.88 C. Estes explained that Holly indicated this conduct "may have flowed over" from his time in New Jersey to his time as head coach of Racing Louisville. The NWSL should establish and enforce a policy that provides clear guidance to clubs on their use of non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements in circumstances involving alleged or substantiated misconduct under the Anti-Harassment Policy. The Joint Investigative Team spoke to multiple current and former players from the Red Stars, ranging from Dames's first season in the NWSL to his last. Sexual misconduct, as used in this Report, is a broad term intended to encompass a range of conduct, including conduct that could be described as sexual assault, sexual abuse, and sexual harassment. In one instance, a clubwhich had properly followed the protocols with respect to its new head coach-hired two assistant coaches without informing the NWSL or completing the NWSL's vetting process. She was later named the team's interim general manager in April 2019 after former GM Tony Novo resigned. 1. 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. On Dames's behavior to U.S. Soccer's investigator. A different player explained that "a lot of coaches . 81, After the end of the 2021 season, when the Current finished in last place in the League, Williams was relieved of his coaching duties, and he moved to a scouting role at the Current. Farrelly told the Joint Investigative Team that the announcement "solidified" her decision not to tell her own story, noting the hiring was "extra validation that Shim's allegations did not seem to matter. An individual affiliated with the USWNTPA described former U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati as a puppeteer overseeing the League and recalled Gulati exerting authority over proposed player trades. The National Women's Soccer League on Monday permanently banned four former coaches from working in the league, in the wake of BigLaw probes that revealed a raft of sexual misconduct and toxic . This former player said a few players were kind of being weirded out" by Dames's invitations, because they felt he was "always asking" them "to go get food" or to "hang out" with him. coach, and Alyse LaHue, the former general manager of Gotham F.C., each received two-year suspensions from the league. 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. According to Kurtz, Hammond told her that he had spoken with Riley and she would not be allowed to leave the club. Instead, it should require clubs to notify and provide relevant factual information to the NWSL when a club terminates the employment of any staff member, regardless of job title, or takes other disciplinary action due to misconduct. Cromwell also sought to waive or trade other such players. One of the players recalled that Benstiti said, I don't care if you go to the newspapers no more fast food. Press had first shared concerns about Dames in a September 9, 2014, meeting of USWNT representatives from the NWSL. A player at Racing Louisville reported feeling that complaints about Christy Holly were not appropriately addressed due to the close relationship he had with club management. . Clarkson, according to players interviewed in the report, targeted a couple of players each year to berate. (1) During the retaliation investigation, one of the players identified by Cromwell and Greene as having been involved in the March Investigation was informed that she would be waived by the club, and word spread in the club that Cromwell wanted to waive or trade several other players who she believed were involved in the March Investigation. 2. Several of these players described Clarkson as fair, but tough on players based on their soccer performance and potential. Williams proffered non-retaliatory justifications for the transaction to the Joint Investigative Team. 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. Sexism and Gender Bias READ MORE: Ex-Philadelphia Independence coach Paul Riley fired from NWSL team amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Levine recalled that she reported to Flynn and Gulati during this time. "We existed because [our owner] wanted a soccer team for his daughter. Create a Diversity Advisory Committee Dedicated to Implementing DEI Initiatives Many players reported that they feared instability both in terms of their own careers and the viability of the League, that they were advised to feel grateful to have the chance to play the game at all, and that they felt a personal responsibility to sustain the existence of the NWSL by keeping their heads down and their complaints unvoiced. One club, in hiring a head coach, spoke to management at two of the coach's former clubs, individuals at the League and U.S. Soccer, players at one of the coach's former clubs, player agents, and a non-NWSL-affiliated member of the women's soccer community. For example, the report summary stated, "The players broadly described how Dames did not maintain professional boundaries, was too close to certain players, and tried to gather information to get close to others. 1. Leaders within U.S. Soccer and the NWSL, including the Board of Governors and club management, must lead the effort in building back trust with players and creating a safe working environment for all players. Summary of Inappropriate Conduct.. A. The two parties ultimately decided that a joint investigation made the most sense, with Covington taking the lead under the direction of an oversight committee. Unwanted Sexual Advances Toward Players IV. 