The first departure occurred in August 2020, when Royals owner Dell Loy Hansen sold the club after reports surfaced that he had made racist comments. Amidst this confusion, no entity embraced this responsibility. Williams was moved to a front office role at the end of that season. However, the Joint Investigative Team found no evidence that the letters were written or sent. Riley told Shim to delete his text messages because Shim was living with her then-partner, and Shim complied. 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 summary continued, "This was not a widely-held concern [and was not] identified as a significant concern." The player wondered, "Are you going to get a jokey type of day, or is he going to make your life hell that day?" Don't ever leave me." Leaders within U.S. Soccer and the NWSL, including the Board of Governors and club management, must lead the effort in building back trust with players and creating a safe working environment for all players. . By allowing Riley to continue coaching in the NWSL, the League conveyed its continuing implicit approval of him, despite the information Plush received and the concerns that he expressed to others. 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. According to that document, Wilkinson told Lines and then-Flash President Alex Sahlen-who is also the daughter of former Flash owner Joe Sahlen and the wife of Lines-that an investigation into Riley had occurred based on "only one incident with a disgruntled player," but that no wrongdoing was found. The NWSL and U.S. Soccer in multiple instances did not investigate or address comments from player surveys stating that club staff engaged in misconduct. The Joint Investigative Team found that the underlying culture of the NWSL created fertile ground for misconduct to go unreported. Players from marginalized backgrounds, or with the least job security, were often targets of misconduct. 1. As Equalizer has reported, the highly-anticipated report contained detailed findings of an investigation into numerous allegations of misconduct across the league. . The Equalizer later reported that the investigation stemmed from a complaint filed with the league under its anti-harassment policy. It was not until August 2021 that the league implemented a process requiring clubs to submit head coaching candidates to the league for vetting and approval. December 14, 2022 3. Ratings: Fofana 8/10 as Chelsea pick up first league win in six, Ten Hag must learn from Mourinho to ensure Man United's Carabao Cup win is just the start, Raul and Valverde are keeping Madrid prodigy Alvaro's feet on the ground, Man United must make every penny count to beat FFP and continue recovery, LIVE Transfer Talk: Bayern still keen on Kane despite new Choupo-Moting contract. He would switch seats on the plane during team travel to sit next to her. Kurtz recalled speaking to Riley in late 2020 to again tell him she wanted to leave the club. You had no job security, a player explained. Following the 2015 Thorns Investigation, Farrelly saw one of her fears coming true; within less than a month after Paulson and Wilkinson received the report detailing Farrelly's account to the Thorns's investigator, Wilkinson informed Farrelly she was being traded. The report did not make any recommendations, noting instead that recommended actions for the Thorns to take would be determined by Paulson and Wilkinson. @sarahlgorden I'm so sorry for what happened to you & your loved ones. Also around that time, Paulson-who frequently communicated with Malik-wrote to Malik via text message: "Paul's contract was up when he left us and we didnt [sic] renew it. The player reported that she later told Clarkson she found the comment offensive, and he laughed again. The NWSL announced that Cromwell's and Greene's employment contracts were terminated effective immediately and that they were ineligible for future employment in the NWSL unless approved by the Commissioner. a) Vetting Requirements for Coaches and Staff 5. After the meeting, the team captains followed up with Clarkson and reportedly told him that his conduct had scared players. Pauw appeared to want to control and micromanage players' diets and exercise regimens even when her weight loss Wilkinson informed the Joint Investigative Team that he did not recall staff raising concerns about misconduct by Riley. Racing Louisville The club immediately terminated the staff member for violating club policy. 5 For example, the NWSL engaged a third-party investigator specializing in workplace investigations to conduct investigations into former Royals owner Dell Loy Hansen in 2020, Dash stadium security in 2021, and LaHue in 2021. By the time Levine and Duffy spoke to the two players they interviewed other than the complainant, Whisler had already spoken to both of them. It provides a successful (albeit anonymous) example of this working in late 2021. When Racing Louisville sought feedback on Holly from references at Sky Blue, Novo was no longer there and the individuals at Sky Blue that Racing Louisville spoke with did not know about and therefore did not convey the full universe of concerns originally raised by players against Holly, instead citing only Holly's relationship with a player. The New Jersey native is hoping to expand her