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In 2018, former Red Stars player Christen Press made a complaint about Chicago Red Stars Head Coach Rory Dames to U.S. Soccer, alleging that he engaged in verbal and emotional abuse. Shim attached to this email her 2015 complaint. Long did not indicate that she was concerned about potential retaliation against the players who spoke up at the meeting. Adding to this controversy, in July 2011, the WPS players' union filed a grievance that accused Borislow of bullying and threatening players, and creating a "hostile, oppressive and intimidating work environment." Club staff designated as the individuals to receive reports of potential misconduct should regularly meet in person with players-without coaches and other club staff present-to explain their roles and reporting procedures. A staff member at the club said that Baldwin "[got] protective and [dug] his claws in about people. For much of the NWSL's history, the NWSL and many of its clubs did not employ any designated HR staff. At the other end of the spectrum, another club "leaned on the League to run the background checks" or, in the case of its head coach, "did not do that vetting because in the soccer community, [the coach] was such a public and well-known figure." 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. Two players described Dames's mood shifts as "a cycle of abuse." Another player said, "There's a time and a place for a good yell." Paulson further noted that this was not the first time he told Malik that Riley had been terminated; he said he told Malik about the termination during a meeting of NWSL owners prior to this August 2019 call. Shim told the Joint Investigative Team she cried when Riley joined the Flash; she said she never wanted to see Riley again, and she was concerned for other players. The club fired LaHue in July 2021. A player who participated in the USSF Dames Investigation told the investigator about an instance in which Dames kept her from visiting her parents. Gotham fired her on July 9, 2021, and said in a statement seven days later that the dismissal was based on the results of a league investigation into a complaint of a violation of league policy.. These documents included organizational and policy documents related to the clubs, as well as documents related to specific reports of misconduct and subsequent investigations. In a text message she sent about bringing in the expert, Cromwell stated, "We don't want [those players] around this week." Over time, she felt that Dames was learning details of her personal life" from these players and felt the need to "distance herself" from them. Former Utah Royals head coach Craig Harrington and former Gotham GM Alyse LaHue drew two-year bans, with further conditions on subsequent NWSL employment. E. Reports of Misconduct in 2020 and 2021 60, a) Drinking with Players In the fall of 2022, Kurtz decided to share Riley's misconduct with the Joint Investigative Team. The Joint Investigative Team found that the underlying culture of the NWSL created fertile ground for misconduct to go unreported. 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." Former USWNT General Manager Cheryl Bailey would serve as the League's executive director. For example, one staff member recalled hearing Holly call a Sky Blue player "lazy" and "dumb." In addition, she agreed that Dames's conduct would violate the SafeSport Code of Conduct, if it had applied. C. I don't think so, but I've honestly never asked. The NWSL should consider expanding and further supporting formal pipelines for former and current players who are interested in coaching and support those players in their pursuit of coaching positions, beyond the current They also feel the non-fraternization policy, first implemented in January 2018, must be more explicit, extend to staff beyond the head coach and "clarify that any sexual or romantic relationship between players and those in supervisory roles over players is strictly prohibited, even if the relationship is consensual. . Riley told her he would do whatever he could do for her, adding, "You know I love you." Gotham FC in a spotlight New subjects include details on why former Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue was fired in July of last year. First, many players were hesitant to share information with the Joint Investigative Team. The Joint Investigative Team investigated specific instances of misconduct that shed light not only on the lived experiences of the impacted players, but also on the cultural and It [did not] matter what kind of abuse and toxicity they [were] creating. 