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. Former Sky Blue player Nikki Stanton said that Holly frequently told her in training sessions, If you want to be the best" in the League at your position and make the national team, "you need me." b) Failure to Investigate Allegations from Player Surveys Whisler recalled that the club worked to get the severance agreement "done by midnight" on November 21, and he signed the agreement that night. NWSL staff responsible for reviewing player survey results were not trained on how to handle player survey responses suggesting misconduct against players. Horan also said "the French coach was very brutal with it." As the report summarizes, LaHues alleged misconduct included sending the player inappropriate text messages that continued even after the player told LaHue to accept that they were working together and nothing more. LaHue expressed an emotional reliance on the player, repeatedly questioned the players interactions with another individual, and pressed the player for more attention.. LaHue expressed an emotional reliance on the player, repeatedly questioned the player's interactions with another individual, and pressed the player for more attention. This player sensed that Riley "wanted to keep [her] feeling like [she] owed him and would do favors for him. Consistent with the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy, the NWSL should require League and club staff to preserve documents relating to allegations and investigations of misconduct for at least seven years. Wilkinson also said he told Lines that Riley was a good coach if not for the reason he had been fired. The Thorns's handbook contains a similar Anti-Fraternization Policy which states that "[d]ating, romantic, and sexual relationships between players and staff and between managers and subordinates are prohibited." Simon was afraid to tell anyone of Holly's abuse because she was scared for her physical safety if Holly found out she had reported him. 115, C. For example, in 2018, Horan wrote an op-ed about her time at PSG and stated what she "went through was almost like abuse emotionally and mentally," and "extremely intense." Just get out there and fucking play." Texts between the player and Burke indicate Burke spoke to her supportively at one point in or around June 2020 about her A few hours after the report was released, LaHues lawyer, Kelly Hoffman, issued a statement. 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. Other players similarly reported that they feared retaliation from Burke, or otherwise held back from criticizing Burke, due to incidents in which Burke threatened to waive players who disagreed with him and due to the fact that he had unilateral control over player contracts. Following that email, Riley's behavior towards Shim changed: he barely acknowledged Shim, and her playing time noticeably dropped. Two players expressed the concern that speaking out about issues of race could jeopardize a player's It further stated that the club's executive team and Holly each agreed not to make any written or verbal communication in any form . Interviews with club and League personnel suggested a lack of information sharing both within Sky Blue and with the League. Only two clubs' employee handbooks-the Spirit's and Gotham's-referenced the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy. The Management Agreement explained that U.S. Soccer would "provide NWSL with all management, governance, operational, administrative, and advisory services. U.S. Soccer remained the manager of the NWSL until December 31, 2020. One player, who was vocal about racial equity, told the Joint Investigative Team that Burke and an assistant coach pressured her to leave her "blackness off the field" and discouraged her activism. That initial policy was created with a primary focus of maintaining a safe environment, free of harassment. The NWSL should revise the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy to clarify the actions that could be considered retaliatory. Investigative Methodology. One of the more significant changes revised the procedures for handling and investigating reports of potential violations. Racing Louisville During the course of the investigation, an attorney from the law firm engaged by the Thorns provided Levine-who in addition to her duties at the time as general counsel of U.S. Soccer would advise the NWSL-with updates regarding the progress of the investigation. The NWSL should consider consulting with the NWSLPA regarding how to best inform players about the results of such investigations in a manner that protects the confidentiality of players and other individuals who cooperated in the investigation. 112, As it moves forward, the NWSL should continue to take affirmative steps to empower players, hear their concerns, and implement reforms in response to player concerns. The NWSLPA was initially conceived as a means to improve communication between the players and the League and to facilitate reporting and addressing of concerns about the player experience. Pulling off the feat of moving to Red Bull Arena has been a longtime goal for LaHue. Malik said that after he spoke to Gulati, he then spoke to Paulson, who told Malik to ask the NWSL for a copy of the 2015 investigative report, rather than providing Malik with a copy of the report himself. When asked about this, the lawyer who led the investigation for U.S. Soccer said the issue of whether to take intermediary action "was not discussed with [her]." Club Statement on NWSL/NWSLPA Report pic.twitter.com/ATZPBk1pxc, The Philadelphia Inquirer published a statement they received from LaHues lawyer, Kelly Hoffman following the release of the Joint Investigative Report on Wednesday. 