The training should encompass sexual harassment and harassment based on other protected characteristics, including but not limited to race, religion, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. 16, the League come with the mentality of doing you a favor."
For example, one player reported to The Washington Post that after she resisted inappropriate comments and invitations from Dames, he benched her and forced her to practice with reserve players, rather than the first team. 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 Joint Investigative Team was comprised of Covington, as counsel for the NWSL, and Weil, as counsel for the NWSLPA. Provide Mandatory Annual Anti-Bullying Training
In these instances, U.S. Soccer, the League, and the Thorns shared incomplete and high-level information about Riley's misconduct, which underplayed the extent of his misconduct. In a second case, a club hired a technical staff member who participated in training sessions before his required vetting was complete. In 2022, in consultation with the NWSLPA, the NWSL replaced the 2021 AntiHarassment Policy with the Policy to Prevent Workplace Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying (the "2022 Anti-Harassment Policy"). Some of the sport's most prominent players are married to their former coaches, including their college coaches. 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. Where players' clubs shared ownership or management with men's teams, players reported that their owners prioritized the men's teams, even in cases where the women's teams were more successful. Another player on the same club recalled that club leadership gave the players the sense that if their owner was "thrown to the wolves" as a result of a player complaint, the club would cease to exist. Some players of color reported they did not feel they could report racially insensitive and offensive conduct. Another player also reported that Williams said, I'm going to ream her, I'm going to rip
113, players and those in supervisory roles over players is strictly prohibited, even if the relationship is consensual. We have the benefit of what I hope is a cultural awakening around privilege and a cultural awakening around people trying to understand someone elses perspective, Berman said. Clarkson put her in as a substitute, and she soon began struggling with pain. While some clubs have provided anti-harassment training to staff and players, the NWSL should develop and implement mandatory, uniform NWSL-wide trainings that address topics related to the Anti-Harassment Policy and that provide concrete examples of appropriate and inappropriate conduct. The NWSL should designate a team of NWSL staff to review and analyze player survey results. The Joint Investigative Team found, for example, that club staff in positions of power made inappropriate sexual remarks to players, mocked players' bodies, pressured players to lose unhealthy amounts of weight, crossed professional boundaries with players, and created volatile and manipulative working conditions. "We existed because [our owner] wanted a soccer team for his daughter. These protocols mandated that all coach, general manager, and president hires had to be approved by the NWSL and that such employees had to complete a New Hire Certification, complete an NWSL-directed background check, and have certain language included in their contracts. When U.S. Soccer did respond to the Joint Investigative Team's requests, it produced limited documentation and refused the Joint Investigative Team's request to identify the documents withheld.". On September 16, 2015, Shim reported Riley's conduct to the Thorns and to the NWSL. One player said that the observed closeness between Holly and the staff member created a crazy, weird power dynamic," where the staff member was given improper decision-making authority over issues like nutrition. Burke also reportedly described one player as a "moron" in front of others on the team. Toward the end of July 2021, Simon had coffee with Starr and told Starr that Holly had touched her inappropriately while reviewing film at the stadium. Johnson said Flynn told him an allegation was made that Riley asked "a player to kiss another female," and that Riley had denied this occurred. This was despite Shim and Farrelly both indicating in their 2021 communications that they were dissatisfied with the NWSL's response to the 2015 complaint and investigation, and Farrelly providing additional information regarding Riley that should have been of interest to the NWSL. As one staff member explained, there had always been a high interest and attention in this player by LaHue., The new investigation by the league and union said LaHue participated in an initial interview with the Joint Investigative Team but canceled a second scheduled interview and declined the Joint Investigative Teams repeated requests to reschedule., This was accompanied, investigators further said, by an email from LaHues lawyer calling the allegations false claims., READ MORE: U.S. Soccer promises action after Yates investigation details abuse and sexual coercion in NWSL. 40, longest-tenured coach in the League. One player reported that former OL Reign Head Coach Farid Benstiti announced to players, "If I see you eat snacks, I will kill you." Two prior leagues have." Holly then pulled down his pants and began masturbating in front of her. The history of women's professional club soccer in the United States has often been tumultuous. On Monday, the 43-year-old was elevated to head coach of the defending National Women's Soccer League champion Thorns, filling the void left when Wilkinson, a former Canadian international,. Among the suggested actions is involving players in hiring processes more formally and establishing information sharing among clubs. Provide Mandatory Annual Anti-Harassment Training
Players told the Joint Investigative Team that the NWSL's culture and the unstable history of women's professional soccer in the United States deterred them from raising concerns about abuse, bullying, harassment, and other forms of misconduct. That player also said that Black players were uncomfortable because the club often placed the substantial burden of engaging in race and other culture-related activities on them. When they arrived at the hotel, where the team was staying on the same floor, she and Riley walked back together. Club anti-harassment policies generally provided reporting channels for employees who believe they were subjected to or witnessed discrimination or harassment; however, none of these policies listed the NWSL HR Office as a reporting channel. Whisler said he then proceeded with the trade based on "soccer reason[s]" after consulting with the League.
