NWSL investigation finds 'ongoing misconduct,' details culture of abuse, Red Stars owner Whisler selling stake in club, NWSL year in review: Extreme parity, emerging USWNT stars, new CBA, Yates report, more, NWSL abuse allegations as they happened: Portland Thorns, Washington Spirit timelines, day by day, Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.). After interviewing coaches, players, and club staff, the Joint Investigative Team concluded that Cromwell and Greene retaliated against players for participating in the March Investigation in violation of the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy. 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. In September 2021, this requirement was updated to include assistant coaches and other club staff who would regularly interact with players. While the investigation into Clarkson was ongoing, players submitted an additional formal complaint and again reached out to the Joint Investigative Team to raise both related and additional concerns about Clarkson's treatment of players, expressing fear that Clarkson would retaliate against them if he learned they had raised complaints. As an example of this favoritism, another player The Joint Investigative Team further found that Goalkeeper Coach Aline Reis did not fully cooperate with the investigation, in violation of NWSL policy, including by pressuring players to share favorable information with investigators. A former player told the Joint Investigative Team she believed the investigation was "inconclusive because no action was taken." Instead, Wilkinson said he told Lines that U.S. Soccer had the report, and Paulson said Wilkinson was advised to direct to the NWSL questions the Flash had about Riley. E. 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 6 After Riley joined the Thorns, he targeted Thorns player Mana Shim. On today's episode of the Dynamic Leaders Podcast, Colin is joined by Alyse LaHue. The conclusion of the report similarly minimized players' concerns in favor of Dames's and Whisler's self-serving explanations. 88, U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro characterized U.S. Soccer's relationship with the League as a "regulator and sanctioning body." 18 episodes. Some owners described their involvement in terms that one would not expect from owners of professional sports franchises. Whether that is through shrewd maneuvering, or the luck of incompetence, is an open debate. 7. It's important to have time to yourself in any relationship. "Some types of misconduct against players, including certain instances of sexual abuse and manipulation, have already been widely reported. These considerations included the coaches' sudden fixation on and urgency in removing these players, the labeling of these players by Cromwell and Greene as "negative and not "bought-in," the decision to avoid interactions with these players and plan to exclude them from certain team activities following the March Investigation, and Cromwell's and Greene's shifting justifications for the intended transactions. In the 2015 survey, two players for the Red Stars stated that Dames was "abusive." Holly stepped down as coach of Sky Blue during the 2017 season, and Simon was waived by Sky Blue in 2018. Gulati told the Joint Investigative Team that he surmised he had received legal advice that there was nothing that could formally be done to stop Riley from coaching elsewhere in the NWSL. The player reported that when her teammate had approached the owner about mistreatment by Burke, Baldwin "did nothing about it." I didn't accept it." coach, and Alyse LaHue, the former general manager of Gotham F.C., each received two-year suspensions from the league. Plush eventually resigned as CEO of USA Curling nearly a month after the Yates report detailed his inaction and culpability in allowing Riley to continue coaching in the NWSL following Riley's 2015 sexual misconduct in Portland. Mental Health First Aid training tailored toward sport professionals could help players and staff develop the skills to recognize and respond to players navigating mental health challenges. According to one player, this staff member began dating the player mid-season. Some players explained that their own experience playing for tough or abusive coaches in youth leagues or in college colored their ability to accurately determine whether NWSL coaches' conduct constituted emotional misconduct. After this exchange, the player reported having a panic attack in the locker room, and multiple interviewees described her as crying and visibly upset when walking onto the field for the game. The staff member and player then moved to a second club, where they continued their relationship. Whisler recalled that the club worked to get the severance agreement "done by midnight" on November 21, and he signed the agreement that night. [we] use the [NWSLPA] as a voice or shield to speak to the executives at the club. 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. Morgan and NWSLPA President Tori Huster also spoke on the phone with Baird and Levine about the issue. While the NWSL did not specify the reason for the fines, multiple reports indicated that they were the result of Red Stars co-owner Sarah Spain and then-Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue expressing their support for Gorden publicly on Twitter after the league had asked team staff members to refrain commenting on the incident. Whether the conduct was severe or repetitive and whether it was intentional are factors that may influence this analysis. To be eligible for future employment in the NWSL, Cromwell and Greene must participate in mandatory training regarding retaliation, discrimination, harassment, and bullying, and must participate in mandatory executive coaching. Following the meeting in which Clarkson requested player apologies, at players' prompting, a Black club staff member led a presentation discussing racial injustice at another club meeting. More broadly across the NWSL, several witnesses recalled instances when coaches and other club staff would confuse non-white players, sometimes repeatedly. In the investigation commissioned by U.S. Soccer and led by Sally Yates, the former U.S. attorney general, one small reference was made regarding LaHue, which read as follows: Our investigation also uncovered examples of inappropriate conduct by club personnel. Levine forwarded this email to Plush in September 2015. One club employee recalled that Riley often made comments about lesbian players, including that players dating women negatively impacted their playing performance and their commitment to the team. As one player described, Riley made it seem like "he had a direct line" to the USWNT head coach, and so as a player "you were willing to do everything he said to get you there." 