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 Though Levine cautioned Whisler against retaliation, Levine confirmed to Whisler the identity of the complaining player. Failure to Identify Reporting Channels and Obligations in Club AntiHarassment Policies Two players remembered that he lashed out at one player in particular, saying something like, "Everyone knows you want to have sex with me. Then-Sky Blue President and General Manager Tony Novo reported that by August 2017, there was "enough bad blood" on the team and Holly's relationship "became so disruptive to the organization that Sky Blue decided to part ways with him. Three players said that they heard Dames make racist remarks, including referring to black players as 'thugs and telling one Black player that she was acting like a gang member after a game in which [she] played aggressively." The player reported that she later told Clarkson she found the comment offensive, and he laughed again. The club announced Holly's termination "for cause on August 31, 2021. In addition to the SafeSport Trained Core Course and three annual refresher courses, medical staff are required to take a 60-minute course titled, "SafeSport for Health Professionals: Your Role in Preventing Abuse." He asked her what she was eating, told her she looked chubby, and told her she would need to lose 14 pounds before the game to keep her starting role, telling her, "I hope you know I'm doing this because I love you." For example, and as discussed in detail above, when Riley was separated from employment with the Thorns and subsequently hired by the Flash, neither the Thorns nor the League informed the Flash of the precise issues or investigative findings against Riley. The League should consider requiring that clubs certify that they have revised their anti-harassment policies to meet the baseline requirements of the League's Anti-Harassment Policy and that they have disseminated their policies and the League's policy to all staff and players. Overall, the downplaying of Riley's misconduct by key individuals with first-hand knowledge evinced that the Thorns, the NWSL, and U.S. Soccer did "The club has a tremendous history and close relationship with its fans, so it was important we listened and remained completely openminded throughout the process. Both players and club staff reported being unsure what conduct violates the Anti-Harassment Policy and what is required under that policy. We discussed them at length in his interview." The location of Shim's and Farrelly's interviews-the Thorns's stadium-was not an appropriate setting for such a sensitive conversation and contributed to Shim feeling uncomfortable and concerned that staff would see her being interviewed. According to the staff member, Predmore said the Benstiti weight-shaming issue was a cultural thing and that he "worked on it." I'm told that people at The Equalizer later reported that the investigation stemmed from a complaint filed with the league under its anti-harassment policy. . Formation of a Players' Union . She said, "I was made to feel by U.S. Soccer that I was in the wrong, there was nothing to report, and that this was acceptable." Rather, she said the focus of the interview was on assessing the truth of Shim's allegations and determining whether Farrelly had told anyone about the incident. Separately, during a large group meeting with Baird and Levine, she told them about some of her experiences with Riley. Overall, even the employee handbooks that generally acknowledged that club employees must comply b) Another witness reported that Dames used "homophobic" language directed at players to demean them. 97, In an email exchange in July 2017, Sky Blue owner Steven Temares asked Novo whether "Christy has a relationship that takes advantage of any player or makes his independence as a coach questionable among the players." In September 2015, Gulati and Flynn received Shim's email containing allegations against Riley, and during the Thorns's investigation, they received some updates related to Riley and to the investigation from Levine. Kurtz also reported in this meeting that Riley made "sexual comments to her and criticized her weight, including by calling her "chubby." LaHues behavior in connection with [the player] was improper and inappropriate, and a violation of league policies . One player on the bench reported that she did not recall those specific words, but recalled Clarkson reacting with "disgust on his face" while the injured player "was visibly crying and upset." Plush responded to Shim acknowledging receipt, and he forwarded the complaint to then-personnel at U.S. Soccer, which at the time managed the NWSL, including U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati, CEO and Secretary General Dan Flynn, General Counsel Lisa Levine, and Chief Financial Officer Eric Gleason. 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. One player recalled Harrington saying, on multiple occasions in front of players, "I need to have sex with someone tonight who's not my wife." 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. In August 2020, Holly was named head coach of Racing Louisville, and in November 2020, Holly selected Simon in the expansion draft. Provide Mandatory Annual Anti-Bullying Training Several players raised concerns about Riley encouraging players to drink to excess. This training should encompass conduct and scenarios that players, staff, and volunteers at professional clubs could potentially encounter. As a result, the Joint Investigative Team was not able to fully question LaHue about her interactions with the player. These factors do not constitute a bright-line test; Gulati further noted that it was his understanding that U.S. Soccer could not impose discipline on Dames, and that, in his view, U.S. Soccer had "no ability to discipline coaches as manager or as the governing body." Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that he had recalled that Golub received a call from Lines during which they discussed the allegations against Riley, but Paulson no longer believes that call occurred because Golub and others have told him it did not. LaHue's inappropriate messages continued even after the player told LaHue that it felt like LaHue was acting like a jealous girlfriend," and asked LaHue to "accept that we are working together and nothing more. The player explained that although she repeatedly pushed back against LaHue's inappropriate However, he could not recall any request by Holly or Holly's attorney that the provision bind the club. O'Connor responded, Confidentiality in our culture suggests it is an issue which is either illegal or immoral," and the players responded that it did not fall into those categories. The Joint Investigative Team is not aware of any action by U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, or the Red Stars to address the behavior described in the 2014 comments. In evaluating professional coaching standards, the Joint Investigative Team reviewed and considered professional and academic literature on verbal and emotional abuse in sport. The first departure occurred in August 2020, when Royals owner Dell Loy Hansen sold the club after reports surfaced that he had made racist comments. 2. The investigation's limited, stepwise approach meant that some players on the Red Stars were not even aware that there was an ongoing investigation into Dames's conduct. Aside from Lines, Levine told the Joint Investigative Team that she could not recall any specific follow-up by the League or U.S. Soccer based on survey results. If [we have] a concern, we're going to sit down and try to find a solution. He also said, If you're trying to build trust, which is what we're trying to do, it's hard to build trust if someone's saying to you, '[I] can't tell you where it's coming from.' The NWSL began its own investigation into the player's complaint, but stopped after two days at the direction of U.S. Soccer. Levine did not report Riley to SafeSport between its creation in 2017 and the publication of the Athletic article. One owner said, "I came on as a passive investor. One player said Williams bragged that he was the only head coach in the League who could lose every game and not get fired. The League and clubs should post easily-identifiable links to online reporting channels on websites where current and former players are likely to see them. Whisler recalled that the club worked to get the severance agreement "done by midnight" on November 21, and he signed the agreement that night. One member of the NWSL community criticized the SafeSport trainings as not being interactive and consisting of lectures and short quizzes that participants are not required to pass before proceeding with the training. Paulson acknowledged in the letter that the club had made an "opaque" public announcement regarding Riley's termination, and he outlined new and ongoing initiatives for improvement. The NWSL should also encourage players to reach out to the NWSLPA for additional support and guidance in navigating reporting misconduct. Whisler said he then proceeded with the trade based on "soccer reason[s]" after consulting with the League. 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. As one player explained, Dames would make "mean" comments and call people names rather than say things like bad pass." In a written statement to the Joint Investigative Team, Plush contended that he was "very clear" with Malik that the Courage should not retain Riley and that Malik should reach out to Paulson to understand why Riley was "no longer coaching in Portland. Plush said he made Malik aware that the Thorns had conducted an investigation into Riley, though he acknowledged he did not disclose the investigative findings or conclusions because he had been advised by counsel that this information was "confidential" and was not the League's information to share. LaHue is supportive of the ongoing reforms that are taking place in the NWSL, it said in part. However, the Joint Investigative Team found no evidence that the letters were written or sent. Misconduct against players has occurred at the vast majority of NWSL clubs at various times from the earliest years of the League to the present.". Several of these players described Clarkson as fair, but tough on players based on their soccer performance and potential. Levine remembered that Holly left Sky Blue because of his relationship with Pearce Rampone and that the relationship created "issues with team chemistry but could not recall any complaints or concerns with respect to Holly's treatment of players. However, there is substantial work to be done. Multiple club staff reported that on an away trip, Holly sat at an airport gate with Pearce Rampone, while the rest of the team sat together at a different gate. The NWSL should revise the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy to clarify the actions that could be considered retaliatory. [C]lub staff in positions of power made inappropriate sexual remarks to players, mocked players bodies, pressured players to lose unhealthy amounts of weight, crossed professional boundaries with players, and created volatile and manipulative working conditions, it says. Several players said that Holly dating Pearce Rampone also affected the way he treated other players. 