7.
Around 2020, the NWSLPA took on a more active and public role in advocating for player safety and well-being. "Some types of misconduct against players, including certain instances of sexual abuse and manipulation, have already been widely reported. This includes harassment; sexual harassment; discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local laws; bullying; sexual misconduct, including the use of coercion, force, intimidation, or certain power imbalances; emotional misconduct; physical misconduct; and retaliation. Days later, the assistant coaches told her that they had never complained about her attitude. In interviews with the Joint Investigative Team, both Levine and Duffy remembered that they paused the NWSL investigation at Wahlke's request. The club also agreed to pay Dames through the end of the year. 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. 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. If you live with your partner (s) or friend (s), set up designated areas within your place where you can spend time alone. On November 4, 2022, these findings were conveyed to the NWSL, NWSLPA, Thorns, Wilkinson, and the player involved. Levine forwarded this email to Plush in September 2015. Coupled with the fact that Clarkson served as both head coach and general manager, this perceived close relationship led players to feel like they had no avenues to report their concerns and that no one was monitoring Clarkson's conduct to ensure that it was appropriate. In October 2022, the Thorns made witnesses available for additional interviews with the Joint Investigative Team. [C]lub staff in positions of power made inappropriate sexual remarks to players, mocked players bodies, pressured players to lose unhealthy amounts of weight, crossed professional boundaries with players, and created volatile and manipulative working conditions, it says. The NWSL should consider working with the NWSLPA to establish additional affinity groups, and develop similar partnerships with those affinity groups to improve the NWSL experience for all players. Based on the findings, the Thorns terminated Riley. It looks like I'm going to have to do that again." Even after repeated requests and lengthy negotiations with the separate law firm U.S. Soccer retained to respond to the Joint Investigative Team's requests, U.S. Soccer did not meaningfully respond to those requests until shortly before, and again after, the USSF Report was released. However, Wahlke did not take steps to engage with the League or the Courage about why Riley was still coaching in the NWSL. When recalling their early experiences in the NWSL, multiple players described feeling grateful in situations ranging from practicing in subpar facilities, to living with host families, to accepting a salary of $6,000 a year, to not being traded in retaliation for reporting a complaint. A staff member at another club reported that they overheard club management commenting that another staff member "had to go" because the staff member was questioning management, and that those comments created an environment of fear of retaliation.
The player reported that she later told Clarkson she found the comment offensive, and he laughed again. The club announced that Holly was terminated "for cause," but the announcement did not specify that the "cause" was sexual misconduct. During the lengthy investigation, players were given insufficient opportunity to speak to the investigator, and the investigator did not speak to any club staff members other than Dames. 2. 26, c)
b)
These sorts of threats were most frightening to fringe players, who felt that Dames had complete control" over their career prospects. Riley declined to respond to requests to participate in this investigation. The day Racing Louisville fired Holly, players received a text message to meet at the training facility that evening for an "emergency meeting. When the NWSL kicked off its fourth season in 2016, it became the first professional women's league in the United States to play more than three seasons. As another example, the summary stated, "Several players described Dames using personal information against players, in those words, but struggled to articulate what they meant by this allegation and to provide specific examples. . The evidence suggests he also discussed with Levine and with U.S. Soccer's outside counsel that Levine should give Sky Blue certain information about the allegations of sexual harassment against Riley, the circumstances of Riley's termination from the Thorns, and conclusions from the 2015 investigation. Days later, Racing Louisville entered into a severance agreement with Holly, which stated that the club's executive team and Holly could not make any written or verbal communication in any form . Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that the Thorns phrased the announcement this way based on the
The Report concludes with systemic recommendations for the NWSL and its member clubs. As discussed above, in early 2022, counsel for the Pride conducted an investigation into reports of inappropriate conduct by Head Coach Amanda Cromwell and Assistant Coach Sam Greene. The player wondered, "How the hell am I going to lose 10 to 15 pounds without starving myself? The Joint Investigative Team reviewed the USSF Dames Report, spoke to the lawyer who led the investigation and the lawyers at U.S. Soccer who directed it, and independently reviewed Dames's conduct as head coach. When Racing Louisville sought feedback on Holly from references at Sky Blue, Novo was no longer there and the individuals at Sky Blue that Racing Louisville spoke with did not know about and therefore did not convey the full universe of concerns originally raised by players against Holly, instead citing only Holly's relationship with a player. F.
