Rather, she said the focus of the interview was on assessing the truth of Shim's allegations and determining whether Farrelly had told anyone about the incident. 3. Players and staff also described coaches creating emotionally toxic workplace environments by subjecting players to volatility or manipulation. Players and staff at the Red Stars said that the close relationship between Head Coach Rory Dames and club owner Arnim Whisler made them feel that raising complaints to ownership would be pointless. The majority of NWSL coaches have been men. 82, September 30, 2021, assistant coaches and any other club staff who would "regularly interact with the players" also became subject to NWSL vetting. She also asked him not to speak to one player implicated in the complaint about the complaint until the League had the opportunity to call that player, but Whisler refused to comply, saying that th[e] situation has the potential to destroy team chemistry." The League and Clubs Failed to Take Adequate Steps to Protect Players in Hiring and Filling Positions
A staff member recalled that during the 2020 season, a player made overnight oats for breakfast, and Benstiti told her in front of other players, "You don't need those oats. Another player said she felt that Whisler had "loyalty" to Dames and did not hear" players' concerns. After players spoke to club management about these concerns, management scheduled a joint meeting with both players and coaching staff, including Holly.
Several coaches routinely relied on derogatory language and name-calling to shame or criticize players. Inattentiveness, neglect, and concealment allow misconduct to fester. After interviewing coaches, players, and club staff, the Joint Investigative Team concluded that Cromwell and Greene retaliated against players for participating in the March Investigation in violation of the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy.
The Flash were not fully informed of the allegations or investigative findings against Riley, and they received a favorable assessment of Riley from Wilkinson. If a player shares information about misconduct in an exit interview, the club staff conducting the exit interview should alert the NWSL HR Office or the NWSL General Counsel so that interim protective measures can be taken as needed and the NWSL can investigate the allegation promptly and thoroughly. The Joint Investigative Team requested an interview of the Current owners, and Angie Long sat for an interview. The severance agreement provided that "Dames and the [Red Stars] may in the future enter into a new independent contracting relationship and wish to make clear their ability to do so upon a mutual agreement." In late June 2015, Riley encouraged players to attend a Women's World Cup match in Vancouver.
ii
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. 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. 41, During the USSF Dames Investigation, multiple players reported similar concerns about
119, financial support for players pursuing coaching licenses, with the long-term goal of hiring a greater number of qualified former NWSL players as coaches. 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." Wahlke told the Joint Investigative Team that she did not recall reviewing the 2015 Thorns report in detail, but she recalled reviewing the email from the Thorns's counsel that concluded Riley had not engaged in unlawful harassment.
If [a player] gets [an] injury we still need [her.]" You had no job security, a player explained. Courage owner Steve Malik said when he learned of a complaint that Riley made inappropriate weightrelated comments, he did not follow up with the player; instead, he presumed the League would respond to [the] complaint" because he was told the complaint went to the League. To ensure DEI initiatives are prioritized and effective at creating a more inclusive environment for all players and staff, the NWSL should consider creating a Diversity Advisory Committee dedicated to making DEI improvements within the League. Players Experienced an Array of Interpersonal Misconduct and Reports of That Misconduct Were Mishandled. The same day, The Athletic reported that the investigation was related to a violation of the NWSL's anti-harassment policy. 15, "manipulative" and noted that Holly stopped building her up and "became a monster" after she began a relationship with someone. Require Coaches to Adhere to Club Medical Staff's Decisions Regarding Player Health and Ability to Train and Play
Trauma-Informed, Survivor-Centered Approach
Confusion Over the Role of SafeSport
With the details of LaHues termination from Gotham finally coming to light along with a multitude of other issues across the NWSL, the league and the players association make one thing clear: systemic failures in league policy made it possible for such behavior to occur, and the time for change is now. According to Whisler, when he read the Washington Post article the next day describing Dames's pattern of abuse and harassment, it became clear that Dames could not take on such a new role with the club. Washington Spirit
Another player, when describing a time her teammates requested that their club help them wash their uniforms, recalled that the club administrator responded, Be grateful you're even able to play for a team, getting paid for this . Ownership terminated Ms. LaHues employment on July 9 and stands by that decision.. Set a "Tone From the Top" That Promotes Player Safety and Well-Being The NWSL should take steps to ensure that leaders of every club in the Leagueincluding owners, presidents, general managers, and other executives-are committed to creating a culture in which player safety is a priority and players are expected and encouraged to report concerns about misconduct. The club immediately terminated the staff member for violating club policy. The Joint Investigative Team considered the following factors when deciding whether to identify an individual who engaged in misconduct: whether (i) the misconduct was widely reported in major news outlets; (ii) the misconduct was severe; (iii) the misconduct was repeated; and (iv) there is a risk of substantial harm to NWSL players, youth players, or others if the individual is not identified. One player told Predmore that they believed it to be "so important" that the club's communications state that Farid ha[d] been terminated. . 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. Create a Diversity Advisory Committee Dedicated to Implementing DEI Initiatives
Together with favorable comments Paulson and Wilkinson made about Riley, this reinforced the impression formed by the Flash and the Courage that Riley had not engaged in misconduct when employed by the Thorns. So did the message of an adult brand backing a sport that has long marketed first to kids and families. The Joint Investigative Team identified and examined facts relevant to potential abuse or misconduct against players by those in positions of power in the NWSL and its member clubs. In Ep. 122, The NWSL should consider requiring that the club explain the reasons for any planned player transaction or staff termination during this timeframe, and the NWSL should ask followup questions and investigate further if it suspects retaliation was a motivating factor behind any of the planned player transactions or staff terminations. The head coach notified club management and spoke with the assistant coach, reporting to club management that the conversation "didn't go well." She showed the text message to a teammate to try to gauge Riley's intention. In September 2015, a player on the Thorns, Meleana "Mana" Shim, emailed a complaint to leadership within the Thorns and to Jeff Plush, then
