Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that Riley denied the allegations against him in 2015 and never apologized, though Paulson recalled that Riley had made a comment that he had been isolated from his wife and should not have gotten drunk. On November 23, 2021, the NWSL established additional temporary protocols" for hires of "key personnel." Second, the investigation found that players and club staff did not trust reporting processes or the league at large, so much so that it affected participation even in this investigation, which had the oversight of the players' union, the NWSLPA. Alyse LaHue on Twitter: "We have an opportunity & ability to be leaders in this space in the way that @WNBA players & league have. 38, that Riley denied "weight-shaming" Kurtz, and Johnson told Riley that he should speak to players about "fitness, not "weight." A majority of interviewees believed that Clarkson's mood could be unpredictablethat he could be hot or cold, or they would not know what to expect in terms of his attitude on any given day. Plush stated that he never told Malik that Riley was "cleared" or in "good standing." Riley grabbed Shim, pulled her back against him, and tried to grind against her. For much of the League's existence, there was confusion between U.S. Soccer, the League, and its clubs regarding their respective roles in responding to reports of misconduct against players. When he was not yelling, players felt that Dames was emotionally manipulative" and would use information he knew about them against them. 6. Yet, because of the deficiencies of the investigation and the systemic failures of U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and the Red Stars, Dames's behavior went unaddressed during his nine seasons as head coach. Plush's email summarized Lines's report of a conversation with Wilkinson, in which Wilkinson brought up what he referred to as the human resource issue, said Wilkinson felt Riley "was put in a bad position by the player," and said Wilkinson would hire [Riley] in a heartbeat. According to Plush's email, Lines had spoken with Riley, who told Lines, "I shouldn't have put myself in that situation." . When asked about the 2015 player survey responses regarding Lines, Gulati said he did not recall having any conversations about Lines's treatment of players, and Gulati did not know why Lines was moved from the head coach role to a front office role. A lack of clarity in the roles played by the NWSL and clubs in receiving and responding to complaints of misconduct has contributed to confusion about reporting channels. As became evident to some of the witnesses in 2015, the investigation appeared to be focused more on determining whether Shim might have a legal claim and on limiting the club's liability than on thorough fact-gathering. Historically, the processes and procedures for players to elevate concerns about club staff have varied across clubs. In November 2021, the NWSL imposed requirements that prospective general managers, coaches, and presidents of clubs undergo background checks before being hired. The article also noted Horan's observation that Benstiti's insistence on weight loss was "more [about] how you were seen and not how it was helping you play. An April 2019 Adidas commercial focused on Horan overcoming her negative experience with Benstiti. In response, the owner pointed out that the player was one of the highest-paid players in the League and discussed how club expenses came out of his own pocket. Inappropriate Comments About Player Weight and Body Types Gulati also stated that U.S. Soccer relied on the League and the clubs to develop their own policies regarding misconduct, but he did not recall ever conveying to the clubs that they were responsible for setting up these policies. However, Wahlke recalled that she met with Whisler in person after receiving the investigative report and told Whisler that he should find "personal development opportunities and maybe anger management training" for Dames. A report detailing the results of the year-long investigation was published Wednesday, a little over two . Hammond told the Joint Investigative Team that he assured Kurtz that she was not chubby and told her that "sometimes, coaches choose their words poorly." A player reported similar conduct by Dames to The Washington Post. On October 26, 2015, the Thorns announced that they were trading Farrelly to the Breakers, a now-defunct NWSL club. After the article was published, six years after Shim had raised the alarm about Riley to the Thorns and the NWSL, Riley was fired by the Courage. He stated that he told Lines that Riley was a "good coach but definitely never stated" that he would hire Riley. 26, c) The NWSL should consider providing resources to support players and staff working to advance the interests of diverse and marginalized groups. Malik stated that Paulson's text message "re-emphasize[d]" this point. The report itself did not include or reference any finding about the lawfulness of Riley's conduct. amounted to verbal and emotional abuse." 