He went on to describe players as "desperate to get starts" and said he knew that the team would become fragile "if th[e] poison continue[d]." Hammond acknowledged that he did not follow up with Kurtz after the call to share any steps that were being taken or to see if there had been any improvement in Riley's behavior. 97 In 2022, it was updated to prohibit discrimination and retaliation more explicitly. Listen to Alyse's thoughts on why women's soccer is on the rise the United States, the story behind re-branding Sky Blue FC's to NJ/NY Gotham FC, and how Alyse is leveraging the power of Gotham's fans to inform th If a club staff member who has been found to have engaged in misconduct seeks a position at another club in the NWSL, the NWSL should promptly alert that club of the prior misconduct. 102, directives were inconsistent with sports medicine best practices; for example, players reported that Pauw discouraged them from eating fruit because of its sugar content. Another player said Dames was "hostile and sarcastic" and would "shame" her, but would not pick on the top players" or "anyone with leverage." One player recalled that O'Connor announced there were allegations made against Holly, an investigation was conducted, and there was an "overwhelming amount of evidence to prove the allegations were correct." The head coach notified club management and spoke with the assistant coach, reporting to club management that the conversation "didn't go well." Multiple players and club staff reported that in 2017, while Holly was head coach of Sky Blue, he began dating Pearce Rampone. The NWSL has not consistently offered anti-harassment training to players and club staff beyond the SafeSport trainings. One player who spoke up at the meeting and was subsequently traded shared that because she and other players spoke up, "[w]e all knew we were going to be traded." Player-staff relationships, even when consensual, can create problems within a team environment and, in some instances, contribute to the mistreatment of players. b) Non-Contact Physical Behavior Pride leadership held a call with players and staff in which they were informed generally that some reports had been substantiated and some had not. Hammond told the Joint Investigative Team that he remembered a call with Kurtz about her interest in a trade after the 2019 season, when Kurtz was in the process of negotiating a new contract. Gulati responded that Dorrance "should reach out to previous owners as well" as part of "due diligence" about Riley. On today's episode of the Dynamic Leaders Podcast, Colin is joined by Alyse LaHue. Alyse LaHue has overseen Sky Blue FC's successful debut at Red Bull Arena and has endeared herself . 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. The Joint Investigative Team requested interviews of 11 current and former U.S. Soccer staff. The club fired Harrington on November 9, 2020. Sauerbrunn: NWSL players horrified and heartbroken, Morgan shames former NWSL commissioner Baird for inaction over Riley abuse, Morgan: Mana Shim was failed by the system, NWSL report explainer: What's new, what's recommended and what's next, Foden's return to form helps mask De Bruyne's troubles, Nelson sends Arsenal into euphoria with last-gasp winner over Bournemouth, Arsenal rally, net late winner in 5-goal thriller, Garber: MLS would be flexible for Messi move, City beat Newcastle to keep pressure on Arsenal, Arteta: Arsenal win my 'most emotional moment', Ancelotti defends Benzema after Clasico loss, Klopp, Ten Hag tell fans to 'lose the poison', Xavi on Clasico critics: Barca world's hardest club, Guardiola: Next three games define City's season. Lisa Baird did not investigate the 2021 complaints against Riley, which contained information that should have led Baird to inquire further. In the early stages of the investigation, the Joint Investigative Team interviewed seven current and former players who described Clarkson as volatile, verbally abusive, and as not showing appropriate regard for players' wellbeing. Giving Lahue a pass for something that is now a clear violation just because it's a newer policy would defeat the point of that necessary policy in the first place. Until 2022, the League also had no free agency for any players, meaning a single club retained the rights to the player even if the player was not under contract. At the U.S. national team level she totaled 132 caps and 30 goals, won an Olympic gold medal in 2008 and 2012, a World Cup title in 2015, and a CONCACAF Women's Championship in 2014. Players recalled being confused after this meeting and not understanding exactly why Holly had been fired. In August 2021, players at the Current brought concerns to club management about Huw Williams's ineffectiveness as a coach, and his negative and discouraging comments towards players. It can be argued that Alyse LaHue, general manager of the soccer team formerly known as Sky Blue FC, was herself the rebrand that became official this . The two players found it difficult to identify reporting channels, whether anonymous or not, at either the NWSL or the Thorns. Shim told the Joint Investigative Team she cried when Riley joined the Flash; she said she never wanted to see Riley again, and she was concerned for other players. The League should consider stronger restrictions on the use of such agreements in matters involving sexual misconduct or physical abuse. Club staff and players reported that some staff members held meetings with players in staff hotel rooms, rather than in public meeting rooms. 124, VII. When Simon arrived at Holly's house, Pearce Rampone was not there. In addition, she agreed that Dames's conduct would violate the SafeSport Code of Conduct, if it had applied. 