horizons through overseas play. Hansen's and Harrington's departures in 2020 presaged a wave of departures in 2021. The report, however, acknowledges that "a majority of players expressed the view that Clarkson's treatment of players did not rise to the level of abuse or misconduct. Another player who participated in the USSF Dames Investigation told the investigator that Dames once interfered with her plans to visit her boyfriend on an away trip. 4. Finally, in certain instances where players reported concerns publicly, including on social media or in statements to the press, or have otherwise authorized the Joint Investigative Team to use their names, this Report identifies those players where appropriate. It also appears Shim's and Farrelly's interviews were not conducted in a trauma-informed manner. Levine suggested in a February 2016 email that she would prepare letters to Riley and to the owner of the Flash reminding them that coaches must remain professional, but the Joint Investigative Team did not find evidence that any such letters were written or sent. After Dames tendered his resignation, Whisler entered into a separation agreement with Dameseven though Dames was terminable at will. 97, In an email exchange in July 2017, Sky Blue owner Steven Temares asked Novo whether "Christy has a relationship that takes advantage of any player or makes his independence as a coach questionable among the players." 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 attitude that women's sports are not professional, or not as valued as men's sports, gave players the impression that they were less valued and that their concerns would not be addressed. The NWSLPA and the League began collective bargaining in late 2020, and Meghann Burke was hired to a full-time position as the Executive Director of the NWSLPA in early 2021. Further, U.S. Soccer paused its investigation for one month from March to April 2019 while SafeSport exercised jurisdiction over a complaint about Dames marrying one of his former youth players. On a different occasion, Dames called Stanton into his office and told her she was playing poorly. Another player told Courage leadership that Riley had been verbally abusive and created a culture of fear" in which players could not express opinions, and that other coaches had allowed Riley to engage in this behavior. D. The league retained Covington & Burling LLP, while the NWSLPA retained Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. In addition, romantic relationships between players and staff, even when consensual, blur the lines between appropriate and inappropriate behavior, increasing the risk of misconduct. to return to the club. 61, Another player recalled that Harrington went to a strip club with players after a seasonending loss when he was an assistant coach with the Red Stars. 40, longest-tenured coach in the League. He asked her what she was eating, told her she looked chubby, and told her she would need to lose 14 pounds before the game to keep her starting role, telling her, "I hope you know I'm doing this because I love you." Club policies only listed club personnelincluding supervisors, club presidents, other members of club management, and club HR departments-as potential reporting channels. Communicate Reporting Channels Regularly These players reported that Dames engaged in consistent patterns of behavior over his tenure as head coach, including frequent yelling, targeting certain players for harsher treatment, lodging personal insults, and blurring personal and professional boundaries. Numerous players reported that they experienced mental health challenges due to toxic and abusive working environments created by coaches' behavior and treatment of players. To help address these concerns, players were invited to ask the Joint Investigative Team or the NWSLPA's counsel any questions about the investigation and interview process, confidentiality, and any other concerns without any obligation or expectation to participate in an interview. 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. Farrelly asked what steps the NWSL intended to take in connection with inappropriate conduct that was initially reported" and offered to make herself available for an interview. The policy prohibits harassing conduct, regardless of whether it rises to the level of a legal violation. Following these reports and upon learning that Clarkson had been made aware that he was under investigation, the Joint Investigative Team recommended in April 2022 that Clarkson be placed on temporary suspension pending investigation. A player reported similar conduct by Dames to The Washington Post. Shim attached to her email to Baird her September 16, 2015 email to the Thorns in which she made the complaint against Riley, along with responses to her complaint by Garcia and Plush. Prior to 2021, the NWSL did not have a formal policy prohibiting harassment, which includes sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. And thorough vetting, including a reputational check, is time-intensive and expensive. READ MORE: Ex-Philadelphia Independence coach Paul Riley fired from NWSL team amid allegations of sexual misconduct. The player who raised a complaint to the Courage, Kaleigh Kurtz, had joined the Courage in 2018 and was initially pleased to be playing for Riley. The USSF Dames Investigation surfaced several concerns about Dames, but those concerns were not appropriately investigated or addressed. An attorney retained by the Thorns following the report by Shim did not conduct any interviews or otherwise play an active role in the investigation. Johnson said Flynn told him an allegation was made that Riley asked "a player to kiss another female," and that Riley had denied this occurred. I don't want her anywhere around the team." 