At Racing Louisville, for example, Holly lived in the same apartment complex as Simon and other players, one of whom described this arrangement as "weird." At the Spirit, a player reported that issues she had raised about Spirit Head Coach Richie Burke to the club's then-owner, Steve Baldwin, who players perceived to be a longtime friend of Burke's, always seemed to get back to [Burke] no matter what." The publication of this Report marks the conclusion of the Joint Investigative Team's mandate to investigate ongoing concerns of misconduct in the NWSL. Plush said he subsequently spoke to Joe Sahlen over the phone in December 2015 reiterating that the club should not hire Riley. In fact, concerns about Dames's behavior were well known by that point. 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. It was mean." 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. . Players at the Dash reported that they had heard that the club had hired an HR representative in 2021, but that players did not have much contact with her. It defines harassment as "unwelcome conduct, whether verbal, physical or visual, that is based upon a person's race or any other protected status." The Joint Investigative Team also conducted a substantial review of emails, text messages, and other relevant documents, including documents collected from the NWSL, the NWSLPA, U.S. Soccer, all 12 clubs, players, and other individuals. The Joint Investigative Team was tasked with making recommendations regarding the League's processes for identifying and investigating complaints of misconduct and addressing violations of the League's anti-harassment and discrimination policies. Multiple players said that they felt they could not decline social invitations from coaches. Players also recalled that Dames would threaten to shred a player's contract or kick them off the team or out of practice if they made a mistake. Although Racing Louisville's vetting of Holly was not atypical for clubs at the time, it did not go far enough in assessing his treatment of players. Some players recalled that a former assistant coach, while at a club-sponsored party where he was drinking heavily, made sexually explicit remarks to players. The player wondered, "Are you going to get a jokey type of day, or is he going to make your life hell that day?" The Joint Investigative Team heard different accounts regarding exactly what information was shared with players at this meeting. The clubs that do address these topics in their handbooks set forth policies that depart from the League policy in various ways. 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. Flynn did not specifically recall providing the details noted by Johnson; rather, he only recalled telling Johnson to speak to individuals at the Thorns and to other club owners prior to making a decision regarding Riley because others might know the results of the 2015 Thorns Investigation. In August 2019, a Thorns staff member emailed a draft public statement (which was never publicly released) to Paulson and Golub for review.
Report: Former OL Reign Coach Farid Benstiti Subject of Verbal Abuse Conduct Background Checks on All Prospective Club Owners, Staff, and Volunteers Who May Interact With Players
It's a vicious cycle." Farid Benstiti (OL Reign, Head Coach, 2020-2021)
She recalled feeling like she was being punished by them for her mental health struggles and for choosing to be home with her family during that time. In describing that meeting, Estes said that "the ultimate corroboration came from Christy Holly." 41, During the USSF Dames Investigation, multiple players reported similar concerns about
Two people used the phrase Jekyll and Hyde" to describe Holly. - NWSL investigation finds 'ongoing misconduct,' details culture of abuse. The New Jersey-based club wanted to recognize its growing reach across the region. 23, Thorns staff worked and players played games. A player and a former Sky Blue staff member both said that the environment at Sky Blue unraveled" when the team learned that Holly was dating Pearce Rampone. 107, defames, or is derogatory of the other. Citing the non-disparagement provision in the agreement, the club and its executives declined to speak freely with the Joint Investigative Team about Holly until the fourth quarter of 2022, significantly delaying this aspect of the
19, not respond appropriately to Shim's concerns for six years, until after Shim and Farrelly went public. This witness said that Riley did not make similar comments about players in relationships with men. Players raised multiple concerns about him to club management.
A New Brand, And Wider Aspirations, For NWSL's NJ/NY Gotham FC - Forbes Kurtz reported that Riley shared details of his sex life and asked her probing questions about her relationship. 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. This investigation found that players lacked effective channels for reporting inappropriate behavior. That news followed a report from Meg Linehan of The Athletic on Thursday that Paul Riley, who was fired by the North Carolina Courage, had inappropriate sexual relationships with players and made. Williams proffered non-retaliatory justifications for the transaction 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.
In her summary of the conversation, Levine noted that she had cautioned Whisler about potential retaliation. 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. mentally" and could not perform at her best for the rest of the year. However, the club did not share enough information about the reason for Holly's termination, leaving both players and the public uncertain about why he was fired. As one player explained, Dames would make "mean" comments and call people names rather than say things like bad pass." . 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. She also emphasized that she was focused on getting a balanced" perspective from interviewees; in other
According to Starr, Simon "begged her" not to say anything to anyone.
