6. In January 2018, Dames informed Whisler that he could lower the pay for two staff members because those staff members would earn additional income working for Eclipse. Multiple players and staff shared that they have witnessed behavior from coaches that confirmed in their minds that coaches, staff, or club leadership would retaliate if they raised complaints. The fact that certain coaching behaviors may have been tolerated previously does not establish, or in itself suggest, that the behavior is, or was at that time, appropriate. 17, 1. Shim, feeling pressured and placed on the spot, kissed with As the investigator who led the USSF Dames Investigation told the Joint Investigative Team, [Whisler] was already aware of the concerns. While many clubs properly submitted candidates for the required vetting once these processes were in place, on at least two occasions, clubs hired player-facing staff and allowed them to begin working before they were cleared by the NWSL. I didn't accept it." Simon first met Holly in 2016. O'Connor defended the club's approach, saying he told the players that everyone would get together to discuss their concerns. O'Connor responded, Confidentiality in our culture suggests it is an issue which is either illegal or immoral," and the players responded that it did not fall into those categories. Pauw appeared for an interview with the Joint Investigative Team, but refused to cooperate. Many of the coaches and individuals who engaged in misconduct and who are discussed in this Report were not appropriately vetted by their clubs. Players reported that as a result of reporting misconduct or supporting others in doing so, they were verbally abused, isolated and ignored by coaches, removed from starting roles, waived, traded, and not re-signed, among other consequences. One of the players recalled that Benstiti said, I don't care if you go to the newspapers no more fast food. The Joint Investigative Team found that Riley engaged in repeated misconduct, including towards Farrelly and Shim, and Courage player Kaleigh Kurtz. In that interview, Farrelly did not discuss, and Garcia did not ask, about Riley's other misconduct towards her, which was not uncovered until later. The failure by U.S. Soccer to share its investigation findings with the NWSL or the Red Stars was particularly perplexing in light of the fact that Wahlke had instructed the NWSL to stand down in its own investigation of Dames, and the fact that U.S. Soccer had concluded it was not in a position to take any action against Dames. . The Joint Investigative Team received evidence that LaHue texted the player, "You were in my dream last night. 2. The larger point is that if the environment at [the Red Stars] was different, and were perceived as one of mutual respect and professionalism, these issues would likely not be issues." In practice, players reported issues to someone at their club because they had more day-to-day interactions with club personnel, who were more akin to the players' actual employers. 65, Some witnesses also expressed concern that the experiences of players of color were discounted or not taken seriously. For most of its history, the NWSL did not require clubs to perform background checks when hiring coaches or other player-facing staff. Sky Blue FC general manager Alyse LaHue reinforced her reputation as a draft-day wheeler-dealer on Wednesday night. . Former Sky Blue President and General Manager Tony Novo told the Joint Investigative Team that Holly was "let go" from Sky Blue in 2017. One player explained that these were not always instances of "overt discrimination, but they add up over time and it makes you question your performance and your role in the team." Phil Murphy said the treatment of women on the soccer team he owns is Hendrix also heard from a teammate that Holly had been speaking negatively of her to club staff. After several months, the staff member notified the club of the romantic relationship with the player and resigned. Create a Diversity Advisory Committee Dedicated to Implementing DEI Initiatives 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. Like any league or business in its infant stages, we learn from experience and mistakes. sex. 38, that Riley denied "weight-shaming" Kurtz, and Johnson told Riley that he should speak to players about "fitness, not "weight." The Joint Investigative Team carefully considered which individuals to identify by name in this Report. In many instances, in the absence of League requirements for coach vetting, the NWSL and its clubs failed to sufficiently vet coaches before hiring them. Another player described the way Riley spoke disparagingly about players' weight to another coach, in the open, where other players overheard. Women's Soccer Bans Ex-Coaches and Fines Teams After Misconduct Report There were also multiple process failures during the USSF Dames Investigation, which left notable gaps in its fact-finding. 