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 NWSLPA retained Weil to conduct this investigation. In explaining the transactions the club made before the next season, Williams said, "We needed to make a lot of changes-we were last [in the League]. Lisa Baird (NWSL, Commissioner, 2020-2021) She was surprised then when the club's HR personnel emailed staff and the players who raised concerns to schedule a meeting for them to discuss the issues collectively. In March 2016, Paulson emailed Alex Sahlen congratulating the Flash on hiring Riley and stating that he had a lot of affection" for Riley. 7. 26, c) "Our biggest goal as a staff, when I took over, was that we needed to rebuild the trust with fans. Whether or not players specifically described this particular issue as significant, the report should have independently assessed the facts provided by the players. Over a year later, in September 2019, the law firm retained by U.S. Soccer completed its investigative steps and produced a draft report to U.S. Soccer (the "USSF Dames Report"). sometimes things trickled up." Afterwards, Riley asked her for a ride home, and she declined. The NWSL should consider whether players and staff would benefit from the League establishing guidelines on appropriate socializing between players and individuals with supervisory authority over players, including head coaches. . This investigation followed. Background checks should also be conducted on prospective owners of NWSL clubs, including prospective owners of expansion clubs or investors who are candidates to acquire majority or significant minority stakes in existing clubs. Simon had just graduated from college, and after an open tryout, Holly offered Simon her first professional contract to play for Sky Blue, where he was the head coach. Share Findings of Misconduct with U.S. Soccer and Other Stakeholders Historically, there was no established process for sharing information about misconduct complaints or investigation findings among U.S. Soccer, the League, and clubs. 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. Since the announcement of the NWSL and NWSLPA Joint Investigation, the NWSL has undertaken significant efforts to correct the systemic failures that allowed misconduct to proliferate. Whisler said he then proceeded with the trade based on "soccer reason[s]" after consulting with the League. Gulati told the Joint Investigative Team that the Thorns said they would only share the 2015 investigative report with the NWSL and with U.S. Soccer's General Counsel, Levine. The annual training should be interactive, with opportunities for participants to ask questions and receive feedback. A third Courage player recalled that she "had a lot of really hard coaches growing up, including her college coach, and wondered, "Do I even know if I've been abused?" Stanton reflected that Dames "knew how to take the things that meant the most to you and turn them against you." After Thorp left, Riley brought out more alcohol and turned on music, asking Shim to dance with him. Players also suggested that Whisler perpetuated and allowed Dames's behavior because Whisler was "cheap" and Dames coached on a reduced salary. Some players said that they only realized that they were in emotionally abusive or manipulative environments after the fact. Just get out there and fucking play." Horan spoke publicly about weight-shaming behaviors at PSG on multiple occasions before Benstiti's hiring at OL Reign. Train NWSL and Club Staff in Complaint Handling and TraumaInformed Investigation Best Practices The Anti-Harassment Policy should specify that the Non-Fraternization Policy applies not just to head coaches, but also to assistant coaches and any other club staff in supervisory positions over players. 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 late August 2021, approximately four weeks after Simon first disclosed Holly's abuse to Starr, Starr told Louisville City's chaplain Garrett Bates that Holly was "sexually harassing" a player, and that he had "touched a player inappropriately." if you don't want it, get a regular job. In one case, a member of club leadership, while following up on younger players' complaints of staff mistreatment, was told by more seasoned players that the younger players were "entitled" and did not appreciate, for example, that the club provided them meals at the training facility. The player stated that Burke's lack of emotional control was "very regular." to any third-party that denigrates, disparages, criticizes, defames, or is derogatory of the other." Hammond said that Kurtz's agent had requested a trade, and Hammond reached out to teams to try to find a trade for Kurtz. In August 2019, a Thorns staff member emailed a draft public statement (which was never publicly released) to