4. Although the separation agreement included a specific carve-out to the non-disparagement provision allowing the club to share information about Dames with current players, club staff, and club ownership in connection with the organizational climate review, the agreement included no such exception for the NWSL and NWSLPA Joint Investigation. She also recalled that when the club left the player unprotected in an expansion draft, the staff member "went berserk" and "th[rew] other players under the bus." 1. Shim described Riley as obsessed" with players' romantic and dating relationships. 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. The Joint Investigative Team also found numerous deficiencies in the 2015 Thorns Investigation and subsequent communications by the Thorns, the NWSL, and U.S. Soccer about Riley's misconduct. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team he thought it would be important to Malik that, from Paulson's perspective, the Thorns accurately announced that Riley's contract would expire at the end of the 2015 season. Predmore confirmed that during the 2020 Challenge Cup, he was informed by a staff member that Benstiti made comments to a player about the quantity and type of food the player was eating during a team meal. As a result, players felt they could not "risk going for dinner." Coordinate with Clubs and U.S. Soccer to Improve and Centralize Hiring Practices Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue was fired in July after an investigation connected to the league's antiharassment policy. Paul Riley joined the NWSL in December 2013, when the Thorns hired him as head coach for the club's 2014 season. U.S. Soccer's 2019 Consideration of Riley for U.S. Women's National Team Coach Multiple current and former players from the Kansas City Current raised concerns that Head Coach Huw Williams retaliated against players for participating in an August 2021 meeting with other club leaders, including club owners Chris and Angie Long. The tweet led to public support from Gorden's teammates, other NWSL players, and others. Kurtz continued to struggle with Riley as her coach, and described her experience of the 2019 season as "hellfire." The draft statement explained that the club conducted an investigation into Riley, determined that bad judgement [sic]" was involved, and "chose not to renew his contract." For example, while Whisler told the Joint Investigative Team that he had not uncovered any red flags regarding Dames before his hire, two players expressed that concerns about Dames were known in the soccer community. According to that document, Wilkinson told Lines and then-Flash President Alex Sahlen-who is also the daughter of former Flash owner Joe Sahlen and the wife of Lines-that an investigation into Riley had occurred based on "only one incident with a disgruntled player," but that no wrongdoing was found. After that night, Riley continued to make inappropriate advances towards Shim. B. This misconduct did not occur in a vacuum. According to Kurtz, Hammond told her that he had spoken with Riley and she would not be allowed to leave the club. The investigator did not ask the players about this assertion or take other steps to determine the accuracy of the claim that the players wanted to return. One person who works with players in the League mentioned that she had seen text messages to other players from coaches that engaged in such emotional manipulation. Rather, working closely with U.S. Soccer, she proceeded "stepwise" until she felt she had collected enough information to speak to Dames and Whisler. Kaleigh Kurtz reported to the club that Riley made her uncomfortable and called her "chubby," and the club responded by telling Riley that he should speak to players about fitness," not "weight." Reflecting on the prevalence of player-staff relationships, one player asked, "Has the policy changed? Despite this high turnover, the NWSL has proven to be more resilient than its predecessor leagues. Some club policies also were less protective of players than the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy. 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. Simon said she was "terrified" to go to Holly's apartment alone, so she often came up with excuses not to go, or she would bring Hendrix with her. Another player stated that Holly liked to play mind games" with players, including one incident in which he purposely benched a starting player immediately before a game just to observe her reaction, and then threatened to cut her from the team when she reacted poorly. While Gotham's July 2021 announcement of General Manager Alyse LaHue's termination specified that LaHue had violated "League policy," it did not specify that she had violated the League's prohibition of harassment. According to Cone, Malik thanked her and expressed that he did not know what she was talking about, but that he would make sure players were safe. 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. A player on another team recalled that after her coach physically "stormed" after a player to make an example of her mistake to the rest of the team, that player "shut down . Washington Spirit According to O'Connor, he informed players that a player made an allegation against Holly, the allegation was Whisler himself admitted that the club had an inadequate HR person and the person who served as "HR lead for the club at the time scare[d] people, exacerbating these problems. Players also reported that club staff, including coaches, were unhelpful to players who experienced mental health challenges. The NWSL should provide clear guidance to players, club staff, and League staff addressing how to use the program and clear examples of disputes that are appropriate for the program. Wilkinson responded that the trade was "purely a player move that made sense." Angie Long did not recall many details of discussions regarding these player transactions. Trainings should also explain that even if there are other reasons for taking an adverse action against a player