Whisler informed Dames that waiving the player "the day after she raised an issue (if it was her)" would increase the risk of a claim of retaliation, and Dames responded, "Of course it was her . 72, her a new one," about a player and within earshot of the player after she asked about practicing set pieces during training. 22, b)
However, Riley's misconduct at the Courage extended beyond inappropriate comments about weight. For example, he would ask Shim to come to his apartment to review game film, and on two occasions, she went. In an interview with the Joint Investigative Team, Gulati stated he could not recall being aware in 2014 of player survey comments from that year indicating Riley was verbally abusive. During its investigation, the Joint Investigative Team identified discrepancies in versions of an email exchange involving LaHue that was part of the file from the 2021 League investigation.
There's no one. 105, Soccer and the NWSL that the 2015 investigation did not reveal "unlawful harassment" but merely "poor judgment, and provided no explanation for this characterization, including how it squared with the contents of the report or the decision to fire Riley because his conduct violated multiple provisions of his employment agreement. [in] less than a day." "We existed because [our owner] wanted a soccer team for his daughter. After the article was published, six years after Shim had raised the alarm about Riley to the Thorns and the NWSL, Riley was fired by the Courage. Some owners described their involvement in terms that one would not expect from owners of professional sports franchises. Malik told the Joint Investigative Team that he thought at the time that Riley's drinking with players in 2015 was unacceptable" for a coach of the USWNT
In May 2022, the Joint Investigative Team commenced an investigation into reports from Pride players that members of the club's coaching staff were retaliating against players who they believed had participated in a previous investigation into misconduct allegations against coaching staff. U.S. Soccer, as governing body and NWSL manager, failed to ban coaches and staff who resigned or were fired because of misconduct, or to apprise the League and club owners of such misconduct, which allowed these individuals to move to other clubs within the NWSL. In one text, he sent her a photo of himself in compression shorts. It also provides new information around the suspensions and firings of several coaches and general managers and recommends how the league must change going forward. The report also indicated that Gotham was one of seven clubs where players indicated to the Joint Investigative Team that they were unaware of whether the club had HR personnel or otherwise did not know to whom they could report concerns at their club. A few weeks later, on June 12, 2018, another Red Stars player emailed the NWSL HR office to file a complaint about Dames and Whisler. The process through which coaches and other club staff are hired has varied, and some coaches hired by clubs have faced previous allegations of misconduct that were not discovered or explored as part of a background or reputational check. A majority of interviewees believed that Clarkson's mood could be unpredictablethat he could be hot or cold, or they would not know what to expect in terms of his attitude on any given day.
This incident was corroborated by both players and staff members. He stated it was included because, in Estes's view, no one would sign a unilateral non-disparagement provision. Recalling the club's mindset at the time, Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler explained that a check was not considered, as Dames was a well-known figure within the soccer community. The close timing between the March Investigation and the proposed player transactions creates a reasonable inference that the decisions were motivated in part by retaliation. Sky Blue FC's Alyse LaHue And for every role model out there, and every new one made, there's another awakening. Most players enter the League through a draft, and player contracts are not required to be guaranteed. Please sign in below. However, there is substantial work to be done.
Sources: Alyse LaHue out as Gotham FC general manager : r/NWSL - reddit When Riley was Farrelly's coach prior to the NWSL, he coerced Farrelly into having sexual intercourse on several occasions. In spite of this, there is no evidence that Levine provided the Flash with additional details about Riley's past conduct. Unwanted Sexual Advances Toward Players
The Thorns's public announcement merely stated that Riley would not be retained as head coach for the 2016 season, without mentioning the investigation or termination, and without providing any reason for Riley not being retained. Simon felt like she owed him, because she believed he played a role in getting her a spot at the camp. Since 2019, some clubs have offered their own anti-harassment trainings, but those trainings have not been approved by the NWSL, and one club's HR staff reported that the NWSL had not been helpful in developing trainings. 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. She said that she chose to come forward about her experiences and was willing to be identified in this Report to help other players.
The Joint Investigative Team found no evidence that any of the 2020 player survey responses were elevated to Levine or anyone working in HR at the League. In text messages to Dames, Whisler spoke negatively of Press and expressed suspicion about players' motives for raising concerns. Despite having knowledge of Holly's relationship with Pearce Rampone, and of its negative impact on players at Sky Blue, no one at the club spoke to former Sky Blue players to ask for their perspective on Holly. Many players and staff admitted that they struggled to identify the line between emotional misconduct and tough coaching." Both at the bar and as they were walking after the bar closed, Riley brought up Shim's and Farrelly's sexual orientations and raised the notion of the two players getting together. Shim needed to use the restroom, and Riley offered the use of his bathroom in his nearby apartment. To think we would keep her around is insane." 123, F.
