94, wrote that the staff were "not good" and generally stated there was "sexism and manipulation," and that "the combination of poor coaching and a destructive leader summ[ed] up [their] season." 10 Neither the Flash nor the Courage were provided a copy of the report that led the Thorns to fire Riley, and each received only limited details from the Thorns, U.S. Soccer, and the NWSL about Riley's misconduct in 2015. c) Meetings in Hotel Rooms Malik told the Joint Investigative Team that he communicated with Plush at the NWSL, who suggested Malik speak with Paulson about hiring Riley, and with Gulati at U.S. Soccer, who told Malik to reach out to Riley's previous employers. While the investigation was ongoing, Dames was not suspended and there was no intermediary action to prevent further misconduct that could harm current players on the Red Stars. Her investigation included interviews of Riley, Thorp, and four players; three of these interviews-including the interview of Farrelly-lasted 30 minutes or less. Many of the club anti-harassment policies provided to the Joint Investigative Team were inconsistent with the NWSL's Anti-Harassment Policy, including by prohibiting a narrower scope of conduct. Wahlke told the Joint Investigative Team that she did not recall reviewing the 2015 Thorns report in detail, but she recalled reviewing the email from the Thorns's counsel that concluded Riley had not engaged in unlawful harassment. Other individuals disputed this characterization. After Starr revealed Simon's identity to the club, Wilkins set up a meeting for later that morning with Simon, Starr, and Wilkins's supervisor. Things actually can be spoken up about, be brought to light." Two others explained why they felt Dames had used information about them to manipulate them. Williams was moved to a front office role at the end of that season. Examples of prohibited verbal conduct include epithets; derogatory comments or slurs; negative stereotyping; and jokes, kidding, or teasing about another person's protected status. Ultimately, WPS terminated magicJack's franchise rights in October 2011. Wilkinson also said he told Lines that Riley was a good coach if not for the reason he had been fired. NEWARK, NJ - After years of bad press, Phil Murphy's Sky Blue soccer team was. Wilkinson and Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that they were not aware of Shim's 2021 email to Baird. Misconduct in the League is not wholly independent from abuse that begins in youth soccer, where many coaches' and players' formative experiences shaped the way they engaged in, or reacted to, misconduct and abuse in the NWSL. During that interview, she explained that she was more involved in on-the-field issues and that Chris Long was more involved in sponsorship and other business issues. The Joint Investigative Team interviewed Simon twice, and her description of Holly's sexual misconduct was consistent during both interviews. Multiple players also said that Dames commented on players' attractiveness. as leverage to manipulate players. One player recalled that at Dames's suggestion, she spent more time socializing with players identified as Dames's favorites. If not, you can sign up below. This player told the Joint Investigative Team that she did not feel comfortable reporting Burke's misconduct to Spirit club leadership because of Burke's control over players' careers and because of his seeming closeness with certain club staff and leadership. Commissioner of the NWSL, detailing numerous instances of sexually inappropriate conduct by Riley during the 2015 season. A text message conversation between Whisler and Dames confirms the player's concern. (Paulson has since deleted these tweets.) 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. In several instances, when announcing departures of coaches found to have committed misconduct, clubs released vague public statements that obscured the reason for the coach's departure. The perception of closeness between Riley and the Thorns front office was not limited to players; former NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush remarked in an email, after learning that Riley had been hired at the Flash in 2016, that his guess" was that Wilkinson "helped" Riley with the Flash. . Trainings should include how to conduct an effective, traumainformed interview of an individual making a complaint, how to support that individual and not make comments that deter further reporting, how to document that interview, and how to elevate the issue to the NWSL. These background checks include education verification, employment verification, political exposure checks, and reviews of criminal and sex offender records, SafeSport records, civil litigation records, liens and judgments, bankruptcy records, and social media. Farrelly later recalled that she did not feel she was treated by Garcia as someone who had been targeted by Riley on the night of the kiss. Both Gulati and Flynn said they never reviewed the Thorns's 2015 investigative report prior to its October 2022 public disclosure by U.S. Soccer. F. Similarly, the League had no process for clubs to speak to former owners, general managers, staff, or players when hiring a new coach. Cromwell's and Greene's conduct fostered a fear of retaliation among certain players and staff at the Pride. 