or staff member, if retaliation is a motivating factor for taking an adverse action, the adverse action is retaliatory and a violation of the Anti-Harassment Policy. The NWSL Players Association ("NWSLPA") also demanded an independent investigation into abusive conduct. Jeff Plush (NWSL, Commissioner, 2014-2017) When Holly was let go-not for his mistreatment of players but for a reported relationship with a player-Sky Blue publicly framed Holly's departure as a mutual agreement, did not acknowledge Holly's misconduct, and expressed gratitude towards him. This is inconsistent with the final USSF Dames Report issued in September 2019, which stated that Dames was still "unpredictable," and that he was continuing to target specific players "for constant criticism" and yelling excessively. Another player recalled being hesitant to participate in prior investigations out of fear that her participation could be traced back to her and shared with club owners, the coach, or others. Instead of addressing players' concerns, Whisler repeatedly downplayed them and protected Dames throughout his tenure. In some of these texts, Riley had noted that his messages to Shim "get a bit riskee [sic]," and he complained that he never saw Shim alone, telling her, "[Y]ou avoid me like the plaque [sic]." Failure to Identify Reporting Channels and Obligations in Club AntiHarassment Policies Representatives appointed by each of the 12 NWSL club owners comprise the League's Board of Governors, which acts on behalf of the League. III. Simon explained that she would request to train or meet with both of them, but sometimes when she would arrive at their house, Pearce Rampone would not be there, and Holly would "always give a reason she wasn't there." The 2022 Collective Bargaining Agreement retained the waiver system, but provided four weeks of severance pay for waived players. Inappropriate Comments About Player Weight and Body Types The revised policy should state that waiving players, trading players, or buying out players' contracts could be retaliatory and a violation of the policy if a motivating factor for the player transaction is the player's engagement in a Protected Activity. This included not disclosing the identities of players interviewed, absent their express consent, to the NWSL, the NWSLPA, or any club, unless it was necessary to do so to prevent ongoing inappropriate conduct. Shim contacted Riley by email that July, telling him that his conduct was inappropriate and made her uncomfortable. Given the pervasive fear of retaliation in the NWSL, the absence of an anti-retaliation provision is particularly problematic. This is partly due to institutional factors; SafeSport only has jurisdiction over reports concerning NWSL coaches or staff who hold U.S. Soccer coaching licenses. Over the following weeks, Riley continued to comment on Kurtz's weight. It was not until August 2021 that the league implemented a process requiring clubs to submit head coaching candidates to the league for vetting and approval. As the season wore on, Riley became more demanding of Shim, and she struggled to say "no" to Riley's advances without angering him and risking retribution. The latest report into allegations of abuse in American womens soccer was published on Tuesday by the National Womens Soccer League and the NWSL Players Association. Cone told the Joint Investigative Team that prior to her discussion with Malik, she had received a phone call from a player agent stating that Riley had previously acted "inappropriate[ly]" towards a Thorns player. 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. Some owners regularly analogized the players to children or daughters, which both staff and players alike found unprofessional. Players sometimes reported misconduct through player surveys conducted by the NWSL, even though the surveys were not specifically intended to capture this information. For much of the NWSL's history, the NWSL and many of its clubs did not employ any designated HR staff. Later that night, Bates texted Starr informing her he spoke to Racing Louisville Executive Vice President James O'Connor and Racing Louisville President Brad Estes about the sexual harassment, and they needed to know who the player was. amounted to verbal and emotional abuse." Some players also reported that the SafeSport trainings are not applicable to professional women's soccer and are geared toward youth sports, with the trainings including examples of misconduct involving children. One assistant coach recalled another coach making comments about players' weight and once telling a player at a restaurant, You can't eat this. Covington and Weil (collectively, the "Joint Investigative Team) reviewed all reports indicating that a person in a position of power in the NWSL or one of its member clubs engaged in or facilitated inappropriate conduct towards NWSL players, including discrimination, harassment, sexual, physical, or emotional abuse, and retaliation related to such reports. During his interview with the Joint Investigative Team, Harrington described the incident differently: Harrington said he was at the hotel when one of the players either messaged or called him to ask for help taking an intoxicated player to her hotel room, which he claimed he did. Require Coaches to Adhere to Club Medical Staff's Decisions Regarding Player Health and Ability to Train and Play . She recalled thinking at the time, "they're all adults, and did not consider the "context of how these people met." Around 2020, the NWSLPA took on a more active and public role in advocating for player safety and well-being. Before retaining Riley, the Courage spoke to numerous people who knew Riley. The report stated that "Dames and Whisler offered credible explanations" for Dames's behavior in one incident. The Joint Investigative Team looked to a variety of sources, including the League's 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy and professional coaching standards, when making these assessments. E. Paul Riley (Portland Thorns, Head Coach, 2014-2015; Western New York Flash, Head Coach, 2016; North Carolina Courage, Head Coach, 2017-2021) It described instances of sexual abuse, unwanted sexual advances by a general manager, emotional abuse, cronyism, racist remarks, the blurring of professional boundaries and retaliation of players who complained about their mistreatment.
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