Strengthen Anti-Harassment Policies .. Previously, Alyse spend five years as the GM of the Chicago Red Stars. D. Within a few months, investors had spent what was originally expected to sustain the league for three to five years. Some clubs provide housing for both staff and players, and in some cases, staff and players lived in the same apartment complexes. Coaches and Club Staff Riley admitted in 2015 that he deleted Shim's email without showing it to anyone in a higher position of authority at the Thorns or the NWSL. One player recalled that O'Connor informed players that Holly had been terminated due to an inappropriate relationship" with a player. On December 1, 2022, Paulson announced the decision to sell the Thorns. While Simon's parents gave Pearce Rampone a tour of the home, Holly grabbed Simon's buttocks and felt her over her leggings. U.S. Soccer's investigator also did not look into players' concerns that Whisler was not receptive to their complaints and that he had a financial incentive to protect Dames. In those moments, she said she "just wanted to yell, 'Stop, they're not okay." "The club has a tremendous history and. Multiple clubs expected the League to take a more active role in addressing misconduct. .17 The world of professional soccer, and professional sports more broadly, presents unique questions about what constitutes inappropriate conduct by coaches and other staff. [in] less than a day." The History and Culture of the League and its Member Clubs Discouraged Reporting of Potential Misconduct.. It's a vicious cycle." For example, the League's former interim CEO, Marla Messing, recalled multiple instances where, due to her experience in the soccer community, she was able to identify potential hires by clubs who were "terrible" or "abusive," but who had received clean background checks. This information suggested that Riley might pose a danger to players, but the Courage did not take adequate steps to learn the findings of the investigation, reflecting a lack of appreciation for the power dynamics between players and coaches, and the Courage employed Riley despite knowing of this allegation. The Joint Investigative Team looked to a variety of sources, including the League's 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy and professional coaching standards, when making these assessments. 15, "manipulative" and noted that Holly stopped building her up and "became a monster" after she began a relationship with someone. She recalled trying to leave Holly's house, but as she rounded a corner to go downstairs to leave, Holly grabbed her arm. The same player emphasized that "continuous commitment to anti-racism is important" and the burden should not be on Black players to educate others. In August 2019, a Thorns staff member emailed a draft public statement (which was never publicly released) to Paulson and Golub for review. YOU'RE FIRED: Gotham FC sacks GM LaHue, claiming she violated NWSL 2. The NWSL should provide training and guidance to the clubs on the types of questions to ask. For example, a player described Pauw saying to a player, when that player lifted her shirt to wipe her face, "Put that away." When Baird asked Levine if they should meet with Farrelly, Levine replied that they should email Farrelly first. SafeSport produces over a dozen "abuse awareness and prevention courses, and all NWSL employees (including players) and club employees are required to participate in at least one training course developed by SafeSport. a For most of its history, the NWSL did not require clubs to perform background checks when hiring coaches or other player-facing staff. 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 staff member also said they brought up Horan's negative experience with Benstiti to Predmore in late December 2019 or early January 2020. Trainings should include how to conduct an effective, traumainformed interview of an individual making a complaint, how to support that individual and not make comments that deter further reporting, how to document that interview, and how to elevate the issue to the NWSL. Players and club staff also reported that Dames exercised control over players' social lives. Simon trained with Holly and Pearce Rampone during this time. 24, film sessions at his apartment with Shim, had dinner alone with Shim one night, sent inappropriate text messages to Shim, and deleted Shim's July email to him stating Riley's conduct was inappropriate without notifying his superiors about the email. Formation and Mandate of the Joint Investigative Team There is more history." The statement also claimed that investigators provided Ms. LaHue a few documents that contained alterations. Instead, these conversations occurred on an ad hoc basis and were left to individual clubs. Subsequently, on more than one occasion, Holly held doors open for Simon and grabbed her buttocks as she passed by him. Around this time, a Racing Louisville staff member raised concerns that Holly was romantically involved with another staff member at Racing Louisville and that this alleged relationship negatively impacted the team environment. And as discussed above, in some cases, Riley's practice of holding meetings in hotel rooms did in fact lead to boundary-crossing interactions with Shim. Players raised multiple concerns about him to club management. After the group returned to the hotel, Harrington came upstairs to two players' hotel room. Another player also recalled hearing players say they "would be at [his] pool and drinking," but Riley would then "get mad" because he thought that the players should be training. This is too much. F. 9. 