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. In March 2021, days after Baird received a letter from 240 NWSL players urging the NWSL to adopt an anti-harassment policy, Shim emailed Baird indicating that she believed the League had failed to take any action to protect players in response" to her 2015 complaint about Riley. For instance, one player recalled Holly telling her in the weight room that he wanted to "grab her ass" when he saw her squat. Ms. LaHue was placed on unpaid administrative leave while the NWSLs third-party investigator reviewed the matter. The report itself did not include or reference any finding about the lawfulness of Riley's conduct. After Holly learned that a different starting player had complained about his behavior to club leadership, he demoted her to training with reserve players. Another child, tween, teen and beyond will know the world is better when it's . The staff member and player then moved to a second club, where they continued their relationship. One-on-one or small group socializing for non-soccer purposes between players and individuals with supervisory authority may blur the boundaries between professional and personal relationships, present concerns of improper favoritism, or leave certain players feeling isolated or excluded. The injured player recalled that Clarkson angrily asked her, How the fuck are you so unprofessional?" The head coach emailed club management, stating that the assistant coach wanted clarification on what 'likes' on Twitter are racist or offensive," and the club president replied, I'll handle w[ith] HR. Later that day, the head coach told club management that, The players are fine, emotions are high but they do not have any problem with [the assistant coach]." The club had asked the NWSL to run a standard background check on this potential hire but did not request a reputational check. The NWSL should consider requiring clubs to conduct exit interviews of players who depart the NWSL and to share these exit interview notes with the NWSL. Players credibly reported to the Joint Investigative Team that Dames was "emotionally manipulative" and would use information about their personal lives against them. The NWSL should continue to update and revise the Anti-Harassment Policy to strengthen its protections against misconduct and retaliation toward NWSL players and club staff. On October 11, 2022, Paulson further stated that he was removing himself as CEO of the Thorns and the Portland Timbers, and was announcing a search for a permanent CEO. The USWNT has won medalsincluding four gold medalsin every Olympic Games except one since women's soccer was added as an event in 1996. Riley also engaged in other inappropriate behavior during his tenure on the Thorns, and he surrounded himself with staff members who were not likely to speak out against him. 2. He told the Joint Investigative Team, "We're all adults. Another player noted the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training, and specifically, anti-Black racism" training. The current policy states that prohibited retaliation could include adversely affecting working conditions, and the revised policy should expand upon what it means to adversely affect working conditions and provide specific examples, such as ostracizing or ignoring players, denying players training opportunities or playing time, or showing favoritism toward players. Spirit players reported that Burke also used the full N-word in recounting past racism against a family member; asked players if he should sing the "Black version" or "white version" of "Happy Birthday"; and joked, to a player wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt and who had a black eye, that "black eyes matter." Novo could not recall the date of this meeting. Levine suggested in a February 2016 email that she would prepare letters to Riley and to the owner of the Flash reminding them that coaches must remain professional, but the Joint Investigative Team did not find evidence that any such letters were written or sent. The sale was finalized in March 2022. There are some interesting suggestions in the report, too, including a call for the NWSL to establish and enforce a policy discouraging the use of nondisclosure and non-disparagement agreements "in circumstances involving alleged or substantiated misconduct under the Anti-Harassment Policy." 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. The report states that vague public statements contributed to the failure to adequately share information. At the end of the meeting, Simon was informed that the club planned to fire Holly that night. Based on the findings, the Thorns terminated Riley. Players also reported club staff inappropriately making comments about players' appearance and personal lives. The report summary further included the finding that [w]hile a few players described their belief that Dames inappropriately shares personal information they all appeared to be referring to the [same] incident." Paulson said that Wahlke had spoken with Levine and that Wahlke had some knowledge about the 2015 complaint and findings, including that the investigation found no unlawful harassment. Weight-Shaming by Farid Benstiti Players also reported that Burke continued to yell at a player during a game when she was experiencing a panic attack on the field. Gulati said that he generally tells people who are considering hiring candidates to call former employers, but in this case, he was also specifically hoping that Malik would contact the Thorns. When asked