15, "manipulative" and noted that Holly stopped building her up and "became a monster" after she began a relationship with someone. One player compiled other players' accounts of Benstiti's speech into a formal complaint, which reported that Benstiti said, "If I see you [eat] snacks, I will kill you; told players he would be monitoring their food and snacks; and "specifically brought up Lindsey Horan and said, 'I don't care, I will do the same thing and I don't care if it's in the paper."" Following the 2015 Thorns Investigation, Farrelly saw one of her fears coming true; within less than a month after Paulson and Wilkinson received the report detailing Farrelly's account to the Thorns's investigator, Wilkinson informed Farrelly she was being traded. Club ownership noted that the individual had "cleared" his background check and that they had planned to hire him, but that they ultimately chose not to hire him after the NWSL advised against it. But some players and club staff described that Clarkson seemed to defend stadium security, and players and club staff expressed disappointment at Clarkson's and the club's failure to attempt to understand the Black players' perspective. c) Inappropriate Player-Staff Relationships 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. 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. Ultimately, WPS terminated magicJack's franchise rights in October 2011. Even within the soccer world, the player explained, a tone appropriate for the field would not be appropriate in other settings, such as locker rooms, team dinners, or one-on-one meetings with players. [The owner's] people [got] to stay, no ifs ands or buts about it-there [were] no consequences for [his] people." 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. 3. No further information was made public until October 2022. Listen to Alyse's thoughts on why women's soccer is on the rise the United States, the story behind re-branding Sky Blue FC's to NJ/NY Gotham FC, and how Alyse is leveraging the power of Gotham's fans to inform th . Gulati asked the group to meet the next day to discuss the matter. Riley asked Shim out to dinner, though she made excuses to avoid accepting. According to Markgraf, Wahlke said that the Thorns had investigated the matter, and Markgraf understood from the conversation that Riley had been cleared and that his departure from the club was not related to the 2015 investigation. 96, player commenting in the 2020 player survey that Burke used demeaning language. Farrelly tried to pretend these sexual encounters never occurred, but Riley would try to talk about them with her. Clubs and Owners According to one player, this staff member began dating the player mid-season. When the player was emotional after the game, Burke reportedly continued to yell at her and called her "selfish." 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 WUSA enjoyed initial success, with all-star lineups, television exposure, and high attendance at games. Dames also texted certain players "all the time, including late at night. Multiple players reported concerns about staff members having frequent social interactions with players and controlling players' social lives. f) Failure to Disseminate Findings The NWSL should conduct an assessment of its HR and Legal departments to determine whether they are sufficiently staffed to conduct thorough and prompt investigations of allegations of misconduct. Unprofessional Communications Require Separate Housing Accommodations for Players and Club Staff In September 2015, Sky Blue, an NWSL club now known as NJ/NY Gotham FC, expressed an interest to the NWSL and the Thorns in speaking with Riley regarding a coaching position. Other misconduct, which this Report discusses in detail below, has not received as much, if any, public attention. 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. The NWSL and NWSLPA ultimately directed Covington and Weil to jointly conduct an independent, thorough, and objective investigation, to be led by Covington, under the direction of a newlyformed Oversight Committee. Ex-Philadelphia Independence coach Paul Riley fired from NWSL team amid allegations of sexual misconduct, Joanna Lohman was fooled by Paul Riley in Philadelphia, where he allegedly coerced her teammates, Megan Rapinoe criticizes Paul Riley, who briefly coached her on the Philadelphia Independence, Equalizer Soccer reported the anti-harassment detail, U.S. Soccer promises action after Yates investigation details abuse and sexual coercion in NWSL, California residents do not sell my data request. * In essence, that's part of building trust, you have to create transparency. Regarding confidentiality, O'Connor stated repeatedly that confidentiality was at odds with the club's culture of trust" and "transparency," and that there was no need for confidentiality in reporting unless there were issues that were "illegal or immoral." The staff member and player then moved to a second club, where they continued their relationship. 