6. Recently we have absolutely discovered and uncovered the areas [where the] NWSL lacked and the harm it has caused. Despite having knowledge of Holly's relationship with Pearce Rampone, and of its negative impact on players at Sky Blue, no one at the club spoke to former Sky Blue players to ask for their perspective on Holly. Alyse LaHue, a former team executive, also received a two-year penalty, while ex-coaches Farid Benstiti, James Clarkson and Vera Pauw could return only by meeting specified conditions, such as . 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. A text message conversation between Whisler and Dames on June 13, 2018, indicates that Whisler informed Dames of the complaint shortly after speaking to Levine. Malik recalled that after his conversation with Paulson, he asked Plush for the report but Plush declined, telling Malik that the issue was an HR matter and that Riley had been cleared. In some instances, players felt that the lack of boundaries made it difficult for them to differentiate between appropriate behavior and misconduct. For example, the Courage re-signed Jaelene Daniels in 2021, after her brief retirement. The Thorns's handbook contains a similar Anti-Fraternization Policy which states that "[d]ating, romantic, and sexual relationships between players and staff and between managers and subordinates are prohibited." She still is not making the kind of money she might command in the corporate world, but LaHue is fairly certain she is having more fun. f) Failure to Disseminate Findings A few weeks later, on June 12, 2018, another Red Stars player emailed the NWSL HR office to file a complaint about Dames and Whisler. Riley also would tell players that he wanted "to see two women kiss," and made other statements that one player described as "homophobic." At the end of the meeting, Simon was informed that the club planned to fire Holly that night. 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 . a) Definition of Retaliation 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. 101, When players reported concerns about Dames or resisted his social invitations, they experienced retaliation. Hammond recalled telling Kurtz in a phone call that the Courage were not able to find a trade for her. This trial and error process is what highlights need and in turn creates important policies and guidelines for stability in our infrastructure, Zerboni told Equalizer. He told Kurtz, I hope you know I'm doing this because I love you." The League later received new information indicating that Riley's misconduct had not been adequately investigated, but the League did not commission its own investigation or take other action. However, there is substantial work to be done. The League should be transparent with players about progress and should provide players with a formal platform where they can share ongoing concerns with management and the Board of Governors. I have no idea." However, she did not name Simon. g) 3. Wilkins similarly recalled O'Connor or Estes stating that Holly had a potentially inappropriate relationship with a player. . The Joint Investigative Team spoke to multiple current and former players from the Red Stars, ranging from Dames's first season in the NWSL to his last. E. Reporting channels also should be posted in physical locations where players and staff convene, including locker rooms and club office space. Truth Be Told: The Fight for Women's Professional Soccer, stream on ESPN+. They may need to navigate conversations about how players' fitness or injury recovery impact performance. It was mean." As Equalizer has reported, the highly-anticipated report contained detailed findings of an investigation into numerous allegations of misconduct across the league. 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. This misconduct did not occur in a vacuum. During the spring of 2021, the 2015 complaints against Riley resurfaced. From simultaneous kickoffs to end the regular season, to relegating the Challenge Cup to On Monday, NJ/NY Gotham FC released their highly anticipated preseason roster. Farrelly emailed Wilkinson expressing discontent and concern that she was being traded so soon after the investigation into Riley's conduct. Another player noted the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training, and specifically, anti-Black racism" training. Discussing the National Women's Soccer League and all things women's soccer in the US 14 52, Simon recalled that Holly once brought her into a suite in the Racing Louisville stadium for a film session, even though she had tried to hold it in a public place. Craig Harrington (Chicago Red Stars, Assistant Coach, 2018-2019; Utah Royals, Head Coach, 2020) Club staff should be advised to elevate to the NWSL not only formal complaints and reports of misconduct they receive, but also any observed misconduct or alleged misconduct of which they otherwise become aware. The NWSL should consider engaging with the Black Women's Player Collective and players from other historically marginalized groups to understand how microaggressions or racist, antisemitic, homophobic, and other derogatory language may manifest in the NWSL environment and how