48, lack of information sharing deterred players from speaking out and left players with the impression that Dames's conduct was appropriate. According to the course description, this course trains medical staff on how to "[r]ecognize types and signs of abuse and misconduct, [c]reate safer, abusepreventative spaces and policies for training and treatment, [r]espond to abuse and disclosures and recognize barriers to reporting, [i]ncorporate a trauma-informed approach into [their] practice," "[s]afely reintegrate athletes who have been harmed back into sport," and "[c]reate and promote a culture that prioritizes athlete safety." A. The future of sports sponsorship? Women's sports - Sid Lee It contributed to the perception among the general public, players, club staff, and owners alike that Riley's departure from the Thorns was voluntary or performance-related, rather than due to his misconduct. [The owner's] people [got] to stay, no ifs ands or buts about it-there [were] no consequences for [his] people." 60, a) Drinking with Players Shim declined, stating she needed to take care of a sick teammate. She also emphasized that she was focused on getting a balanced" perspective from interviewees; in other Are we going to hurt the league? 116 In spring 2021, when Levine was the NWSL's general counsel, Shim and Farrelly resurfaced allegations against Riley. NWSL and NWSLPA Joint Investigative Team Through counsel, the Thorns emailed Levine a copy of the report with its attachments. The History and Culture of the League and its Member Clubs Discouraged Reporting of Potential Misconduct Riley invited her to share details about her romantic life, and in the following weeks and months, persistently asked her about her love life and how her relationship was going. Another player said she felt that Whisler had "loyalty" to Dames and did not hear" players' concerns. The individual incidents and recurrent practices detailed in this Report reflect the experiences of players, not only in isolated moments but also more broadly, as women playing soccer in a league historically owned and run by men. Is that never appropriate?" Hammond said that Kurtz's agent had requested a trade, and Hammond reached out to teams to try to find a trade for Kurtz. Players shared with former Sky Blue President and General Manager Tony Novo mentally" and could not perform at her best for the rest of the year. . Clarkson believed the player was hungover because he had been alerted by a local friend that the sick player had gone out the night before with some Dash teammates and several Pumas players. 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. One veteran player, recounting her years of experience in the NWSL, explained, You didn't have HR in place or anyone running the show [at the NWSL] there was no structure in place, there was nothing that said what the line was or when lines were crossed, or if something happened, where you would go to report things." In another instance, according to the report summary, the investigator determined that "players provided very little detail about specific, inappropriate comments made by Dames about their personal appearance." Vera Pauw (Houston Dash, Head Coach, 2018) One assistant coach recalled another coach making comments about players' weight and once telling a player at a restaurant, You can't eat this. Simon described feeling helpless and like she could not escape. 104, B. The League has committed to communicating and consulting with the NWSLPA in player-involved investigations as part of these procedures. For example, players noted that Pauw wanted to exert control over "every aspect of [their] lives," including everything you were putting in your body, every exercise you were doing." According to this player, Wilkinson told the agent that before their meeting, he had met with Paulson and Baird to discuss the situation. 105 108 The same day, on August 15, 2019, Duffy forwarded the Thorns's attorney's 2015 email, along with the Thorns's investigative report and its supporting attachments, to then-U.S. Soccer Chief Legal Officer Lydia Wahlke. After experiencing weight-shaming by Pauw and Riley, witnesses reported that players developed eating disorders and sought mental health treatment. The process through which coaches and other club staff are hired has varied, and some coaches hired by clubs have faced previous allegations of misconduct that were not discovered or explored as part of a background or reputational check. 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. 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. Following public reporting about Hansen's statements, the NWSL conducted an investigation and pushed Hansen to sell the club. U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and Clubs Failed to Adequately Share Information Regarding Misconduct .. As discussed above, this player was subsequently traded in circumstances suggesting that the trade was retaliatory. For instance, one player recalled Holly telling her in the weight room that he wanted to "grab her ass" when he saw her squat. To be clear, the USSF never had responsibility for the day-to-day management of the NWSL." In August 2019, with the U.S. Soccer investigation ongoing, Dames texted Whisler that he had to "toe[] the proper line to not set off nonsense, and he felt this approach had made players "complacent." g) Consequences of Inaction Simon said she told Holly that now that he was her boss, he would have to