36, findings about Riley's inappropriate behavior beyond that night. The union is referenced by players in the report as a default place to voice concerns, for lack of historical human resources departments in the league and at clubs, but concerns remain over how reported complaints are handled. 49, that he did not have "near enough support" to keep him at the club and they would "need to find the right wording." These considerations included the coaches' sudden fixation on and urgency in removing these players, the labeling of these players by Cromwell and Greene as "negative and not "bought-in," the decision to avoid interactions with these players and plan to exclude them from certain team activities following the March Investigation, and Cromwell's and Greene's shifting justifications for the intended transactions. Christy Holly (Sky Blue, Assistant Coach, 2013-2015 and Head Coach, 2016-2017; Racing Louisville, Head Coach, 2020-2021) Reflecting on the agreement, Whisler said that he believed the provisions were standard" and the club "just tried to get through it . Another player explained, "We are still in a growing league, and that's not lost on players." 23, Thorns staff worked and players played games. That's the problem with this league. While the NWSL and clubs have worked to strengthen their HR resources, many players continue to gravitate towards the NWSLPA as the safest reporting mechanism: even veteran players on the USWNT told the Joint Investigative Team that they would default to bringing their concerns through the NWSLPA. For example, one staff member recalled hearing Holly call a Sky Blue player "lazy" and "dumb." 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. Courage leadership was made aware of Riley's conduct toward Kurtz, who also reported her experiences directly to then-NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird in a group meeting last year. Despite receiving players' reports of verbal and emotional abuse by Dames, she took no action to suspend Dames or otherwise prevent further misconduct during the investigation. Moreover, former League and U.S. Soccer executives also expressed expectations that clubs, not the League, would develop robust HR functions and be prepared to address misconduct, under the League's supervision. Multiple players described coaches engaging in behavior that was perceived to be physically threatening to players, such as chasing players down to scream at them, screaming in Other misconduct, which this Report discusses in detail below, has not received as much, if any, public attention. The investigation was conducted in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered manner, respecting the empowerment, autonomy, and physical and mental wellbeing of any individual impacted by inappropriate conduct. NWSL staff began reviewing and compiling the results of 2020 player surveys, but they did not complete a comprehensive review of the responses. After Riley joined the Thorns, he targeted Thorns player Mana Shim. Throughout Dames's tenure as head coach of the Red Stars, owner Arnim Whisler minimized and dismissed players' concerns that Dames was verbally and emotionally abusive. Club staff must be held to higher standards. Paulson thought Malik was "making a decision about the likelihood that Mana's complaint would go public," and that the Courage would be less inclined to allow Riley to continue as a coach if another team had terminated him. The Courage's policy stated that [d]isciplinary action, up to and including discharge, will be taken against any employee engaging in sexual or other unlawful harassment." E. Reports of Misconduct in 2020 and 2021 One player recalled that Holly "suddenly exploded" during the meeting. Additionally, the explanation put forth by U.S. Soccer did not account for the risk that players who remained on the team and under Dames's management did not report contemporaneous conduct for fear of retaliation. She said, I would filter them, look for comments that can help the Red Stars improve and move on." In the letter, players demanded that the NWSL adopt policies to protect players, including by requiring clear reporting channels for complaints as well as procedures for thorough and impartial investigations. Players reported they raised concerns during this meeting regarding Williams's ineffectiveness as a coach and unprofessional and demeaning communication style. "Misconduct against players has occurred at the vast majority of NWSL clubs at various times from the earliest years of the league to the present," the report states, referencing instances of inappropriate sexual remarks to players by staff in positions of power, blurred professional boundaries, and manipulation. Following Clarkson's suspension, the Joint Investigative Team interviewed 19 additional current and former Dash players and staff, including Clarkson. Former Sky Blue player Nikki Stanton said that Holly frequently told her in training sessions, If you want to be the best" in the League at your position and make the national team, "you need me." 3. A club staff member said the relationship made players feel that they did not have anyone to talk to or anyone to trust." Many players, team and league staff, and team owners were not given the completed report before it was made public. Dames also texted a player after a fundraising event they both attended and told her that she looked nice that evening. Kaleigh Kurtz, who reported experiencing sexual misconduct from Riley at the Courage, said that she did not report Riley's behavior in the past out of fear of being called a "troublemaker," but that she felt comfortable being named in this Report because "players who come forward will be protected." Other players reported instances of Dames texting players late at night, commenting on players' appearances, and "routinely" taking "some of his favorites out to dinner." 