the policy may be updated to address such issues. At first, she thought the offers were "nice" because she did not "know what the boundaries [were]." On the day Dames resigned, Whisler texted him He stated that the club sought to address Simon's concerns through the severance agreement, including by securing Holly's removal from his apartment in a complex shared by Simon and requiring that Holly not disparage players or the club. U.S. Soccer took no steps to protect players during the 16 months it spent on the investigation. . He used a lot of language that was inappropriate and abrasive and his coaching style in general was not Levine told the Joint Investigative Team that from what she could recall, Lines was removed "directly in response" to the survey results. Additionally, Farrelly was not treated as someone who was also targeted by Riley, and her interview-which lasted only 30 minutes at most-focused on Shim's allegations against Riley and whether Farrelly had told anyone about the incidents; the interview did not probe deeply into Farrelly's own negative experiences with Riley. I. Nonetheless, the Courage were aware when they executed an employment contract with Riley of an allegation that Riley had suggested two players kiss while at his apartment after a night of drinking, and that an investigation into Riley showed he exhibited poor judgment. Multiple players reported instances of club staff, including coaches, using racial epithets, making derogatory comments, using negative stereotypes, and making jokes about race and ethnicity. How a trailblazing female general manager transformed the worst Farrelly recalled feeling guilty after the interview that she had told her partner about the kissing incident. This player sensed that Riley "wanted to keep [her] feeling like [she] owed him and would do favors for him. The U.S. Soccer investigator also took at face value Whisler's claims that he was "very accessible" and that players could come to [him]" with their concerns. "We existed because [our owner] wanted a soccer team for his daughter. As a result of these failures, in multiple instances, players reported experiencing difficulty or confusion in reporting concerns of inappropriate behavior. U.S. Soccer's 2019 Consideration of Riley for U.S. Women's National Team Coach In March 2016, Paulson emailed Alex Sahlen congratulating the Flash on hiring Riley and stating that he had a lot of affection" for Riley. Players reported the club did not take sufficient action to address players' concerns after the meeting. On the basis of that legal advice, and despite his stated concerns, Plush did not facilitate further conversations, seek additional advice when the advice he received was inconsistent with the stated purpose of the Thorns's disclosure, or raise his concerns with the Board of Governors. On June 28, 2021, a player reported Benstiti's comments to Predmore, who suspended Benstiti from interacting with players the next day. Against this backdrop, some players reported misconduct anonymously through player surveys conducted by the NWSL. 7. New Jersey Alyse LaHue has brought real change to Sky Blue FC. Players also suggested that Whisler perpetuated and allowed Dames's behavior because Whisler was "cheap" and Dames coached on a reduced salary. Those discussions should be focused on how to improve the player's performance and should not include any jokes, insults, or other unconstructive comments about players' weight, appearance, or eating habits. A PDF version of this document with embedded text is available at the link below: Report of the Founded in 2009 in Chicago. These measures may help increase diversity in the NWSL coaching ranks. And when Riley was coaching at the Courage, Paulson tweeted several times commending Riley, stating, for instance, that Riley had done a phenomenal job" coaching and that full credit" should go to the Courage and to Riley, who won the NWSL championship that year. III. Historically, SafeSport has been an ineffective reporting channel for NWSL players experiencing misconduct. In January 2018, Dames informed Whisler that he could lower the pay for two staff members because those staff members would earn additional income working for Eclipse. The overlap of the two reports also proved problematic in some cases. She claimed that players had called themselves "bulky." Cromwell also sought to waive or trade other such players. One player on the Red Stars described witnessing Dames go after her teammates even after it was "pretty obvious" that they were "mentally destroyed." In May 2022, the Joint Investigative Team commenced an investigation into reports from Pride players that members of the club's coaching staff were retaliating against players who they believed had participated in a previous investigation into misconduct allegations against coaching staff. This was despite Shim and Farrelly both indicating in their 2021 communications that they were dissatisfied with the NWSL's response to the 2015 complaint and investigation, and Farrelly providing additional information regarding Riley that should have been of interest to the NWSL. A staff member at another club reported that they overheard club management commenting that another staff member "had to go" because the staff member was questioning management, and that those comments created an environment of fear of retaliation. The previous investigation into misconduct allegations was conducted by outside counsel for the Pride in March 2022 (the March Investigation). The report states, Multiple individuals emphasized the critical insight that can be gained by speaking with persons knowledgeable about the candidate.. 