As late as December 2021, the majority of clubs still did not have dedicated HR staff tasked with receiving or investigating reports concerning misconduct. In the 2020 survey, a player for the Spirit wrote that Burke was "unprofessional in his communication with certain players, that he play[ed] major psychological games with certain players, and that he used demeaning language." Shim, Farrelly, and other players speaking out about their experiencesthis time publicly-led directly to Riley's firing. Following the receipt of evidence that Cromwell and Greene were retaliating against players and considering removing from the team players they believed had participated in the March Investigation, the Joint Investigative Team recommended in June 2022 that Cromwell and Greene be placed on
Alyse LaHue: Women's pro soccer is ready to ride the wave of a big . Benstiti did not obey this instruction. Eight different ownership groups and 15 individuals -- including some from the NWSL and U.S. Soccer -- come under detailed scrutiny in the latest report. Until 2021, the NWSL did not have a formal policy prohibiting harassment. The Joint Investigative Team distributed this contact information via email to all current and former players for whom the Joint Investigative Team could identify an email address. Although these measures are a significant improvement from prior years, the joint report noted significant gaps in the vetting protocols, including a lack of a reputational check. Such a check would require additional research including reference interviews from former players at the youth and professional levels as well as other contacts. The player reported that Dames had texted one player at night to tell her he liked her outfit, and that he had "a tendency to 'pick on weak willed players and . 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. One player noted, It was really pushed into our brains, 'don't say anything.""
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. In a publicly reported incident, the Orlando Pride supporters group displayed a banner during a game in protest of the Florida "Don't Say Gay" bill, and the club had the banner removed. Failures of the 2015 Thorns Investigation and Subsequent Communications
However, he could not recall any request by Holly or Holly's attorney that the provision bind the club.
According to Markgraf, Wahlke said that the Thorns had investigated the matter, and Markgraf understood from the conversation that Riley had been cleared and that his departure from the club was not related to the 2015 investigation. One player stated that, "Dishonesty and manipulation from your coach creates a toxic environment." Riley also held club events for players at his Long Island home, where players reported that they drank with him during their stay. Shim had told a teammate, Alex Morgan, about some of Riley's conduct and had consulted Morgan regarding reporting.
LaHue first joined Gotham FC in 2018.
Through counsel, the Thorns emailed Levine a copy of the report with its attachments. The location of Shim's and Farrelly's interviews-the Thorns's stadium-was not an appropriate setting for such a sensitive conversation and contributed to Shim feeling uncomfortable and concerned that staff would see her being interviewed. The NWSL should encourage clubs to involve players in interview and hiring processes where feasible and to seek feedback from a range of players who are familiar with prospective
Another club's general manager noted a lack of clarity in whether the NWSL or clubs should be handling complaints from players. The Joint Investigative Team also reviewed the practices and policies in the NWSL and its member clubs related to identifying, investigating, and addressing such misconduct. After participating in an initial interview with the Joint Investigative Team, LaHue, through her counsel, canceled another scheduled interview and declined the Joint Investigative Team's repeated requests to reschedule. Trauma-Informed, Survivor-Centered Approach
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." The Joint Investigative Team spoke to Simon, who shared details of Holly's sexual misconduct. 14, Uncertainty about the League's stability also may have influenced how the leaders and managers of the League addressed potential issues and concerns. Whisler cautioned, Don't do [that] out [of] emotion.
8
Player Reports of Misconduct During the USSF Dames Investigation
In one instance, Clarkson suspected that players had been drinking alcohol the night before a game, so he convened the players and reprimanded them in a manner that left multiple players feeling scared and attacked. A former player told the Joint Investigative Team she believed the investigation was "inconclusive because no action was taken." Simon recalled that when she told him he could not touch her like that and that it was messing with her, he responded, "If you don't want me to touch your tits, I won't touch your tits." One of the players interviewed by Garcia by telephone told the Joint Investigative Team that her conversation with Garcia involved general questions, and she was given no indication that the conversation was part of an investigation. He often invited certain players to have lunch or dinner with him, taking one small group of players out to dinner on a regular basis. 2. 71, their faces, and gesturing in a threatening manner in their faces.
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. The staff member and player then moved to a second club, where they continued their relationship. 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. 10. In a statement shared by her attorney, LaHue said she is supportive of reform in the NWSL but takes issue . Dames declined requests to be interviewed in this investigation. According to Malik, Paulson told him in 2019 that the Thorns did not terminate Riley, but that Riley's contract was not renewed. Riley has previously denied the allegations against him. Alyse LaHue shares her excitement about the future of the NWSL at the same time she is not shy to reflect on the need of having more women in the game.Alyse . reliably disseminated to relevant stakeholders. Some players said they thought the club should have been more direct with the players regarding the reason for Holly's termination, although two players stated they thought the club handled Holly's termination well and they believed the lack of information shared was to protect Simon's privacy.
NWSL investigation finds misconduct at 'vast majority' of clubs OL Reign
The NWSL should consider creating an Alternative Complaint Resolution program as an additional resource to address conduct that is not covered by the Anti-Harassment Policy. Founded in 2009 in Chicago. 1. Jeff Plush received Shim's September 2015 complaint alleging sexual misconduct by Paul Riley, and he then forwarded the complaint to individuals at U.S. Soccer and discussed it with Merritt Paulson and Gavin Wilkinson.
[Dan Lauletta] Developing story out of Gotham FC today - reddit The NWSL should provide clear guidance to players, club staff, and League staff addressing how to use the program and clear examples of disputes that are appropriate for the program. Can Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga's hottest team, topple Bayern for the title?