whether she thought Whisler's close relationship with Dames led to players' unwillingness to report Dames's behavior, the staff member said she did think "there came a point where players felt, '[W]hy are we even raising issues to [Whisler]? While recent efforts have been made to streamline the reporting and investigation procedures, the NWSL could take additional steps to further streamline and improve these procedures and communicate them more clearly to all players, club staff, and NWSL staff. In 2017 and 2019, the NWSL hired a law firm to conduct an inperson anti-harassment training for all players and a separate anti-harassment training for all club staff, though according to former NWSL General Counsel Lisa Levine, one club declined to participate in 2019. f) Failure to Disseminate Findings D. By this time, Whisler knew that The Washington Post was planning to publish an expos about Dames. report said. He complied with her request for a little while, but his inappropriate behavior resumed soon after. The club encouraged Simon to consider Historically, clubs sometimes conducted investigations into allegations of misconduct, and the NWSL was not involved in certain investigations. In April 2021, the NWSL adopted its first such policy, called the AntiHarassment Policy for a Safe Work Environment (the "2021 Anti-Harassment Policy"). Two players expressed the concern that speaking out about issues of race could jeopardize a player's Players recalled coaches monitoring the snacks and meals that players ate, forbidding players from eating things like fruit, peanut butter pretzels, and baked chips, and hiding food from players to prevent them from eating, even when the food was provided by the team. The conclusion mentioned none of these concerns. Whisler and Dames's text conversations reflect this benefit. Interviewees expressed that Clarkson failed to recognize when his ineffective communication was detrimental to players' emotional wellbeing, though many players also stated that Clarkson was tough but fair. g) Wilkinson informed the Joint Investigative Team that he did not recall staff raising concerns about misconduct by Riley. In early January 2018, a prospective purchaser of a club reached out to the League's Managing Director Amanda Duffy with concerns about relationships of this type. Holly offered Simon another contract in 2017, which she accepted. Even when provided with anonymous reporting channels during the course of this independent joint investigation, including through the NWSLPA, some players expressed skepticism that reports would be appropriately handled due to historical distrust in the League. 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.. When asked if he recalled coaches and players ever going to strip clubs together, Harrington recalled one instance after a game where staff and players went to a strip club together. In deciding whom to name, the Joint Investigative Team considered both the need for public accountability as well as the potential impact on player confidentiality. The players were not told which complaints had been substantiated and were told only that the "club has taken and will continue to take certain follow up actions as necessary to address these issues, whether real or perceived." This witness said that Riley did not make similar comments about players in relationships with men. When Simon arrived at Holly's house, Pearce Rampone was not there. The Current's employee handbook states that employees "should not be employed in positions with supervisory responsibilities over the work of any family member or other person with whom the employee has a romantic or similarly close relationship," but it does not clarify if this applies only to relationships between club employees, or whether it also applies to relationships between club employees and players, who are NWSL employees. Long pointed to the fact that "he wasn't winning" as the reason for the change in Williams's role. Duffy similarly stated that she did not recall why Levine sent her the report at that time. Sky Blue FC general manager Alyse LaHue reinforced her reputation as a draft-day wheeler-dealer on Wednesday night. Despite requests to the Thorns and the League, the Courage were not provided a copy of the 2015 investigative report and received only limited details from the Thorns, U.S. Soccer, and the NWSL about Riley's misconduct at the Thorns. Clarkson denied She recalled trying to leave Holly's house, but as she rounded a corner to go downstairs to leave, Holly grabbed her arm. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that Garcia and an attorney presented the report to Thorns leadership. Subsequently, on more than one occasion, Holly held doors open for Simon and grabbed her buttocks as she passed by him. The League added seven expansion teams, and four teams were rebranded or relocated. They stated that they had difficulty convincing the Board of Governors to act. The subjective experience is important to consider when assessing whether conduct rises to the level of emotional misconduct. The NWSL's predecessor leagues-the Women's United Soccer Association ("WUSA") and Women's Professional Soccer ("WPS")-both buckled under financial pressures. The policy should provide clear definitions and explanations of microaggressions so staff and players can identify and understand them, and it should explain how microaggressions and racist, antisemitic, and