Former Sky Blue President and General Manager Tony Novo told the Joint Investigative Team that Holly was "let go" from Sky Blue in 2017. When Racing Louisville learned of Holly's sexual misconduct toward Erin Simon, the club acted quickly, firing him within hours of speaking to Simon, and in spite of a request from the NWSL that they pause to let the League investigate.
10. Cromwell's, Greene's, and Reis's conduct could discourage players and staff from reporting misconduct in the future, and their conduct, therefore, directly contradicted the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy, which aims to detect and prevent misconduct, protect players and others from retaliation for engaging in Protected Activity, and create a safe working environment for players. The League's policy should ensure that player privacy is not used as a pretextual basis to justify agreements that undermine player safety and fail to protect the confidentiality of players who are impacted by misconduct. So far, the league and club have done a fine job keeping the details under wraps. Sports article mentioned Benstiti by name, stating that the club's technical staff, led by Benstiti, didn't care about communicating fitness goals respectfully."
NWSL commissioner resigns amid bombshell abuse allegations - New York Post The same player recalled that Pauw would "have certain [players] over for coffee and biscuits," which she felt was inappropriate. To be clear, the USSF never had responsibility for the day-to-day management of the NWSL." 80, d) Concerns of Retaliation at the Kansas City Current
Players from marginalized backgrounds, or with the least job security, were often targets of misconduct.". Another player, when describing a time her teammates requested that their club help them wash their uniforms, recalled that the club administrator responded, Be grateful you're even able to play for a team, getting paid for this . Describing Dames, a Red Stars player stated that a "huge day-to-day struggle was the fear-what was the day going to bring?" 3. Players sometimes reported misconduct through player surveys conducted by the NWSL, even though the surveys were not specifically intended to capture this information. The anti-bullying, anti-harassment, anti-racism, and anti-retaliation trainings should remind players and staff of the reporting channels available to report misconduct, including law enforcement where appropriate. The NWSL represents the third attempt to establish a women's professional soccer league in the United States. Rory Dames engaged in both verbal and emotional abuse and made racially insensitive and sexist comments to players. Further, the Joint Investigative Team found that the NWSL investigation put the complainant at risk of retaliation and failed to adequately prevent interference from the Red Stars. Simon said that during her first year playing at Sky Blue, nothing "out of the ordinary" happened. Some players and staff (other than Cromwell and Greene) were left with the incorrect understanding that none of the allegations had been substantiated, that no remedial actions were taken to address Cromwell's and Greene's behavior, and that the club was standing by the coaches. On July 16, 2021, Gotham announced that General Manager Alyse LaHue was terminated following an investigation into a complaint that she had violated NWSL policy. to any third-party that denigrates, disparages, criticizes,
The League should encourage all players, including those who are not members of marginalized groups, to take an active role in identifying and calling out misconduct. 14
They may need to navigate conversations about how players' fitness or injury recovery impact performance. In explaining this limited scope, the investigator stated that she did not have "unfettered discretion in the investigation." For example, in 2018, the owner of one club learned of a relationship between a staff member and a player. These vague public statements contributed to the failure to adequately share information between U.S. Soccer, the League, and clubs regarding coaches who committed misconduct.
Similarly, the players were left in the dark about the findings of the investigation. The Thorns initiated a week-long investigation (the "2015 Thorns Investigation") conducted by its HR director, who found that some of Shim's allegations were undisputed and who summarized findings against Riley in a final investigative report.
Behavior
The Joint Investigative Team was comprised of Covington, as counsel for the NWSL, and Weil, as counsel for the NWSLPA. Alyse LaHue (Sky Blue and Gotham, Vice President, 20182019, General Manager, 2019-2021)
Formation of a Players' Union .
Share Findings of Misconduct with U.S. Soccer and Other Stakeholders
Paulson said the Thorns's counsel who directed the 2015 investigation was concerned about a lawsuit against the Thorns and told the Thorns that it was the NWSL's responsibility to convey information related to the investigation to other NWSL clubs. NWSL and NWSLPA Joint Investigative Team
face allegations of misconduct. Several witnesses noted that speaking to a coach's former players or employers about the coach's behavior could surface issues that would not be uncovered in a traditional background check. 115, C.
He said that he did not believe Kurtz was saying that she could not play for Riley, and did not believe that Kurtz was upset or emotional during the call. The Thorns did not provide the Flash with a copy of the investigative report.