6. If [we have] a concern, we're going to sit down and try to find a solution. He also said, If you're trying to build trust, which is what we're trying to do, it's hard to build trust if someone's saying to you, '[I] can't tell you where it's coming from.' The U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT") has consistently ranked in the top of FIFA's rankings and has never finished below third place in the Women's World Cup. The NWSL began the roll-out of training by the U.S. Center for SafeSport in January 2021. U.S. Soccer, as governing body and NWSL manager, failed to ban coaches and staff who resigned or were fired because of misconduct, or to apprise the League and club owners of such misconduct, which allowed these individuals to move to other clubs within the NWSL. Multiple players voiced concerns to the Joint Investigative Team regarding vague public statements that obscured the reason for departures, mainly for coaches. She explained that her job responsibilities were limited to coaching the national team, and she did not have a role in oversight of NWSL coaches. In August 2020, Holly was named head coach of Racing Louisville, and in November 2020, Holly selected Simon in the expansion draft. Stanton reflected that Dames "knew how to take the things that meant the most to you and turn them against you." In October 2022, the Thorns made witnesses available for additional interviews with the Joint Investigative Team. In addition, the Joint Investigative Team reviewed materials from the short-lived NWSL investigation and spoke to individuals involved with that investigation. Shim described Riley as obsessed" with players' romantic and dating relationships. As discussed above, after U.S. Soccer directed the League to hand over its investigation into Dames, the League was not briefed on the findings. It stated that Riley danced with Shim at the apartment and that Shim and Farrelly kissed that night, which Shim claimed (and another player corroborated) was done to avoid the suicide mile. 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. Novo said club leadership told him to give Holly "the opportunity to step away if he wants to." The Joint Investigative Team learned of a relationship between a staff member and a player, although due to player confidentiality concerns this Report provides limited identifying details. Baird suggested to Levine that they should set up a call with Farrelly, but Levine stated that they should email Farrelly first. Players, including Kaiya McCullough, recounted in that article that Burke berated, screamed at, and targeted players, and that he had used racially insensitive language. In September 2015, Sky Blue, an NWSL club now known as NJ/NY Gotham FC, expressed an interest to the NWSL and the Thorns in speaking with Riley regarding a coaching position. Hammond said that Kurtz's agent had requested a trade, and Hammond reached out to teams to try to find a trade for Kurtz. Holly lived in the same apartment complex with players at Racing Louisville, and he tried to get Simon to go to his apartment many times, but she refused. 63, 6. 62, "massive" suite in his hotel room. One player also recalled that while Burke hired a sports psychologist to work with the players, Burke thought there was something wrong with the players and said the players were "all headcases." The morale around the club seems higher than ever and fans are once again excited to get back into the seats of Yurcak Field. Wahlke admitted that she did not share the findings and conclusions from the report with the NWSL or the Red Stars because the material was privileged. A third player recalled that during trips for away games, the team would "go to the bar together and Riley would "be there buying players . By June 26, 2018, Levine had transferred her records of the short NWSL investigation to At OL Reign, CEO (and for much of the club's history, the principal owner) Bill Predmore also managed HR. Consider Establishing Guidelines Regarding Socializing Between Players and Individuals with Supervisory Authority On an away trip to Portland following the 2019 World Cup, Kurtz received a text message from Riley with a picture of a bar he was at, commenting that Kurtz would like the bar and that he wished she were there. Burke also engaged in multiple instances of conduct that included stereotyping and jokes about Jewish people. Then, in the spring of 2022, came additional complaints and concerns that Clarkson would retaliate against players since he was aware of an investigation into him, which led to his suspension. Since 2019, some clubs have offered their own anti-harassment trainings, but those trainings have not been approved by the NWSL, and one club's HR staff reported that the NWSL had not been helpful in developing trainings. E. Multiple players reported concerns about staff members having frequent social interactions with players and controlling players' social lives. The player in question denied calling Harrington to ask for his help and noted Harrington "was never the one called to come assist." For example, the League's former interim CEO, Marla Messing, recalled multiple instances where, due to her experience in the soccer community, she was able to identify potential hires by clubs who were "terrible" or "abusive," but who had received clean background checks. According to one former Sky Blue player, Holly told a player in the weight room that when he saw her squat, he wanted to grab her ass. He also asked this player if she preferred boxers or briefs. When the Courage employed Riley as their head coach in 2017 in connection with their purchase of the Flash, they received insufficient information about the extent of Riley's misconduct while at the Thorns. Borislow sued the WPS, entangling it in a costly legal battle 111, Also in 2018, a player raised concerns to Duffy and Levine about Dames's behavior towards players. . Baird ultimately replied that Shim's 2015 complaint was "investigated to conclusion" and that she was "not at liberty to share any more with Shim. The League should encourage all players, including those who are not members of marginalized groups, to take an active role in identifying and calling out misconduct. This team member said she had not experienced a similar situation in a professional environment. Former Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue was fired in July after an investigation connected to the league's antiharassment policy. . On October 29, 2021, following extensive negotiations, the NWSL and NWSLPA announced that in lieu of separate, standalone investigations, the two entities would conduct a joint investigation into workplace misconduct toward NWSL players and systemic issues in the League that impact the detection, handling, and prevention of misconduct. A player recalled this same coach making comments about what players "had on their plates" and "food-shaming" players. Jill Ellis, then-Head Coach of the USWNT, was also emailed copies of certain player survey results. 