other derogatory language can constitute harassment. Seven days after the investigation began, Garcia completed a final investigative report, dated September 23, 2015, which was reviewed by attorneys from the law firm retained by the Thorns. Several Dash players expressed concerns with Clarkson serving as both coach and general manager, noting that players "[could not] talk to our general manager because he's our coach." Around August 2019, U.S. Soccer was considering Riley for the position of head coach for the USWNT, though several current and former U.S. Soccer employees stated that Riley was never in serious contention for the role. Players told the Joint Investigative Team that the assistant coach was away from the team for a few days, before returning without any warning to them. Whether or not players specifically described this particular issue as significant, the report should have independently assessed the facts provided by the players. . When Gothams statement leaned on the league, a further inquiry returned this statement: Following a complaint, the league conducted an investigation and shared the findings of that investigation with Gotham FC. Until now, the only reported detail was that LaHue was the subject of a complaint filed under the league's anti-harassment policy. Hendrix said she believed that Holly may have retaliated by taking her off the starting roster. None of the individuals interviewed by the Joint Investigative Team who had contemporaneous knowledge of Riley's misconduct, and who were in positions to take action at the Thorns, U.S. Soccer, or the NWSL, appeared to appreciate the seriousness of the misconduct, or viewed Riley as a danger to players, until Shim and Farrelly went public in 2021. Insufficient HR Staff at the NWSL and Clubs Farid Benstiti (OL Reign, Head Coach, 2020-2021) Shim recalled feeling uncomfortable because she felt that Riley was treating the evening like a date. This training should encompass conduct and scenarios that players, staff, and volunteers at professional clubs could potentially encounter. The same article reported that Horan said Benstiti and his staff were just terrible about discussing fitness goals and told players, You need to lose weight, you need to get thinner, you need to run more." Ratings: Fofana 8/10 as Chelsea pick up first league win in six, Ten Hag must learn from Mourinho to ensure Man United's Carabao Cup win is just the start, Raul and Valverde are keeping Madrid prodigy Alvaro's feet on the ground, Man United must make every penny count to beat FFP and continue recovery, LIVE Transfer Talk: Bayern still keen on Kane despite new Choupo-Moting contract. By January 2012, WPS suspended operations and announced it would be folding permanently in May 2012. The same player emphasized that "continuous commitment to anti-racism is important" and the burden should not be on Black players to educate others. This policy provides additional instructions regarding the reporting of complaints." In explaining the transactions the club made before the next season, Williams said, "We needed to make a lot of changes-we were last [in the League]. Following that email, Riley's behavior towards Shim changed: he barely acknowledged Shim, and her playing time noticeably dropped. Rather, working closely with U.S. Soccer, she proceeded "stepwise" until she felt she had collected enough information to speak to Dames and Whisler. Riley told her he would do whatever he could do for her, adding, "You know I love you." The NWSL should recognize that individuals in these groups may face additional barriers to reporting, and the League should ensure that its receipt and evaluation of complaints or concerns from members of these groups accounts for and embraces the particular context that may inform their experiences with discrimination and other misconduct. Other players reported instances of Dames texting players late at night, commenting on players' appearances, and "routinely" taking "some of his favorites out to dinner." "The lack of clearly established responsibilities allowed individuals within these institutions to disclaim personal responsibility for player protection and to turn a blind eye or shift blame to other individuals and entities, while players were left exposed to further misconduct and unsafe environments. She spent 5 seasons as General Manager of the Chicago Red Stars of NWSL and was the first woman to lead a men's USL PRO team as GM . 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. Another player wrote that Lines was emotionally abusive, "belittle[d]" people, and should be terminated. The NWSL should consider creating an Alternative Complaint Resolution program as an additional resource to address conduct that is not covered by the Anti-Harassment Policy. Players were frequently reminded of the fragility and financial instability of the League. Players also described how Riley hosted a multi-day social retreat at his house on Long Island, during which players stayed together in barracks-style quarters-on numerous twin beds-in Riley's attic. Hammond came away from the call with the understanding that Kurtz was uncomfortable with what Riley said, and he did not recall asking follow-up questions about the circumstances or any other concerns about Riley. Portland Thorns Whisler shared his perspective with the Joint Investigative Team that "if you're a coach and you know a player doesn't want to be in your environment, has other players upset because she turned something in to the League there's a chemistry issue that I think has to be thought through from a team health perspective." 