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. Another player wrote that Lines was emotionally abusive, "belittle[d]" people, and should be terminated. Players Lacked Clear Guidance Regarding What Constituted Misconduct 91, The perceived absence of HR at the NWSL and its clubs meant that many players felt that they had no clear path to report misconduct they experienced. Maybe. 10. a) Dames's Misconduct at the Chicago Red Stars These threats, or even the perceived risk of waiver for raising concerns or expressing disagreement with clubs and coaches, signaled to players that they were dispensable. 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. a) Vetting Requirements for Coaches and Staff This may encompass disputes between players, or disputes between players and club staff. Two players reported that Dames texted some players in a manner that felt "very different" from his communications with other players. Some coaches and staff staunchly defended certain conduct as "tough coaching," demanding, or directness, even when players found the conduct emotionally abusive. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy defines emotional misconduct as deliberate, noncontact behavior that has the potential to cause emotional or psychological harm to another person," including verbal, physical, or other acts that deny attention or support to or degrade, insult, sabotage, humiliate, belittle, berate, and/or single out, ignore, or reject an individual. In certain circumstances, NWSL personnel maliciously threatening to waive, bench, or trade 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. A third player reported that Riley called players "fucking idiots" while at the Courage, and another player recalled Riley calling an injured player "the clumsiest fucking player I've ever coached." Players reported that club staff living with players allowed the staff to exercise control over players' personal lives. 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. Hope for 'new' NWSL after former coaches banned after misconduct MBA-Packing Intern Was 'On the Ball' - St. Ambrose University B. Kurtz alleges that in 2019, Riley shared detailed information about his life, including preferred sexual positions, and persistently tried to obtain more details about her romantic life in the weeks and months that followed. As a result, multiple players and staff members credibly expressed fear of severe consequences for their participation in the March Investigation and the subsequent retaliation investigation if they spoke negatively about the coaching staff, or if they were not bought in. The League should also consider whether these groups can play a role in developing and implementing League-wide initiatives related to DEI. Players at seven clubs (Racing Louisville, Gotham/Sky Blue, the Dash, the Courage, the Thorns, the Spirit, and the Red Stars) reported to the Joint Investigative Team that they were unaware of whether their clubs had HR personnel or that they otherwise did not know to whom they could report concerns at their clubs. Players reported that Pauw's comments affected a teammate struggling with an eating disorder. 113, players and those in supervisory roles over players is strictly prohibited, even if the relationship is consensual. The NWSL should engage with players and staff of color and LGBTQIA+ players and staff to understand and develop channels for reporting misconduct that are safe and comfortable for individuals in these groups to use. The player wondered, "How the hell am I going to lose 10 to 15 pounds without starving myself? The NWSL should designate a team of NWSL staff to review and analyze player survey results. NJ/NY Gotham FC parts ways with general manager Alyse LaHue On October 4, 2022, in response to the USSF Report, Paulson publicly stated that he, Wilkinson, and Golub were removing themselves from all Thorns-related decision-making until the Joint Investigative Team's investigative findings were released. O'Connor acknowledged that he did not follow up with the players to determine whether they experienced any retaliation after the group meeting. After that night, Riley continued to make inappropriate advances towards Shim. One Spirit player recalled Burke going "from zero to a thousand on the aggressive scale" towards one of her teammates during a halftime speech and making the teammate cry. She did not recall any concerns about Williams's treatment of players being raised at the August 2021 meeting, instead recalling that players shared concerns about the level of training and the team's poor performance. The cover email was not marked as privileged, or confidential, or as subject to any legal protection. Ms. LaHue immediately hired a top digital forensic company, which provided the JIT metadata and evidence of alterations in documents used against her., That relates to a line in the report which says the Joint Investigative Team identified discrepancies in versions of an email exchange involving LaHue that was part of the file from the 2021 League investigation.. Further, the Joint Investigative Team found that the NWSL investigation put the complainant at risk of retaliation and failed to adequately prevent interference from the Red Stars. The Yates report made note of teams and individuals who did not cooperate, including the Portland Thorns, Chicago Red Stars, and Racing Louisville FC. Simon described feeling helpless and like she could not escape. When the player was emotional after the game, Burke reportedly continued to yell at her and called her "selfish." She said, "I was made to feel by U.S. Soccer that I was in the wrong, there was nothing to report, and that this was acceptable." In January 2020, OL Reign hired Benstiti as their head coach, despite the availability of public reporting by multiple media sources that Benstiti harshly criticized Lindsey Horan's weight when he was her coach at the French club Paris Saint-Germain ("PSG") and told her she could not play until she lost weight. Misconduct within the NWSL-and a failure to adequately investigate allegations of misconduct and take measures to prevent further misconduct-has contributed to players' lack of trust and confidence in U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and its member clubs. This is too much. a Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that Garcia and an attorney presented the report to Thorns leadership. 