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. A 2012 ESPN article later reported that Borislow's conduct included verbal abuse and sexually suggestive comments towards players. The NWSLPA retained Weil to conduct this investigation. Two interviewees reported that Clarkson told the team captains that the players "should be scared." (The league has not always used that specific title. As a result, when Racing Louisville hired Holly in 2020, individuals they spoke with at Sky Blue and the NWSL lacked the information necessary to provide a complete answer about Holly's departure from Sky Blue. 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. If the NWSL receives a complaint or report of alleged misconduct regarding club staff, it should consider requiring that club to report any planned player transactions or staff terminations to the NWSL for the remainder of the current season and the following off-season. . Simon said she was nervous when she learned he would be an assistant coach at the camp, because she knew he would try to get her to go into his hotel room. 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. When Starr asked Simon how Holly had touched her inappropriately, Starr recalled Simon stating that Holly had "put his hands down her pants" while watching film at the stadium, and that if she "messed up," Holly would "hold it against her." Another player said that "it was clear [Holly] was not in an emotional place" to coach in 2017. 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. 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. The agreement increased minimum player salaries; created free agency; and provided severance pay, mental health, and parental leave. [The owner's] people [got] to stay, no ifs ands or buts about it-there [were] no consequences for [his] people." 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." Players Experienced an Array of Interpersonal Misconduct and Reports of That Misconduct Were Mishandled. 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 . Craig Harrington (Chicago Red Stars, Assistant Coach, 2018-2019; Utah Royals, Head Coach, 2020) Despite this high turnover, the NWSL has proven to be more resilient than its predecessor leagues. On September 20, 2020, the Royals placed Head Coach Craig Harrington on a leave of absence, which public reporting stated was related to "inappropriate comments of a sexual nature with staff." 55, making a statement to the reporter. History of Professional Women's Soccer in the United States The Joint Investigative Team reported regularly to the Oversight Committee on its progress and investigative strategy. In 2018, when players filed formal complaints, Whisler appeased Dames by telling him that players were "desperate to get starts." In the report's summary, which preceded the conclusion, the investigator flagged as problematic three additional issues beyond Dames's three undisputed behaviors." On multiple occasions, instances of misconduct reported to U.S. Soccer, the League, and its member clubs were inadequately investigated or addressed. Out of concern for Simon's anonymity, the NWSLPA and Racing Louisville players released a statement acknowledging the media and public's interest in transparency, while underscoring that "player safety will always be at the forefront and affirming that they stand behind Racing Louisville in the handling of the Club's recent matter and ask everyone to please trust and stand with us at this time." He then characterized Press as "impossible to work with" and suggested she had a "fragile mentality." For much of the League's history, clubs were free to waive non-guaranteed players, releasing them from their contracts with the club without compensation and leaving them open to being claimed by another club via an established process. However, the club did not share enough information about the reason for Holly's termination, leaving both players and the public uncertain about why he was fired. In November 2012, U.S. Soccer announced that it would manage a new women's professional soccer league, to begin play in 2013. #11, hear from Alyse LaHue, the General Manager of NJ/NY Gotham FC of the NWSL. On one occasion, Dames called her into his office in the presence of his two assistant coaches and said that the two assistant coaches had told him she "had a really bad attitude" and was a bad teammate. NWSL staff began reviewing and compiling the results of 2020 player surveys, but they did not complete a comprehensive review of the responses. Representatives appointed by each of the 12 NWSL club owners comprise the League's Board of Governors, which acts on behalf of the League. .82 Oversight Committee Composition and Operation. Despite having this information, Duffy did not express any concerns about Riley to the Courage, Riley's employer at the time. Both at the bar and as they were walking after the bar closed, Riley brought up Shim's and Farrelly's sexual orientations and raised the notion of the two players getting together. Shim needed to use the restroom, and Riley offered the use of his bathroom in his nearby apartment. First, the Joint Investigative Team found that the 2015 Thorns Investigation was inadequate in key ways. In the almost year and half period from May 2018 to September 2019, the investigator spoke to only nine players. Levine did not recall reviewing survey responses in the ordinary course, but told the Joint Investigative Team that she would have expected survey responses referring to abuse to be elevated to HR, the commissioner, and to her. Following the survey responses, Whisler wrote in an email, I can tell you that Rory offered his resignation to me last night because of the embarrassment he thought it caused the organization. I don't think it's common in the sports world to have an MBA. 