Harassment Policy. Hendrix said she believed that Holly may have retaliated by taking her off the starting roster. Alyse LaHue (Sky Blue and Gotham, Vice President, 20182019, General Manager, 2019-2021) Two players described Dames's mood shifts as "a cycle of abuse." One player recalled that she and her teammates were told by their club, "People would die to be in [your] shoes," and that if the players had issues with the club or the League, they don't have a problem waiving you." Similarly, other players reported that Dames texted certain players "all the time," including late at night. Two people, former Gotham FC General Manager Alyse LaHue and former Utah Royals FC head coach Craig Harrington, were handed two-year suspensions from the league. . The NWSL should consider avenues to create a formal partnership with the Black Women's Player Collective to hear and address the Collective's concerns and improve the NWSL experience for Black players. In October 2022, the Joint Investigative Team received a report that then-Thorns Head Coach Rhian Wilkinson had disclosed to the Thorns's HR director potentially inappropriate interactions with a player with whom she had formed a friendship. Racing Louisville entered into a severance agreement with Holly upon his departure, which provided for a severance payment to Holly of $14,000. Players also reported that Burke continued to yell at a player during a game when she was experiencing a panic attack on the field. One player said that the observed closeness between Holly and the staff member created a crazy, weird power dynamic," where the staff member was given improper decision-making authority over issues like nutrition. ", Investigators for the NWSL/NWSLPA report say they reached out to approximately 780 current and former NWSL players regarding the investigation; about 150 were eventually asked to share their experiences. At the time, the NWSL was addressing a number of other issues with Sky Blue, unrelated to misconduct against players, and Duffy recalled "being confused" about how to handle Holly's relationship with Pearce Rampone and how Holly's departure fit into other concerns with the club. E. Reports of Misconduct in 2020 and 2021 In 2019, as the national team players departed for the World Cup, Kurtz expected to have opportunities to start for the Courage. She recalled that her interview for the role was conducted at U.S. Soccer, by U.S. Soccer employees. Sunil Gulati (U.S. Soccer, President, 2006-2018) and Dan Flynn (U.S. Soccer, CEO and Secretary General, 2000-2019) The League's Unstable History and Players' Fear of Collapse Historically, the processes and procedures for players to elevate concerns about club staff have varied across clubs. Shim attached to her email to Baird her September 16, 2015 email to the Thorns in which she made the complaint against Riley, along with responses to her complaint by Garcia and Plush. It's across the sport. When Baird asked Levine if they should meet with Farrelly, Levine replied that they should email Farrelly first. A second investigation into systemic abuse in the National Women's Soccer League was released Wednesday, providing further details of how the league, its clubs and the U.S. Soccer Federation failed to protect players and allowed misconduct to run rampant throughout the 10-year-old league. The coaches both denied any retaliatory intent and instead claimed the reasons for their negative treatment of certain players and the proposed player waivers or trades were based on either performance or the players' negative attitudes. The next day, Riley said, "A deal is a deal," and he did not require the team to run the suicide mile that week. She felt that he had been grooming her and identified his conduct as abusive. The NWSL planned to offer the same in-person anti-harassment training in 2020 but did not do so due to the pandemic. 74, At the time of Benstiti's hiring, Bill Predmore was the club's majority owner and CEO, and he conducted the head coach search process. Even Clarkson told the Joint Investigative Team that he felt that the head coach and general manager roles should be held by two different people, and that he raised this issue with the Dash's president. Coaches' behavior may cross the line into emotional misconduct when their criticisms are divorced from performance-related or corrective language, including by using insults or derogatory language to criticize players, attacking characteristics of players that are unrelated to their professional performance, or threatening players' careers. Covington and Weil (collectively, the "Joint Investigative Team) reviewed all reports indicating that a person in a position of power in the NWSL or one of its member clubs engaged in or facilitated inappropriate conduct towards NWSL players, including discrimination, harassment, sexual, physical, or emotional abuse, and retaliation related to such reports. It should also provide examples of the types of personal attacks or degradation of players that are prohibited by the Anti-Harassment Policy. The message internalized by these players was that the institutions of which they were a part were at constant risk of failure and that by rocking the boat, they could single-handedly cause that failure.