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 comments stated: "The head coach was disrespectful to players and created a hostile work environment. 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." Moreover, individual acts of misconduct in the League cannot be addressed without considering the failures in institutional structures, policies, and proceduresat U.S. Soccer, the League, and individual clubs-that have allowed misconduct to persist. The statement called on the NWSL to (i) open an independent investigation into the issues described by The Athletic; (ii) suspend any staff accused of violating the anti-harassment policy; and (iii) disclose how Riley was hired within the NWSL after leaving another club following an investigation into his misconduct. Post author: Post published: junho 10, 2022 Post category: the gridlessness family Post comments: eyal lalo net worth eyal lalo net worth 11, In 2018, the League voluntarily recognized the NWSLPA as the exclusive bargaining representative for all players who signed a standard player agreementin other words, all players except players allocated to the League by the USWNT. Though Shim had deleted many of the inappropriate communications she had received from Riley after Riley instructed her to do so, the report also included some text messages between Riley and Shim, some submitted to Garcia by Shim and some submitted by Riley. Levine told the Joint Investigative Team she sent the report because Duffy was concerned at the time about a potential story regarding the Riley allegations, though Levine could not recall specifics. If it's big enough to take it to the League . . It's across the League. According to Garcia's interview notes, her interview with Farrelly lasted only 30 minutes, though Farrelly recalled it being even shorter. A peek at LaHue's normally busy Twitter account suggests that things began to go south sometime around June 18, when her account last posted. Maybe. For instance, the Courage credibly recounted that the club was only informed that players went to Riley's apartment after drinking with Riley in a nearby bar, and that someone stated that Riley had suggested they kiss. 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. 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. 43, Players also told U.S. Soccer's investigator that Dames used his power as head coach to exercise control over them. Holly complained to Simon about Hendrix and referred to Hendrix as a "cockblock." In December 2012, the Red Stars officially hired Dames as its first head coach in the newly-formed NWSL. This former player said a few players were kind of being weirded out" by Dames's invitations, because they felt he was "always asking" them "to go get food" or to "hang out" with him. Alyse LaHue has overseen Sky Blue FC's successful debut at Red Bull Arena and has endeared herself . The two players found it difficult to identify reporting channels, whether anonymous or not, at either the NWSL or the Thorns. According to players, Riley made unrealistic and seemingly arbitrary demands for player weight loss. Clubs have also at times failed to share critical information about certain applicants with other clubs, which resulted in clubs hiring coaches accused of misconduct without sufficient information about the allegations. Similarly, the players were left in the dark about the findings of the investigation. One player noted, In the NWSL, if players have a problem, we send an email or call to the Players Association to help us decide which direction to go. D. 96, player commenting in the 2020 player survey that Burke used demeaning language. Holly also sent Simon videos of himself masturbating on Snapchat. However, the allegations once again were not responded to appropriately by the NWSL, including by Levine, who had read Shim's 2015 allegations against Riley as well as the 2015 investigative report. Both Gulati and U.S. Soccer CEO Dan Flynn received the NWSL player survey results from 2014, which included information about potential misconduct by both Riley and Dames. By the time U.S. Soccer's investigator contacted the complainant to interview her, the Red Stars had already traded her. Insufficient HR Staff at the NWSL and Clubs Interviewees reported that the performance staff told Clarkson that the player was dealing with altitude sickness (Mexico City is over 7300 feet above sea level). Players credibly reported that Harrington drank with players at bars, and two players reported that on one occasion, after drinking to apparent intoxication, Harrington, accompanied by another player and two staff members, attempted to enter two players' hotel room. 3. In response to the complaint made directly to the League, Baird spoke with Malik and Riley to relay that Riley should not be speaking to players about their weight; rather, weight and fitness issues should be handled by a nutritionist. O'Connor reported that Holly could not explain when asked about sending inappropriate text messages to Simon. 1. Emails reflect that Messing raised concerns that a club was planning to hire a technical staff member who, based on Messing's understanding, was one of the most verbally abusive youth coaches around." 