2. E. Enhance Reporting and Investigation Procedures even if the relationship . As The Washington Post reported, at least three other players "wanted to speak to U.S. Soccer investigators" about their experiences with Dames but were not given the opportunity. . U.S. Soccer stopped managing the NWSL in December 2020, and terminated the allocation system through which it paid USWNT players' club salaries in December 2021. Shim, feeling pressured and placed on the spot, kissed with In the suite, he began touching her under her shirt and under her pants, and told her that for every pass she fucked up," he was going to touch her. Investigators said after interviews that Burke did not acknowledge the offensiveness of his behaviors with the Washington Spirit, and that Clarkson "exhibited a lack of candor Clarkson denied ever raising his voice at players or losing control of his emotions, notwithstanding credible evidence to the contrary." The morale around the club seems higher than ever and fans are once again excited to get back into the seats of Yurcak Field. Another member of the team said that LaHue paid special attention to this player and described instances in which she believed LaHue provided preferential treatment or sought to be close to the player. 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. "The club has a tremendous history and. She described the NWSL office as a "very disempowered place to be given the power and authority of U.S. Collectively, this public reporting gave the impression of widespread misconduct by coaches and those in positions of power, and that U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and clubs had failed to take measures to protect players and prevent future misconduct. Soccer." Paulson said that he did not recall speaking with Malik about Riley when the Courage were vetting Riley, though he said he spoke with Amanda Duffy, then the NWSL's Managing Director of Operations, and told her to make sure the Courage were aware of Riley's prior misconduct. Rather, working closely with U.S. Soccer, she proceeded "stepwise" until she felt she had collected enough information to speak to Dames and Whisler. . 62, "massive" suite in his hotel room. In addition, players could report complaints to the NWSL HR Manager, the email address and phone number for which are published in the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy, posted on the League website, and disseminated to clubs and players. The League has committed to communicating and consulting with the NWSLPA in player-involved investigations as part of these procedures. The Joint Investigative Team carefully considered which individuals to identify by name in this Report. Dames also texted certain players "all the time, including late at night. Around 2020, the NWSLPA took on a more active and public role in advocating for player safety and well-being. 47, The stated purpose of the USSF Dames Investigation was "to understand the experience of the players and provide U.S. Soccer legal advice with respect to whether the alleged misconduct by Dames, to the extent that it occurred, is acceptable from the head coach of a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team from the perspective of U.S. 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. Her investigation included interviews of Riley, Thorp, and four players; three of these interviews-including the interview of Farrelly-lasted 30 minutes or less. Lack of Confidence in League Responses to Misconduct Complaints Since U.S. Soccer did not adequately disseminate the findings to the NWSL, the NWSL did not take any disciplinary or corrective action toward Dames. Farrelly sat on Riley's lap, though she felt strange doing so, and she described that Riley grabbed her hips. No further mentions of LaHue are made in the report. Women's Soccer Bans Ex-Coaches and Fines Teams After Misconduct Report As described in the following sections, these failures harmed NWSL players and discouraged players and other stakeholders from reporting misconduct. 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. Given their public roles in U.S. Soccer, League, and club management, this Report also uses the names of individuals in the following roles: (i) club owners involved in day-to-day club management; (ii) club leadership and management, including presidents, general managers, and other equivalent positions; (iii) the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors and senior members of U.S. Soccer management; (iv) members of League management; and (v) where necessary, outside counsel and consultants. Even within the soccer world, the player explained, a tone appropriate for the field would not be appropriate in other settings, such as locker rooms, team dinners, or one-on-one meetings with players. Sexism and Gender Bias These failures placed players at risk and deepened players' distrust that reports of misconduct would be handled appropriately. 