Players also reported a pervasive fear of retaliation should they raise concerns about Burke. Levine forwarded this email to Plush in September 2015. 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. Players at a number of clubs reported that staff members engaged in unprofessional communications with them. Her resignation followed screenshots posted on Twitter by Alex Morgan, a member of the USWNT and former Thorns player, which showed Baird had denied an April 2021 request from Sinead Farrelly to reopen the investigation into Riley. Against this backdrop, some players reported misconduct anonymously through player surveys conducted by the NWSL. 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 . Provide Mandatory Anti-Racism and Unconscious Bias Training
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." As one staff member explained, there had "always been a high interest and attention" in this player by LaHue. The Joint Investigative Team requested an interview with Holly, and he initially agreed to be interviewed. 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. 81, After the end of the 2021 season, when the Current finished in last place in the League, Williams was relieved of his coaching duties, and he moved to a scouting role at the Current. Players recounted instances in which Harrington made sexual comments to and about players. The announcement did not specify that the "cause" was sexual misconduct. 6. Provide Mandatory Annual Anti-Bullying Training
players." During this time, Duffy, who had recently become NWSL president, and Levine, who had transitioned to the role of NWSL general counsel, worked with NWSL communications staff to prepare a draft public statement (which was never publicly released) related to the handling of sexual harassment complaints and the Riley investigation. The 2022 NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy contains a similar provision that "[s]upervisors in NWSL, including supervisors affiliated with or employed by Teams, are required to report promptly all complaints or reports of misconduct (including incidents of workplace discrimination, harassment, or bullying that they experiences, witness, or receive information about, whether or not reported as formal complaints) and all other potential violations of this policy to the NWSL HR Manager." The joint investigation team noted that all three clubs also "withheld key documents" from them until after the Yates report was released. 92, Players at the Thorns reported that they felt uncomfortable making complaints about Head Coach Paul Riley to Thorns President Gavin Wilkinson because the two were "buddybuddy." The findings, however, were not effectively communicated to Pride players or staff. B.
Club and U.S. Soccer personnel repeated the Thorns's characterization of Riley's conduct as poor judgment for years. 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. Many players who spoke with the Joint Investigative Team were not aware that they could report concerns about misconduct to SafeSport. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that he believed the NWSL could and would convey information about Riley's misconduct to the Flash. 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." Multiple individuals confirmed that Benstiti addressed the players to criticize their diets and weight. The report identifies several instances in which basic criminal records checks would come back clean, but where reference checks would have revealed character issues regarding potential hires. O'Connor noted "there was definitely acknowledgement" by Holly. The player told Predmore she understood. On
He became condescending toward her and made jokes about "ripping [her] contract up." On one occasion, when she informed LaHue that other players had asked why LaHue was "so mean to her, LaHue responded, Tell them kids at the playground always pick on their crush."
The lead investigator selected by the Thorns was inexperienced in conducting sensitive investigations, and player interviews-particularly Farrelly's-were not of the duration and scope appropriate for an investigation into serious allegations of sexual misconduct. Players also expressed concerns about the financial viability of their individual clubs. The club also agreed to pay Dames through the end of the year. Shim contacted Riley by email that July, telling him that his conduct was inappropriate and made her uncomfortable. Horan also said "the French coach was very brutal with it." 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. The League did not have standing meetings with the NWSLPA, and communications remained informal and irregular. Two players, in separate interviews, described feeling like a tax write-off" to their clubs' owners. As then-Racing Louisville player Jorian Baucom discussed publicly on Twitter, Racing Louisville publicly confused her and another Black player in a social media post, something club staff had done with respect to these two players on numerous prior occasions. Insufficient HR Staff at the NWSL and Clubs
In early January 2018, a prospective purchaser of a club reached out to the League's Managing Director Amanda Duffy with concerns about relationships of this type. 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.
The Joint Investigative Team engaged with 15 current and former League staff to invite them to be interviewed by the Joint Investigative Team or to collect documents. Additionally, U.S. Soccer, the League, and its member clubs often failed to investigate, conducted an inadequate investigation, or otherwise failed to address misconduct reported to them. The NWSL should continue to update and revise the Anti-Harassment Policy to strengthen its protections against misconduct and retaliation toward NWSL players and club staff. The club fired LaHue in July 2021. Flynn clarified that while he was copied on "several emails that relate to the results of those surveys," he did not recall ever personally reviewing them. The National Women's Soccer League and NWSL Players' Association have published their joint investigation into abuse allegations across the league. Multiple players and club staff interviewed by the Joint Investigative Team also expressed distrust of the League, concerns about confidentiality, and fear of retaliation for participating in the investigation. At Sky Blue, a former chief financial officer handled the club's budgeting, sponsorships, payroll, and merchandising in addition to the club's HR.
Riley returned from the restroom and asked the women, who had been assigned by Riley to share hotel rooms on team road trips during the season, if they "hooked up" while traveling for games, a notion he had raised even before that night and something they denied doing.