Paulson and Golub for review. Multiple players described the fear and uncertainty that accompanied the constant threat of being traded to another team or waived. Malik told the Joint Investigative Team that he thought at the time that Riley's drinking with players in 2015 was unacceptable" for a coach of the USWNT For instance, a member of the NWSL office expressed concern in February 2022-over two months after the temporary protocols were implementedthat there was still "confusion" over whether certain members of club staff 3. Similarly, Levine reported that, prior to 2020, the League had only been involved in one or two investigations, and that no formal procedure for handling complaints had been developed. They also feel the non-fraternization policy, first implemented in January 2018, must be more explicit, extend to staff beyond the head coach and "clarify that any sexual or romantic relationship between players and those in supervisory roles over players is strictly prohibited, even if the relationship is consensual. Holly also sent Simon videos of himself masturbating on Snapchat. On the eve of the Washington Post's November 2021 story on Dames's abusive conduct, in the midst of two ongoing investigations by the Joint Investigative Team and U.S. Soccer into misconduct towards players, and despite Dames having already resigned, Whisler entered into a confidential separation agreement with Dames. New subjects include details on why former Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue was fired in July of last year. U.S. Soccer Chief Legal Officer Lydia Wahlke directed the USSF Dames Investigation, asking the NWSL to stand down even though she believed U.S. Soccer did not have the authority to take action against Dames. Despite these recurrent issues, Whisler told the investigator that he believed that Dames had improved in his demeanor, mindset, and patience during his years as head coach and that Dames would not "be hard on someone unless he [thought] they [had] it within them to rise up." Farrelly told the Joint Investigative Team that the announcement "solidified" her decision not to tell her own story, noting the hiring was "extra validation that Shim's allegations did not seem to matter. The announcement finally came on July 16, about a termination that happened on July 9. A former player told the Joint Investigative Team she believed the investigation was "inconclusive because no action was taken." The Joint Investigative Team investigated specific instances of misconduct that shed light not only on the lived experiences of the impacted players, but also on the cultural and These behaviors undisputedly occurred and are still occurring." After the meeting, one of the players said she felt like things were getting better. When the team arrived in Chicago, Dames "gave the team the entire weekend off." The close timing between the investigation and the proposed player transactions, efforts by the coaches to discourage reporting and reward apologies for participation in the investigation, exclusion of the players suspected of supporting allegations against the coaches from a team-building activity, and comments the coaches made about these players being "negative" and not "bought in" together indicate that the coaches' actions against the players at issue were motivated, at least in part, by retaliatory reasons. He then characterized Press as "impossible to work with" and suggested she had a "fragile mentality." She described the NWSL office as a "very disempowered place to be given the power and authority of U.S. . C. In her interview with the Joint Investigative Team, Ellis did not recall players bringing to her attention verbal abuse or racist or sexist comments by NWSL coaches during her tenure with the USWNT. However, there is substantial work to be done. For example, Thorns owner Merritt Paulson said the Thorns shared everything with the League" and believed the League would further investigate and suspend former Head Coach Paul Riley from working in the League following the 2015 allegations against him. The same HR employee who spoke to Levine about Farrelly's complaint told the Joint Investigative Team that she printed the complaint and handed it to Levine. Levine's explanation for her response to these emails was that she was focused on language in the emails regarding how the NWSL would respond to Shim's initial 2015 complaint-despite indicia in the emails that Shim and Farrelly were dissatisfied with the NWSL's response to Shim's 2015 complaint and despite Farrelly having provided additional pertinent information in her email. This framework remained unchanged until August 13, 2021, when the NWSL implemented a process requiring clubs to submit their head coach candidates to the NWSL for a background check and subsequent approval. While the NWSL has recently improved its hiring practices and background check processes, background and reputational checks should be enhanced, and the NWSL should establish formal procedures to facilitate information-sharing among clubs. In November 2021, the NWSL imposed requirements that prospective general managers, coaches, and presidents of clubs undergo background checks before being hired. (1) B. In June 2021, on behalf of a Gotham FC player, the Clubs Director of Operations