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. Another player echoed this sentiment, saying, There are relationships in the League between player and coach, and there have been for a long time. Romantic relationships between players and staff members pose several potential problems, including (i) the power Kurtz recalled speaking to Riley in late 2020 to again tell him she wanted to leave the club. A player recalled the owner of her club warning her that if players complained, the club would fold as the Breakers had already done because the owner would depart, anyone buying the club would have to assume the debts attached to it, and no one would be willing to do so. One interviewee reported that some clubs that had HR departments historically [could not] use them because of the single-entity structure [of the NWSL]." The calendar crisis explained. Despite learning this information, investigators and individuals kept apprised of the investigation, including the Thorns and Levine, did not probe further by interviewing other witnesses, requesting additional text messages or emails, or asking Riley about his relationship with Farrelly, among other things. Shim later stated, I'm just so grateful for this opportunity to get these bad people out of the League and really shine a light on this issue because it's so prevalent. In crafting this policy, the NWSL should be mindful that non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements have been used to restrict clubs from criticizing or sharing information about a departing staff member. NWSL and NWSLPA Joint Investigative Team 21, not done with other deleted emails. 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. 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. For example, in 2018, the owner of one club learned of a relationship between a staff member and a player. The Joint Investigative Team found no evidence that the Thorns, U.S. Soccer, or the NWSL ever shared these indications of a "more extensive" relationship between Riley and Farrelly with the NWSL clubs that subsequently employed Riley. McCall Zerboni, Gotham FCs captain and NWSL Players Association representative in 2022, is ready to move towards a place where the mistakes from the past can be turned into creating a strong future for the NWSL, a young league that is still growing. In the course of this investigation, the Joint Investigative Team spoke to 47 individuals with knowledge relevant to Riley, including current and former players, key leaders including owners and general managersfrom the Thorns and the Courage, and other current and former club staff, League staff, and U.S. Soccer staff who were involved in or had information about the 2015 Thorns Investigation and Riley's subsequent hiring at the Flash and the Courage. Accordingly, she cooperated in the first, second, and third investigations into alleged conduct from April 2020 reported in June 2021. 48, lack of information sharing deterred players from speaking out and left players with the impression that Dames's conduct was appropriate. Compounding this effect, the League lacked trainings, policies, and other resources on harassment, abuse, and other forms of misconduct. Two people used the phrase Jekyll and Hyde" to describe Holly. Sky Blue FC announced on Tuesday evening that Tony Novo had officially resigned as club president and general manager. Shim also forwarded the complaint to then-NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush. However, the report ultimately determined, "The only result that is clearly called for by this external review is the establishment of standards for conduct by NWSL coaches and education on those standards, to resolve any uncertainty going forward." For instance, one player said that while she felt Whisler "cared," she felt he did not "get it or understand what he lets happen." 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.. e) When asked if he recalled coaches and players ever going to strip clubs together, Harrington recalled one instance after a game where staff and players went to a strip club together. (Racial microaggressions are intentional or unintentional verbal or behavioral actions, often brief and commonplace, that insult or discredit people of color). Report: Former OL Reign Coach Farid Benstiti Subject of Verbal Abuse In a follow-up interview, the lawyer said the alterations were not made by Ms. LaHue, and did not provide any further details. According to the USSF Dames Report, Dames admitted that he used the term "thug" to refer to a Black player but adamantly denied any racial intent. That committee included: NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman; NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke; WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson (selected by the NWSLPA); Goop, Inc. general counsel and chief people officer Djenaba Parker (selected by the NWSL) and former United States District Judge Barbara S. Jones, who was deemed an independent member. 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. The Joint Investigative Team spoke to Simon, who shared details of Holly's sexual misconduct. The NWSL should develop and implement an annual anti-racism and unconscious bias training that, among other things, is designed to prevent the use of racially insensitive or antisemitic language and provides tools for how to recognize and intervene against microaggressions. From the early days of the League, they were told to be grateful, loyal, and acquiescent, even as they were not afforded the resources or respect due to professional athletes. To that point, during this investigation, the Joint Investigative Team received reports of ongoing misconduct at more than half the League's clubs. Ten days before the first game she expected to start, Riley 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. Following the revelations of Riley's sexual misconduct on Sept. 30, 2021, the NWSL and the NWSLPA separately sought to conduct investigations. Malik texted Gulati that he "appreciate[d]" the "confidential advice to Anson." I. Equality. As described in the following sections, the failure to fully and adequately investigate and address these reports harmed NWSL players and discouraged players and other stakeholders from reporting misconduct. This failure stemmed, in part, from confusion between U.S. Soccer, the League, and its clubs about their respective roles in responding to reports of misconduct, including whether they were expected-or even permitted-to develop HR functions and address misconduct.