75, Benstiti saying that he would replicate his "very strict monitoring and measuring [of Horan's] weight and what she's eating" with the club's players. c) Meetings in Hotel Rooms
In December 2012, the Red Stars officially hired Dames as its first head coach in the newly-formed NWSL. 88, U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro characterized U.S. Soccer's relationship with the League as a "regulator and sanctioning body."
Malik stated that Paulson's text message "re-emphasize[d]" this point.
During her tenure as NWSL president, Amanda Duffy was made aware of, but failed to act on, Shim's 2015 complaint against Riley and the subsequent investigation conducted by the Thorns. Furthermore, he instructed Benstiti to bring any dietary or weight-related concerns to another staff member, who could have conversations about diet and fitness with players. As one player explained, Dames would make "mean" comments and call people names rather than say things like bad pass." Historically, SafeSport has been an ineffective reporting channel for NWSL players experiencing misconduct. Recommendations..
The NWSL should share the nature of the misconduct with U.S. Soccer while protecting the confidentiality of anyone who experienced discrimination, harassment, bullying, or other forms of abuse, to the extent feasible. Clarkson was described by many players in the report as unpredictable and temperamental, which "created a culture of anxiety." Club owners, coaches, and general managers from Utah Royals FC, OL Reign, NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, Racing Louisville FC, and later, the Chicago Red Stars departed their clubs following reports of misconduct towards players, including overtly racist conduct, verbal and emotional abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. In October 2022, the Joint Investigative Team received a report that then-Thorns Head Coach Rhian Wilkinson had disclosed to the Thorns's HR director potentially inappropriate interactions with a player with whom she had formed a friendship. Several players said that Holly dating Pearce Rampone also affected the way he treated other players.
Months before that, in July 2017, Whisler had also texted Dames that he was "trying to think of a buyer" who would purchase both the Red Stars and Eclipse. Beginning in March 2022, the Dash instituted a practice of sending a weekly email to players containing information about the club's HR resources in an attempt to make reporting channels more visible to players.
NWSL, NWSLPA joint investigation finds 'widespread misconduct'
The statement that no unlawful harassment" had occurred proved significant going forward, as it was repeated a number of times in the following years as a summary of the investigation's conclusions. One player reported that Williams stopped communicating with her, would ignore her when greeting other players, and made efforts to avoid her. This trial and error process is what highlights need and in turn creates important policies and guidelines for stability in our infrastructure, Zerboni told Equalizer. In a separate conversation with Dames, Whisler revealed that he had also spoken to a different player about the complaint. The separation agreement included mutual non-disparagement and confidentiality provisions, and a mutual release of claims. She also emphasized that she was focused on getting a balanced" perspective from interviewees; in other
Former NWSL Executive Director Cheryl Bailey said that in the League's early years, there was an expectation that clubs would each develop their own HR capability. 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. Soccer." (Racial microaggressions are intentional or unintentional verbal or behavioral actions, often brief and commonplace, that insult or discredit people of color). 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. By June 26, 2018, Levine had transferred her records of the short NWSL investigation to
The same player said that Holly told her she should send a photo to someone she had planned to meet for a date but who did not show up for the date. He told the Joint Investigative Team, "We're all adults. Reports of Misconduct in 2020 and 2021
Gulati, who said he had never received the 2015 investigative report, said that although he could not remember clearly, he surmised that he was given legal advice by Levine not to disclose or discuss information regarding the allegations and investigation by the Thorns. Meetings between players and club staff, particularly one-on-one meetings, should take place at club facilities or in appropriate public spaces or offices. Players at a number of clubs reported that staff members engaged in unprofessional communications with them. Another player described the way Riley spoke disparagingly about players' weight to another coach, in the open, where other players overheard. However, she noted that she had asked a female staff member for help, and that when this staff member came over to help, Harrington "was also there." Lydia Wahlke (U.S. Soccer, Chief Legal Officer, 2017-2020)
First, the Joint Investigative Team found that the 2015 Thorns Investigation was inadequate in key ways. Develop and Enforce Guidelines Addressing Appropriate Interactions Between Club Staff and Players
A player similarly described Riley policing details, like players' off-field wardrobes, and described his behavior as creating a constant state of being on edge." Riley had a long and successful coaching career when he joined the Thorns in 2014, having held several head coach positions and having been named coach of the year in two soccer leagues. During this meeting, Simon emphasized that she wanted to remain confidential, because she felt scared and unsafe. Some club policies also were less protective of players than the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy.