stop the inappropriate behavior, and he replied that he had until January 1, because that was when her contract started. Riley directed Amanda Duffy (NWSL, Managing Director of Operations, 2017-2019 and President, 2019-2020) This appears to be in part due to uncertainty surrounding which entity or entities bore responsibility for developing policies of this nature. To that point, during this investigation, the Joint Investigative Team received reports of ongoing misconduct at more than half the League's clubs. e) Insensitivity Toward Mental Health By the time Levine and Duffy spoke to the two players they interviewed other than the complainant, Whisler had already spoken to both of them. Since the Joint Investigative Team began its work, the NWSL has increased efforts to eradicate misconduct, embraced greater accountability, and experienced a cultural shift regarding behaviors that are no longer tolerated. The 29-player list Access the best womens soccer coverage all year long. A different player explained that "a lot of coaches . Another staff member at the same club was retained as a consultant after complaints that he made inappropriate comments and singled out players. Upon reading the article regarding Riley in The Athletic, Kurtz recognized many of her own experiences with Riley in the accounts of Shim and Farrelly, identified his conduct towards her as abusive, and realized that he had been grooming her for sexual abuse. For instance, Garcia was told of Riley's close relationship with Farrelly and his negative, potentially homophobic commentary about Farrelly's relationship with another player on the team. Embrace Player Insight as Part of the Hiring and Vetting Processes Emails show that Paulson, Wilkinson, and Thorns President of Business Mike Golub were included in conversations with Garcia surrounding the investigation and that Paulson and Wilkinson edited some of Garcia's outreach to players. However, even with that knowledge and after reviewing the findingswhich included that 70% of players "reported concerning behaviors that are consistent with the generally accepted definition of emotional abuse in sport and felt Dames creat[ed] an environment of fear [and] retaliation"Whisler contemplated keeping Dames involved with the Red Stars in a non-player-facing role, such as a sporting director or draft consultant. Nevertheless, she decided to dress for the game because she did not think she would get any playing time. 3. From these conversations, the Courage said it understood that an investigation into Riley had been conducted and that Riley had exhibited poor judgment," the same language used in the Thorns's 2015 investigative report to describe Riley's conduct. Shim recalled being uncomfortable" that someone she knew might see her being interviewed. One player recalled Harrington saying, on multiple occasions in front of players, "I need to have sex with someone tonight who's not my wife." It's not just this coach. Already a member? a) Riley's Misconduct at the Portland Thorns Likewise, at least one player expressed concern that the nature of Holly's departure from Sky Blue was not fully disclosed to Racing Louisville before the club hired Holly as their head coach in 2020. First, the 2015 investigation conducted by the Thorns had several shortcomings. 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. A player who participated in the USSF Dames Investigation told the investigator about an instance in which Dames kept her from visiting her parents. Clarkson's comment left the player crying and visibly upset. Shim later recalled that during the interview, Garcia appeared focused on whether Riley had engaged in unlawful harassment, and Garcia expressed that Shim did not have a legal claim because she was not able to provide corroborating evidence. The Joint Investigative Team repeatedly sought to speak with Lines about the Flash's inquiries regarding Riley, but Lines declined to speak with the Joint Investigative Team. Red Stars General Manager Steps Down - Hot Time In Old Town Clarkson, according to players interviewed in the report, targeted a couple of players each year to berate. From her perspective, the concerns about Dames were not an emergency situation because the players identified as Dames's primary targets were no longer with the team" and the issues involved "older conduct." The Lowdown: Reporting on the Alyse LaHue story The anti-bullying, anti-harassment, anti-racism, and anti-retaliation trainings should remind players and staff of the reporting channels available to report misconduct, including law enforcement where appropriate. Clarkson denied However, that position is inconsistent with other evidence, including an email from counsel for the Thorns and Plush's own prior communications with Sky Blue. U.S. Soccer failed to address allegations against Riley and Dames as early as 2014, when it received comments in NWSL player surveys stating that Riley and Dames were verbally and emotionally abusive. Simon said she moved away from Holly when he touched her and told him he was "insane." Moreover, investigations into allegations of misconduct should not be limited to assessing whether "unlawful harassment" occurred. b) According to Garcia's interview notes, her interview with Farrelly lasted only 30 minutes, though Farrelly recalled it being even shorter. 