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. The latest report into allegations of abuse in American womens soccer was published on Tuesday by the National Womens Soccer League and the NWSL Players Association. A USWNT staff member said they were familiar with Benstiti before the Reign hired him and recalled that "everyone had heard rumors of his treatment of Lindsey Horan" because "it was public." In January 2020, Simon left West Ham and signed with the Dash. Some players expressed that they sometimes let these microaggressions go because they felt that speaking out about their experiences would make others uncomfortable or because they felt they would not be believed. In spite of this, the evidence shows that neither club that subsequently hired Riley was given a full understanding of the extent of Shim's allegations and the full investigative findings against Riley. Inadequate individual and institutional responses to this misconduct can further normalize and perpetuate the underlying bias, and dissuade reporting. Kurtz added that after reading last year about Riley's past sexual misconduct, she realized that the coach was "grooming" her with similar patterns of behavior. A volunteer who interacted with players at Racing Louisville, when asked whether she considered reporting Christy Holly's misconduct to SafeSport, said, No, and that's a great point. The training should encompass sexual harassment and harassment based on other protected characteristics, including but not limited to race, religion, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. Shim, feeling pressured and placed on the spot, kissed with During Holly's tenure as head coach, players reported to Sky Blue management that Holly was verbally abusive, but the club took no action in response to those reports and ultimately failed to share accurate information about Holly's conduct both with the League and other clubs. James Clarkson communicated with players in a manner that created anxiety and fear for multiple players. Players on NWSL clubs are NWSL employees, while coaches and other team personnel are club employees. 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." However, Shim preferred to stay in Portland, where she already had a lease and was working as a private coach, so she asked Riley if the team would try to keep her. coach, and Alyse LaHue, the former general manager of Gotham F.C., each received two-year suspensions from the league. Wahlke received copies of the investigator's interview notes and offered input to the investigator on how the investigation should proceed. Many players across the NWSL said they did not know how to elevate concerns about club staff, including coaches, within their clubs or to the NWSL. He has denied all allegations against him. Additionally, Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that Wahlke contacted him at that time regarding Riley, and the two discussed the Thorns's 2015 investigation. A different player recounted that after a tournament, her team received a "ton of alcohol to have a party." Separately, during a large group meeting with Baird and Levine, she told them about some of her experiences with Riley. WUSA enjoyed initial success, with all-star lineups, television exposure, and high attendance at games. Clarkson asked a staff member to request security footage from the hotel, but the staff member was not able to obtain the footage. She provided a written denial of what she suspected were the allegations against her, including a statement that she has never remarked on the appearance of a player or kept track of players' weight. The failure to take intermediary action left players in an unsafe environment for well over a year while the investigation was ongoing. The Courage understood Riley had denied this allegation. It's a vicious cycle." He remained with the Flash until the club was sold in 2017. While the League itself cannot dictate changes to settings outside its purview, such as youth soccer or other leagues, it can implement reforms to the policies and practices within its control, which will in turn allow the League to serve as a standard-bearer and blueprint for other institutions. The same is true of the Red Stars's hiring of Rory Dames as their head coach. This misconduct did not occur in a vacuum. The Spirit suspended Burke pending an investigation initiated shortly after the Washington Post article was published, and the club fired him on September 28, 2021, following the completion of that investigation. 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. Riley asked Shim out to dinner, though she made excuses to avoid accepting. 71, their faces, and gesturing in a threatening manner in their faces. As described in the following sections, these failures harmed NWSL players and discouraged players and other stakeholders from reporting misconduct. The public revelation of Riley's misconduct and the systemic issues it exposed prompted outcry and action. In addition to reports of misconduct involving Paul Riley, Rory Dames, and Christy Holly, described in detail below, the Joint Investigative Team identified many instances of coaches, staff, club leadership, and other individuals in positions of power engaging in misconduct directed at players. There is no evidence that any additional investigative steps were taken between September 2019 and Wahlke's departure from U.S. Soccer the following year. In fact, an attorney from the law firm retained by the Thorns informed Levine that there were suggestions in [Shims] interview [with Garcia] that Paul Riley's relationship [with Farrelly] was more extensive than [Shim's]/Riley's." Rather, the allegations and findings against Riley were frequently downplayed, including by discussing only certain aspects of certain of the allegations against Riley and, as noted, by using the