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. Club staff and players reported that some staff members held meetings with players in staff hotel rooms, rather than in public meeting rooms. He also reportedly told a male player on an opposing Major League Soccer team that Hansen could lynch the player, supposedly in an effort to ask the player to play for Hansen's team. The courses also apparently do not describe the process whereby participants can report misconduct. LaHue is supportive of the ongoing reforms that are taking place in the NWSL. In those moments, she said she "just wanted to yell, 'Stop, they're not okay." Simon said she thought the film sessions were in preparation for playing at Racing Louisville. Between 2019 and 2021, Holly engaged in repeated sexual misconduct and abuse targeting Erin Simon, including touching her genitals without her consent, touching her body on other occasions without her consent, forcing her to touch his genitals without her consent, sending her unsolicited pictures of his penis, and asking her to send him sexually suggestive pictures of herself. As a result, the Joint Investigative Team was not able to fully question LaHue about her interactions with the player. F. Whisler said he then proceeded with the trade based on "soccer reason[s]" after consulting with the League. . Another player said that Pauw was able to monitor players and would tell them they could not go to the pool in the afternoon. On several occasions, the NWSL or clubs did not investigate racially insensitive conduct or attempt to improve conditions for players of color until allegations of racism were brought to the public eye, or until players pushed for a response. Player-staff relationships, even when consensual, can create problems within a team environment and, in some instances, contribute to the mistreatment of players. The Joint Investigative Team reported to an Oversight Committee comprised of two representatives selected by the NWSLPA, Meghann Burke (Executive Director, NWSLPA) and Terri Jackson (Executive Director, Women's National Basketball Players Association); two representatives selected by the NWSL, Jessica Berman (Commissioner, NWSL) and Djenaba Parker (General Counsel and Chief People Officer, Goop, Inc., and former General Counsel, New York Red Bulls); and one independent member, former United States District Judge Barbara S. Jones (Partner, Bracewell LLP). 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. There were also multiple process failures during the USSF Dames Investigation, which left notable gaps in its fact-finding. Development of an Anti-Harassment Policy Sometime after that incident, Shim asked Riley to maintain a strictly professional relationship with her. Other clubs in the NWSL pursued Riley after it became known that the Thorns would not retain him and in the absence of any public information indicating that he had been terminated for cause. The League and Clubs Failed to Take Adequate Steps to Protect Players in Hiring and Filling Positions With regards to the League's legal and HR functions, from 2012-2017, then-U.S. Soccer General Counsel Levine handled the NWSL's legal and HR responsibilities in the absence of an NWSL general counsel. Another player recalled this teammate remarking that she would not be surprised if she was traded after the meeting. Players may also report concerns via the NWSLPA hotline, the details for which are set forth in the policy, or to any team HR department, general manager, or administrator. . Gulati asked the group to meet the next day to discuss the matter. Require Separate Individuals to Hold Key Club Leadership Roles Dames told the investigator this was not retaliatory, though Dames said he understood why the player felt retaliated against. The report makes a number of suggestions on guidelines that can create this stability moving forward for the league. No information about the investigation or Riley's termination was made public until the release of the Athletic article on September 30, 2021. The NWSLPA also announced that it would conduct its own independent investigation into workplace misconduct within the League. Shim attached to this email her 2015 complaint. In fact, for much of the NWSLs existence, background checks on coaches and player-facing staff were not required. 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. Kurtz said her biggest fear was being considered a "troublemaker" for reporting misconduct, but she feels now that "players who come forward will be protected." Clubs did not consistently prohibit player-staff relationships, which created confusion about whether such relationships were permissible. 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." 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.
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