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. There is more history." h[ad] meetings in their hotel rooms and held these meetings with [the] door closed." An attorney retained by the Thorns following the report by Shim did not conduct any interviews or otherwise play an active role in the investigation. The Joint Investigative Team collected documents and other materials from a variety of sources, including the NWSL, its member clubs, the NWSLPA, U.S. Soccer, and various individuals. You need to lose weight. One player said that during the 2020 Challenge Cup, which began five months after Benstiti signed his contract, Benstiti was "already hiding food under the table he didn't want girls to eat." Clubs have also at times failed to share critical information about certain applicants with other clubs, which resulted in clubs hiring coaches accused of misconduct without sufficient information about the allegations. Another player also recalled hearing players say they "would be at [his] pool and drinking," but Riley would then "get mad" because he thought that the players should be training. The NWSL planned to offer the same in-person anti-harassment training in 2020 but did not do so due to the pandemic. For instance, a member of the NWSL office expressed concern in February 2022-over two months after the temporary protocols were implementedthat there was still "confusion" over whether certain members of club staff Burke told the Joint Investigative Team that he was a demanding" coach and acknowledged that he could be "profane" at times, but he adamantly denied that his behavior was abusive toward players. Gotham FC,. Multiple players reported hearing that Williams referred to this player, a leader in the locker room, as "toxic." Some players of color reported they did not feel they could report racially insensitive and offensive conduct. Wilkins, Estes, O'Connor, and outside legal counsel met with Holly later that day and terminated his employment. Of the ten clubs that were in operation in October 2021, seven did not have dedicated HR staff tasked with receiving complaints or reports of misconduct and with investigating misconduct. Subscribers toThe Equalizer now receive 50% offtheirsubscription toThe Nextfor 24/7 coverage of womens basketball. Several individuals separately confirmed Benstiti was explicitly told he could not discuss weight or food with the players. Riley publicly withdrew his name from consideration for the position on August 20, 2019. 3. When LaHue was named GM in April, her first big goal was to re-establish a relationship with the fanbase, which had been very vocal about ousting former Sky Blue president and GM, Tony Novo. Multiple players reported to the Joint Investigative Team that Holly had retaliated against them for raising concerns. When LaHues termination was announced in June 2021, an NWSL spokesperson put out a statement via Meg Linehan on Twitter stating: Following a complaint, the league conducted an investigation and shared the findings of that investigation with Gotham FC. Novo recalled that Holly denied a romantic relationship with Pearce Rampone. (2) The NWSL announced that Cromwell's and Greene's employment contracts were terminated effective immediately and that they were ineligible for future employment in the NWSL unless approved by the Commissioner. 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. Benstiti was the head coach of PSG from 2012 to 2016. In addition to reports of misconduct involving Paul Riley, Rory Dames, and Christy Holly, described in detail below, the Joint Investigative Team identified many instances of coaches, staff, club leadership, and other individuals in positions of power engaging in misconduct directed at players. You had no job security, a player explained. Comments further stated that Dames made "sexist, racist, abusive, and other prejudicial remarks at players." It does not appear that the investigator affirmatively asked players if this incident had occurred in an attempt to corroborate the allegation. At some point that night, only Riley, Shim, Farrelly, and Thorns Assistant Coach William "Skip" Thorp remained in the bar, and the four left together when the bar closed. Incorporate Anti-Retaliation Training Into Other Mandatory Trainings Anti-retaliation training should define retaliation and emphasize that retaliation can take many forms-not just termination of employment or formal discipline. Craig Harrington: The former Utah Royals coach is reported to have. In response to the August 11, 2021 Washington Post article stating that Burke verbally and emotionally abused players, Levine told others at the NWSL that the League had not received any complaints about Burke, despite a During Holly's tenure as head coach, players reported to Sky Blue management that Holly was verbally abusive, but the club took no action in response to those reports and ultimately failed to share accurate information about Holly's conduct both with the League and other clubs. Another player said Dames was "hostile and sarcastic" and would "shame" her, but would not pick on the top players" or "anyone with leverage." The trainings should remind supervisors of their obligations under the AntiHarassment Policy to report alleged misconduct to the NWSL HR Office or the NWSL General Counsel. This player who observed the incident from the bench said she discussed the incident with Clarkson and he agreed that he did not handle it correctly. Player survey comments alleging that NWSL or club staff have engaged in misconduct should be assessed and, where appropriate, investigated. Despite receiving updates on the investigation, U.S. Soccer failed to follow up on evidence that suggested Riley may have had a more extensive relationship with Farrelly. The policy prohibits harassing conduct, regardless of whether it rises to the level of a legal violation. 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. 99, In addition, investigation findings were often not memorialized such that they could be Sports and The New York Times, published articles detailing her experience at PSG. The club also wrote to the Joint Investigative Team that Johnson and Malik spoke with Plush from the NWSL, with Gulati and Flynn from U.S. Soccer, and with Paulson from the Thorns. 