determination of no unlawful harassment to summarize the investigative findings. Paulson's and Wilkinson's accounts of the information shared with the Flash are inconsistent with a document the Flash prepared for the Joint Investigative Team's review summarizing the club's vetting and hiring of Riley. Several coaches routinely relied on derogatory language and name-calling to shame or criticize players. As Equalizer has reported, the highly-anticipated report contained detailed findings of an investigation into numerous allegations of misconduct across the league. The draft statement explained that the club conducted an investigation into Riley, determined that bad judgement [sic]" was involved, and "chose not to renew his contract." Levine, who was General Counsel of U.S. Soccer at the time, told the Joint Investigative Team that she recalled the comments about Lines were "very unfavorable." Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that he described to Wahlke the incident involving the coerced kiss between Farrelly and Shim, and they discussed the investigative findings and the fact that Riley had been terminated. The agreement provided Dames with an additional five weeks of pay, and prohibited Dames and the Red Stars from disparaging the other or disclosing to anyone the existence and content of the agreement, with no exception for cooperation with the ongoing investigations. At the same time, For at least one player, the limited size and resources of the League contributed to an impression that clubs were solely or primarily responsible for handling investigations. 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." She also did not share the findings or conclusion from the investigation with players. To the extent that Racing Louisville has asserted that the severance agreement was intended to address Simon's confidentiality concerns, the non-disparagement provision was far more limiting on the club than what was necessary to protect her confidentiality. 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. As early as June 2021, players reported that Holly had shouted at and personally attacked" players who had gone to him for one-on-one feedback. Despite reports from players that club staff and ownership were aware of Burkes mistreatment of players, the Spirit did not launch an investigation into Burke until the club learned that a Washington Post article would publicly reveal allegations that Burke verbally and emotionally abused players and made racially insensitive comments. The club announced that Holly was terminated "for cause," but the announcement did not specify that the "cause" was sexual misconduct. Plush was aware that the Thorns launched an investigation, and he received some updates regarding the investigation. The failure to fully share information between stakeholders in women's soccer was also an issue during the USSF Dames Investigation. Players reported that by bringing players into a meeting with Holly, club management created a fear of retaliation which discouraged them from reporting further One player reported that former OL Reign Head Coach Farid Benstiti announced to players, "If I see you eat snacks, I will kill you." Players were frequently reminded of the fragility and financial instability of the League. And thorough vetting, including a reputational check, is time-intensive and expensive. Trainings should also explain that even if there are other reasons for taking an adverse action against a player or staff member, if retaliation is a motivating factor for taking an adverse action, the adverse action is retaliatory and a violation of the Anti-Harassment Policy. That survey still contained questions about the prior topics, but also included more detailed questions about the NWSL, including player satisfaction with the contract and trade processes. She remembered that Holly "verbally attacked players, and his behavior was "just different" than it had been in 2016. Following the publication of the Athletic article in 2021, Paulson stated in Golub's presence that "Mike [Golub] spent a lot of time on the phone w/Aaran Lines" when the Flash were considering hiring Riley. This prohibition extended to disclosures that would not identify Simon or that Simon approved. Ultimately, WUSA announced it was folding on September 15, 2003, less than a week before the kickoff of the 2003 World Cup in the United States. Several witnesses noted that speaking to a coach's former players or employers about the coach's behavior could surface issues that would not be uncovered in a traditional background check. In another instance, a player reported that Clarkson angrily asked her, "How the fuck are you so unprofessional," when she had to come out of a game due to an injury. Hammond denied ever speaking to Riley about this request and denied that Riley told him that Kurtz could not be traded. Given this conduct, players feared retaliation from Burke and held back from criticizing him out of fear they would be waived. One player explained that it took her several years to realize that Riley's treatment of players on the Courage was manipulative, and that other coaches don't treat people this way." Investigative Process 4. * In March 2021, days after Baird received a letter from 240 NWSL players urging the NWSL to adopt an anti-harassment policy, Shim emailed Baird indicating that she believed the League had failed to take any action to protect players in response" to her 2015 complaint about Riley. The NWSLPA did not pursue collective bargaining at that time, and instead continued to focus on improving communication and addressing player concerns with the League.