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." In describing that meeting, Estes said that "the ultimate corroboration came from Christy Holly." D. Holly also crossed boundaries with other players by making unwanted sexual advances and overt sexual remarks to them. And we have to do something about it." After Simon signed with Racing Louisville, Holly and Pearce Rampone came over to Simon's parents' home for dinner. Cromwell and Greene also expressed a desire to remove these players from the team. Former Sky Blue President and General Manager Tony Novo told the Joint Investigative Team that Holly was "let go" from Sky Blue in 2017. Another player said that Pauw was able to monitor players and would tell them they could not go to the pool in the afternoon. The world of professional soccer, and professional sports more broadly, presents unique questions about what constitutes inappropriate conduct by coaches and other staff. (2) Shim said that particularly after that night, she was scared and feared Riley could physically try to restrain her or try to have sex with her. During that time, Lines spoke with Wilkinson, Lines's former teammate on the Portland Timbers and the New Zealand national team, regarding Riley and his suitability for the head coach role. b) Retaliation by Amanda Cromwell and Sam Greene Former coach Christy Holly is permanently banned from the league, and former general manager Alyse LaHue faces a two-year suspension with future employment in the league conditional. Background checks and reputational vetting of player-facing club employees were not mandatory for much of the NWSLs existence, the report says. When interviewed by the Joint Investigative Team, Levine deflected criticism of the NWSL's failure to act in response to these complaints onto the players themselves. As Equalizer has reported, the highly-anticipated report contained detailed findings of an investigation into numerous allegations of misconduct across the league. Kansas City Current II. V. Summary of Inappropriate Conduct 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. We interview the founders, investors, technologists, and early stage employees who are part of today's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Limitations and Challenges The club policies also failed to address NWSL reporting requirements. The same player stated that Holly would "attack" another player about her boyfriend, and Holly would tell this player that he felt like he was dating her. "We existed because [our owner] wanted a soccer team for his daughter. The player said she and the others felt like "[they were] never going to play again." A player who participated in the USSF Dames Investigation told the investigator about an instance in which Dames kept her from visiting her parents. Horan also said "the French coach was very brutal with it." 5. Players told the investigator that Dames (i) yelled excessively; (ii) singled certain players out for constant criticism; (iii) behaved unpredictably; (iv) failed to maintain professional boundaries; and (v) used personal information against players. Malik stated that Paulson's text message "re-emphasize[d]" this point. . 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. Clubs did not consistently prohibit player-staff relationships, which created confusion about whether such relationships were permissible. At the start of 2022, with the termination of U.S. Soccer's allocation system, the NWSLPA expanded its representation to include USWNT players competing in the NWSL. Simon then joined West Ham United in the English Women's Super League, a move she credited in large part to Holly's help and connections. According to Novo, after his meeting with the players, he took the concerns to the club's ownership and asked if the club could let Holly go. . Gotham subsequently terminated the GMs employment. In any case, Riley told them that if they kissed, the team would not have to run the "suicide mile, an intensive fitness drill, that week. Players The statement reads in part, Ms. The Joint Investigative Team hopes that this Report will inform and contribute to the continued change necessary to ensure that players in the League are safe, secure, and empowered. One night in May 2015, members of the Thorns went to a bar in Portland following a home game. The joint investigation team noted that all three clubs also "withheld key documents" from them until after the Yates report was released. Holly then declined to speak to the Joint Investigative Team. For example, one former player explained, If I don't cover my man and they score, that might warrant screaming." . The player said she did not report Burke's abusive behavior to Baldwin because she "figured he'd go to [Burke] and [she would] get waived during the season." A player also recounted hearing that around this time, Wilkinson asked Shim's agent at the time to meet in Portland. The NWSL should share with U.S. Soccer when a club employee is removed from a club due to a finding of misconduct under the Anti-Harassment Policy to allow U.S. Soccer to take necessary measures to prevent that employee from engaging in further misconduct in youth soccer or in other leagues, including the removal of coaching licenses where necessary.