84, stepping down from his position as the Spirit's head coach, the club first announced he would be reassigned to the club's front office. In multiple instances, Clarkson failed to understand how his conduct impacted players. Riley asked Shim out to dinner, though she made excuses to avoid accepting. Shim had joined the Thorns during the NWSL's inaugural 2013 season, prior to Riley's hiring. Her dismissal was based on the results of an NWSL investigation into a . Alyse LaHue was appointed as General Manager of NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in April 2019 (then known as Sky Blue FC) and has been leading the club's dramatic turnaround since. E. Standards for Assessing Reports of Misconduct.. Simon recalled that when she told him he could not touch her like that and that it was messing with her, he responded, "If you don't want me to touch your tits, I won't touch your tits." Like any league or business in its infant stages, we learn from experience and mistakes. Create and Enforce a Policy Discouraging the Use of NDAs in Connection with Allegations of Misconduct In a written statement, Flynn stated that he did not recall personally reviewing the results or being made aware of concerns regarding the quality of coaching or abusive coaching tactics. When Racing Louisville was considering hiring Holly, no one contacted Novo regarding Holly or the reason he departed Sky Blue. Multiple Spirit players expressed that they felt it was futile to report incidents to ownership or the club's general manager, as it was known that they were all just friends anyways, [and] there was no separation." Riley admitted in 2015 that he deleted Shim's email without showing it to anyone in a higher position of authority at the Thorns or the NWSL. 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. One player said she felt that she could not breathe or think when Clarkson yelled at her as she was playing; another said she felt under the microscope based on the position she played and feared she would be cut from the team. Farrelly tried to pretend these sexual encounters never occurred, but Riley would try to talk about them with her. With inconsistent anti-harassment policies between the league and various clubs and a lack of uniform training on how to identify and respond to inappropriate conduct, players lacked a clear structure in how to report. The Joint Investigative Team made substantial efforts to contact individuals who might have information relevant to past and present misconduct in the NWSL, and did not refuse any witness's request to speak with the Joint Investigative Team during this investigation. 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. 8. report said. The Joint Investigative Team found no evidence that Wahlke took any steps to transition management of the investigation to a successor when she left U.S. Soccer in 2020, and she does not appear to have notified anyone that she still considered the investigation open. Multiple players reported instances of club staff, including coaches, using racial epithets, making derogatory comments, using negative stereotypes, and making jokes about race and ethnicity. Both she and other players reported that Dames would fixate on certain players when he was yelling. Another player said that Pauw was able to monitor players and would tell them they could not go to the pool in the afternoon. However, the joint investigative team indicated in the report that based on the totality of the evidence, misconduct did occur, notwithstanding these discrepancies, which are not described in any detail. Dames responded, [S]he was one of the 2 in consideration prior to any of this crap going on per our text last night. One evening, he persuaded her to have dinner at an Italian restaurant in Portland. Dames yelled at players, targeted certain players for harsh treatment, made personal insults, and blurred personal and professional boundaries with players. After Thorp left, Riley brought out more alcohol and turned on music, asking Shim to dance with him. The player spoke to Levine and Duffy later that day to explain her concerns. Background checks should also be conducted on prospective owners of NWSL clubs, including prospective owners of expansion clubs or investors who are candidates to acquire majority or significant minority stakes in existing clubs. Burke called players insulting names, like moron, fucking asshole," and "cheat," and explicitly threatened to waive players who challenged his conduct or otherwise disagreed with him. Many players across the NWSL said they did not know how to elevate concerns about club staff, including coaches, within their clubs or to the NWSL. Shim reported that at his apartment, Riley offered her wine and placed his hand on her leg. Following the conclusion of the USSF Investigation, the Joint Investigative Team reviewed the Report of the Independent Investigation to the U.S. Soccer Federation Concerning Allegations of Abusive Behavior and Sexual Misconduct in Women's Professional Soccer (the "USSF Report"). A. In June 2018, shortly after hearing about one of the complaints about Dames to the NWSL, Whisler texted Dames that he stopped coaching young women after age 12 because "too many angry players can destroy." 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. The Courage never received a copy of the report or learned the full findings, which also discussed Riley's other serious misconduct. f) Failure to Disseminate Findings The Equalizer is partnering with The Next to bring more womens sports stories toyourinbox. Riley targeted Shim in other ways as well. In his interview with the Joint Investigative Team, Whisler said it was "clear that it was mutually beneficial," especially given that the Red Stars were "probably the poorest team in the League."
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