submitted to the NWSL a complaint alleging that Gothams General Manager Alyse LaHue had harassed a player. . In practice, players reported issues to someone at their club because they had more day-to-day interactions with club personnel, who were more akin to the players' actual employers. The NWSLPA continues to advocate for player safety and amplify players' voices regarding opportunities for change and improvement in the League. the ghosts of their former Sky Blue FC selves and all the baggage that came with it, Yazmeen Ryan is at Gotham FC for the long haul, Why Naomi Girma could be the USWNTs most important player at the World Cup, Pride swap white shorts for black as global push continues for player welfare, Waived from Gotham FC, Kelly Ann Livingstone sees opportunity with Fortuna Hjrring, 2023 NWSL schedule released: Actually, theres a lot to like, Sinead Farrelly joins Gotham FC preseason roster as Non-Roster Invitee, Amy Rodriguez traded to North Carolina; Kansas City acquires Mace, Hamilton and Rowland, USWNT wrestling with identity ahead of World Cup, USWNT 2, Brazil 1: On fullback positioning and the double-edge sword of transitions, Several players drop out of French national team ahead of the World Cup, Seriously, a fall-to-spring schedule for the NWSL? Players told the Joint Investigative Team that the NWSL's culture and the unstable history of women's professional soccer in the United States deterred them from raising concerns about abuse, bullying, harassment, and other forms of misconduct. Texts between the player and Burke indicate Burke spoke to her supportively at one point in or around June 2020 about her The Joint Investigative Team requested interviews of 11 current and former U.S. Soccer staff. b) Failures of Background Checks Craig Harrington, the former Utah Royal F.C. One person who works with players in the League mentioned that she had seen text messages to other players from coaches that engaged in such emotional manipulation. Based on the findings, the Thorns terminated Riley. Pauw acknowledged that at the end of the season, a player had raised concerns to Pauw that Pauw's mistreatment had caused a teammate's eating disorder, but Pauw denied any role and stated that the reporting player should have "tak[en] responsibility as an adult by looking out for her teammate sooner. Holly was an assistant coach at the U-23 camp, which Simon did not know until a couple of days prior to the start of the camp. Key individuals involved in the 2015 Thorns Investigation and Simon described feeling helpless and like she could not escape. Non-fraternization policies need to extend beyond just head coaches as demonstrated within the report with very critical language regarding relationships between players and staff. Through these interviews, the Joint Investigative Team gathered evidence from players in every active and former NWSL club. At the other end of the spectrum, another club "leaned on the League to run the background checks" or, in the case of its head coach, "did not do that vetting because in the soccer community, [the coach] was such a public and well-known figure." 2. One club, in hiring a head coach, spoke to management at two of the coach's former clubs, individuals at the League and U.S. Soccer, players at one of the coach's former clubs, player agents, and a non-NWSL-affiliated member of the women's soccer community. They used derogatory and insulting language towards players, displayed insensitivity towards players' mental health, and engaged in retaliation against players who attempted to report or did report concerns. Until 2021, the NWSL did not have a formal policy prohibiting harassment. She showed the text message to a teammate to try to gauge Riley's intention. When the Joint Investigative Team interviewed her, Wahlke said that she did not believe the investigation was ever closed during her tenure at U.S. Soccer. In one instance, a clubwhich had properly followed the protocols with respect to its new head coach-hired two assistant coaches without informing the NWSL or completing the NWSL's vetting process. Players credibly reported that Pauw criticized players for their appearance for example, saying that some players were "too big" while praising other players for losing weight, with no apparent correlation to performance or health. 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. Those findings will remain confidential and the league will not comment further on individual club personnel matters.. 57, older, all of his friends would want to sleep over at her house-which the player understood as an insinuation about her attractiveness. Players reported the club did not take sufficient action to address players' concerns after the meeting. Offensive and Insensitive Behavior Related to Sexual Orientation Inattentiveness, neglect, and concealment allow misconduct to fester. The NWSL celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2022. An owner of a club emphasized that one of the problems with having a coach and a general manager who are the same person" was that it meant "one less channel of communication that you have" to report concerns.
Brad's Barber Shop Sidney, Mt,
Lewis Hamilton Helmet Police,
Kola Karim Net Worth,
Banish 30 Vs Omega,
Rau Ward Morriston Hospital,
Articles A