He frequently texted Shim, even though she did not always reply, sometimes asking her to come to his apartment or turning the conversation to her sexual orientation. Finally, in certain instances where players reported concerns publicly, including on social media or in statements to the press, or have otherwise authorized the Joint Investigative Team to use their names, this Report identifies those players where appropriate. 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. The focus of the investigation was too narrow, and interviews were not sufficiently thorough. Dames's boundary-blurring behavior is described in more detail below. 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. Also no, it's not a double standard. 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. It didn't matter that the girls had other jobs-this team was their life." The League also suspended former Utah Royals coach Craig Harrington and former Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue for at least two years on Monday. Co-Founder of Gonzo Soccer: Girls Soccer & Leadership Academy for under-served girls, a 501 (c)3 organization in the U.S., Mexico, and Colombia. The player reported that Dames had texted one player at night to tell her he liked her outfit, and that he had "a tendency to 'pick on weak willed players and . Wilkins similarly recalled O'Connor or Estes stating that Holly had a potentially inappropriate relationship with a player. Maybe. Whisler responded to Bailey via email, I'm not sure how you want me to respond," and Bailey told Whisler she was "not looking for any response."
Garcia declined to speak with the Joint Investigative Team. The NWSL's Founding, Initial Success, and Challenges
Former Sky Blue President and General Manager Tony Novo told the Joint Investigative Team that Holly was "let go" from Sky Blue in 2017. Levine explained to the Joint Investigative Team that she made the report "the day [she] learned of [the] sexual relationship between [Riley] and a player," referring to Farrelly. The Joint Investigative Team found multiple instances of romantic relationships between players and staff members in violation of this policy. According to the staff member, Predmore said the Benstiti weight-shaming issue was a cultural thing and that he "worked on it." . Lack of Transparency with NWSL Clubs About Riley's Conduct
9. This framework remained unchanged until August 13, 2021, when the NWSL implemented a process requiring clubs to submit their head coach candidates to the NWSL for a background check and subsequent approval. Later in 2015, U.S. Soccer received both Shim's initial complaint against Riley and the Thorns's investigative report. At Sky Blue, a former chief financial officer handled the club's budgeting, sponsorships, payroll, and merchandising in addition to the club's HR. The player said it later struck her as "weird" that Riley held these sessions in his hotel room rather than using a meeting room. And while Sky Blue leadership, the League, and Racing Louisville knew that Holly had a relationship with Pearce Rampone, who had been one of his players, the relationship was generally viewed as not concerning because Pearce Rampone was older than Holly and a prominent figure within the women's soccer landscape. It does not appear that the investigator affirmatively asked players if this incident had occurred in an attempt to corroborate the allegation. 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. The evidence shows that LaHue then followed up with, "You were going to get a massage, I didn't see it. A player told the Joint Investigative Team that the club first attempted to fix the social media post without acknowledging the error or reaching out to the player, and only later issued an apology after Baucom posted about the error on Twitter. At more than one club, one individual served as both head coach and general manager. 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.