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 abuse: Coaches Riley, Dames, Burke, Holly permanently banned from Holly was an assistant coach at the U-23 camp, which Simon did not know until a couple of days prior to the start of the camp. Six years later, at the age of 31, LaHue is the general manager of the Red Stars, a team whose roster includes Olympians from Mexico, Canada, and last summer's gold medal-winning US team. 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. Please sign in below. Following this discussion, Kurtz recalled having a telephone call with Hammond to discuss her request. It's not just this team. In addition to their many concerns about Dames, players told U.S. Soccer's investigator they felt the club's owner, Arnim Whisler, was insensitive and unresponsive to their concerns about Dames." On the evening of June 14, 2018, two days after the NWSL received the complaint about Dames, Levine and Duffy paused their investigation at Wahlke's request and informed the players they had contacted that they were "handing the matter off to an independent third party." He told the Joint Investigative Team, "We're all adults. 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]." Sky Blue FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has named Alyse LaHue as General Manager. Instead, these conversations occurred on an ad hoc basis and were left to individual clubs. For example, coaches often must raise their voices to be heard across a field. At the second club, the relationship between the staff member and the player allowed rumors to pass between management, staff, and players. Garcia, who conducted all of the interviews and collected and reviewed documents and text messages from individuals she interviewed, is not a lawyer and lacked experience in conducting sensitive investigations. Don't ever leave me." If coaching staff repeatedly ignore medical advice or pressure players to do so, the NWSL should impose disciplinary action against those coaches. One player noted "bystander training" for players could be helpful so that players could help other players experiencing misconduct. Racing Louisville did not appropriately respond to players' reports about Holly's conduct as the club's head coach. Hendrix said Simon shared Holly's comment with her, and Holly's "nonchalant response to Simon asking him to stop touching her made them wonder if he was "doing something to someone else." Holly also sent Simon videos of himself masturbating on Snapchat. 1. Players were asked to rate on a scale of one to five their satisfaction with: (i) facilities; (ii) technical staff knowledge and skill; (iii) logistics and accommodations; (iv) club organization; and (v) overall experience as a member of their NWSL teams. Lines told Plush that he told Riley that Riley "can not allow that the [sic] of situation to happen again." The NWSL did not distribute player surveys in 2018 and 2019 due to bandwidth and resource constraints, and it did not distribute player surveys in 2021 in part because the NWSL received feedback from players on many topics covered in previous player surveys during CBA negotiations. The Joint Investigative Team requested documents from every club through the appropriate club official or club counsel. . Amanda Cromwell and Sam Greene engaged in retaliatory conduct toward players they believed to have participated in a March 2022 investigation into reports of Cromwell's inappropriate verbal conduct towards players and Cromwell and Greene's display of inappropriate favoritism toward certain players. Both players and staff on the Current described disproportionately angry responses by their former head coach, Huw Williams, to routine questions in the course of games or practices. The power of players' voices to call attention to and combat misconduct is evident; the steps the League has taken, including commissioning this joint investigation with the NWSLPA, have already had a meaningful impact. Sky Blue FC announced on Tuesday evening that Tony Novo had officially resigned as club president and general manager. At first he told her he admired her fitness and her "soccer body," but then shifted to making other comments about her body, including calling her "sexy." Another player recalled Holly unexpectedly screaming at a teammate that her poor performance during a practice drill would "prevent [her] from being on the national team, and later in the season asking her to do one-on-one film sessions with him, saying, "I can help you get onto the national team." The NWSL began requiring background checks of prospective coaches and other club staff, and it has begun efforts to offer an anti-harassment training for players, coaches, and League and club staff. Whisler did not recall knowing who raised the complaint and said that he did not think Levine instructed him to refrain from speaking to players during this initial conversation, but she did tell him not to speak to players in a subsequent call to inform him of U.S. Soccer's investigation.
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