3. The clubs that do address these topics in their handbooks set forth policies that depart from the League policy in various ways. Remind Players, Staff, and Volunteers of Reporting Channels Available to Report Misconduct
The Joint Investigative Team received reports from players that reflected concerns that Houston Dash Head Coach James Clarkson was engaged in ongoing emotional misconduct and insensitivity. Three players said that they heard Dames make racist remarks, including referring to black players as 'thugs and telling one Black player that she was acting like a gang member after a game in which [she] played aggressively." Players reported Williams apologized to the team the day after the meeting, but players felt the club did not take action to address players' concerns after the meeting. During his interview with the Joint Investigative Team, Harrington described the incident differently: Harrington said he was at the hotel when one of the players either messaged or called him to ask for help taking an intoxicated player to her hotel room, which he claimed he did. Some witnesses also recalled that Riley would at times exert pressure to have injured players play, in spite of medical advice to the contrary. Two weeks later, an NWSL employee raised a concern she had heard from U.S. Soccer employees that the potential hire was "worse than Rory Dames in terms of belittling players" in youth soccer. One of these players reported that Dames's late-night texts on subjects unrelated to soccer felt "inappropriate." A majority of the players who participated in the investigation raised the concern that "Dames would get close to players, learn personal information about them, and then use the information he gained . On December 5, 2022, Whisler announced that he would sell the Red Stars. The League received reports of misconduct by Dames, but the League did not follow up on the results of the 2018 U.S. Soccer investigation into those reports. The player felt that the owner was suggesting that she was selfish for even raising the point. A source familiar with the situation at Gotham explained to The Equalizer that in early 2022 the team brought in an HR consultant and has recently brought in an HR Executive as an additional resource for the team. Levine did not report Riley to SafeSport between its creation in 2017 and the publication of the Athletic article. More specificity is needed, investigators concluded, to provide examples of how ostracizing players or denying playing opportunities could fall under the definition of prohibited behavior. As noted above, the Thorns asserted privilege over the report in responding to
Witnesses reported during the 2020 NWSL investigation that Hansen described individuals as "colored" or "oriental" and used descriptors and references based on racial stereotypes, including calling Black players on an opposing team "African gazelles." 96, player commenting in the 2020 player survey that Burke used demeaning language. Based on the findings, the Thorns terminated Riley.
Players pinpointed instances in which it appeared that coaching staff were trying to humiliate and sabotage players, rather than help them improve. In one instance, players reported that Pride Head Coach Amanda Cromwell and Assistant Coach Sam Greene ignored a player who was having a panic attack. At the Spirit, a player reported that issues she had raised about Spirit Head Coach Richie Burke to the club's then-owner, Steve Baldwin, who players perceived to be a longtime friend of Burke's, always seemed to get back to [Burke] no matter what." Similarly, the League had no process for clubs to speak to former owners, general managers, staff, or players when hiring a new coach. Players also stated that Pauw commented on players' legs as being "bulky" and prohibited players from lifting weights based on her view that it would make them bulkier when she wanted players to be lean. Sports article mentioned Benstiti by name, stating that the club's technical staff, led by Benstiti, didn't care about communicating fitness goals respectfully." In February 2016, Gulati and Flynn engaged in communications with individuals at the NWSL and U.S. Soccer regarding the Flash's decision to hire Riley that reflected their understanding that the club's hiring of Riley was cause for concern.
Racing Louisville did not appropriately respond to players' reports about Holly's conduct as the club's head coach. Develop and Enforce a Responsible Drinking Policy Applicable to All NWSL Staff, Club Staff, and Players
Before the season, Holly invited Simon to his home on two occasions to watch film, telling her that Pearce Rampone would be there. According to the report, she denied the allegations.
The NWSL should conduct an assessment of its HR and Legal departments to determine whether they are sufficiently staffed to conduct thorough and prompt investigations of allegations of misconduct.
Inquiry Finds Widespread Misconduct In Women's Pro Soccer He began by making dirty or sexual jokes; however, his behavior escalated.
One player described Holly screaming at a player during a game, only to bring her into a meeting after the game in which he cried and told her that she was his favorite player. E. Standards for Assessing Reports of Misconduct..
Club owners, coaches, and general managers from Utah Royals FC, OL Reign, NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, Racing Louisville FC, and later, the Chicago Red Stars departed their clubs following reports of misconduct towards players, including overtly racist conduct, verbal and emotional abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. Kurtz said that Riley's conduct led her to develop an eating disorder for which she later sought professional help. The prospective owner shared that he had learned of a relationship between an owner and a player at one club, and a coach and a player at another club.
At Racing Louisville, for example, Holly lived in the same apartment complex as Simon and other players, one of whom described this arrangement as "weird." Johnson told the Joint Investigative Team that he spoke to Flynn on the phone as part of vetting Riley and that Flynn shared that Riley drank with players at a bar and that players "ended up" at Riley's apartment. Spirit players reported that Burke also used the full N-word in recounting past racism against a family member; asked players if he should sing the "Black version" or "white version" of "Happy Birthday"; and joked, to a player wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt and who had a black eye, that "black eyes matter." Ms. LaHue has sat for approximately seventeen (17) hours of interviews and continually requested access to materials related to her case., According to the joint investigative report, LaHue participated in an initial interview but later canceled another scheduled interview through her counsel and declined repeated requests to reschedule. The New Jersey native is hoping to expand her horizons through overseas play. The sale was finalized in March 2022. Levine's email contained no context or explanation for why she was forwarding the report.