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. Baird consulted Levine-who had worked as general counsel for U.S. Soccer in 2015, and for the NWSL since 2017, and who had been kept closely apprised of the 2015 Thorns Investigation when it occurred-on how to respond. Alyse LaHue (@alahue) September 23, 2019 So as much as LaHue has enjoyed coming into Manhattan for the AdWeek panel and then hanging around to talk about the upcoming game (and maybe. One club staff member stated that Dames would give the team three days off, but would not inform them until the day before, leaving the team "stuck [and] not able to get out of Illinois. The staff member said, I don't know if that's him being controlling, but also noted that it felt like Dames didn't like people leaving market." Under the language of the policy, the question in evaluating conduct is whether it has the potential to cause emotional harm for a similarly situated player, and not whether the target of the conduct in fact experienced such harm or whether the emotional harm was specifically intended. Eventually, she reported the staff member to her coach because she felt that the staff member was "crossing the line and making [her] uncomfortable." 9 Because background checks were not required for player-facing staff until late 2021, several of the coaches, staff, and other individuals discussed in this Report were not subject to those checks. The calendar crisis explained. Clarkson was described by many players in the report as unpredictable and temperamental, which "created a culture of anxiety." 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 . 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. However, Wahlke did not take steps to engage with the League or the Courage about why Riley was still coaching in the NWSL. When they arrived at the hotel, where the team was staying on the same floor, she and Riley walked back together. However, Shim preferred to stay in Portland, where she already had a lease and was working as a private coach, so she asked Riley if the team would try to keep her. Riley stepped away to use the restroom, and Farrelly and Shim discussed leaving. For example, Racing Louisville player Erin Simon observed that former Racing Louisville Head Coach Christy Holly, discussed at length below, would inappropriately put his hands on players "all the time in training, and a rookie teammate went along with his inappropriate touching because she was a bench player and feared being cut from the team. While the temporary protocols mentioned only coaches, general managers, and team presidents, in practice, the NWSL directed clubs to submit for background checks all employees who work closely with players. D. According to the report, one player recalled that players "felt forced to attend" social interactions with Dames, and if they did not, he "wouldn't look at [them] the next day at practice." The NWSL should advise clubs and coaches that if a coach has legitimate health or fitness concerns about a player's weight, that coach should speak privately with the club medical staff so that the medical staff can address the concern privately with the player. A third player stated that Lines "often encourage[d] hard fouls in training, which created a dangerous and toxic team culture during training. The NWSL began planning for a 2021 anti-harassment training, but the training did not happen before the crises that emerged in the fall of 2021. Wahlke also showed USWNT General Manager Kate Markgraf-who was involved in hiring the USWNT coach and who told the Joint Investigative Team that Riley was never seriously considered-a document containing some of the allegations that had been made against Riley in 2015. James Clarkson communicated with players in a manner that created anxiety and fear for multiple players. And the report ties those biases to issues in the sport as a whole. I never had the ability to quickly lose weight." Formation and Mandate of the Joint Investigative Team Gulati told the Joint Investigative Team that he surmised that he had been given legal advice not to disclose information regarding the allegations and investigation, but could not recall any specifics about that advice. The new report claimed it studied all reports of inappropriate conduct toward players in the league since its launch in 2012, reviewing over 200,000 documents and conducting over 200 interviews. . When Farid Benstiti was hired by OL Reign, he was explicitly instructed not to discuss weight or nutrition with players. The League is also part of a soccer ecosystem in which mistreatment of players is endemic one which affects not only the NWSL, but other professional leagues, both domestic and abroad, the report says.