38, that Riley denied "weight-shaming" Kurtz, and Johnson told Riley that he should speak to players about "fitness, not "weight." Whisler signed this non-disparagement clause notwithstanding the commissioning of the NWSL and NWSLPA Joint Investigation the month prior by the NWSL Board of Governors, of which Whisler was a member at the time. Outreach and Coordination Efforts Harrington responded that he reviewed his phone records, but he could not verify how the player contacted him. Riley-who is around 15 years older than Farrelly-began lowering professional boundaries with Farrelly during that time, including by focusing his attention on her during nights out drinking with the team, asking probing personal questions, and telling her she was "beautiful." It should also provide examples of the types of personal attacks or degradation of players that are prohibited by the Anti-Harassment Policy. U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and Clubs Failed to Adequately Share Information Regarding Misconduct .. Sky Blue FC announced on Tuesday evening that Tony Novo had officially resigned as club president and general manager. After significant effort and some inquiries, they ultimately identified Nancy Garcia (formerly Nancy Garcia Ford), the HR director for the Thorns and its affiliated men's team, the Portland Timbers. 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." After the HR employee sent this response, Levine informed the employee that Baird would respond directly to Farrelly, which the employee communicated to Farrelly. Some witnesses also recalled that Riley would at times exert pressure to have injured players play, in spite of medical advice to the contrary. A peek at LaHues normally busy Twitter account suggests that things began to go south sometime around June 18, when her account last posted. The NWSL should ensure as part of its vetting process that prospective owners entering the NWSL express their personal commitment to protecting player safety, to combatting misconduct in all its forms, and to facilitating appropriate reporting of concerns. 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. Harrington then stated that the player may have contacted him via WhatsApp or may have just flagged [him] down" in the hotel lobby. 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. Dames's conduct was also often personal. After receiving the USSF Dames Report, U.S. Soccer failed to share sufficient information about the investigation with the NWSL, the Red Stars, or players. . Finally, players and club staff recalled that Riley made caustic remarks to Thorns players, calling players idiots and motherfuckers, harshly criticizing their weight, and commenting about players' sexual orientations (including stating that a player loves a strapon"). The same player said that at another club, she saw players go to dinner with the coach all the time. A former player recalled that Dames would hang out with some players more often than others." 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. Two players expressed the concern that speaking out about issues of race could jeopardize a player's According to the course description, this course trains medical staff on how to "[r]ecognize types and signs of abuse and misconduct, [c]reate safer, abusepreventative spaces and policies for training and treatment, [r]espond to abuse and disclosures and recognize barriers to reporting, [i]ncorporate a trauma-informed approach into [their] practice," "[s]afely reintegrate athletes who have been harmed back into sport," and "[c]reate and promote a culture that prioritizes athlete safety." Multiple players and one staff member described a particular incident in which Holly's romantic relationship appeared to impact his decision-making. Neither the Flash nor the Courage-the NWSL clubs that employed Riley after he was terminated from the Thorns-received a copy of the Thorns's 2015 investigative report detailing Riley's misconduct. She showed the text message to a teammate to try to gauge Riley's intention. One veteran player, recounting her years of experience in the NWSL, explained, You didn't have HR in place or anyone running the show [at the NWSL] there was no structure in place, there was nothing that said what the line was or when lines were crossed, or if something happened, where you would go to report things." Among the anecdotes is one about a time in 2019 when Riley was a potential candidate to succeed Jill Ellis as U.S. womens national team manager. Naming Criteria.. A further 19 current and former players were interviewed, and investigators "determined that Clarkson's actions constituted emotional misconduct." Players told the Joint Investigative Team that Dames threatened them, saying he would shred a player's contract or kick them off the team or out of practice if they made a mistake. The NWSL should require clubs to provide separate housing accommodations to establish clearer boundaries between players and club staff. Players Lacked Effective Channels for Reporting Inappropriate Behavior.. Another player also stated that the training environment was dangerous and that there was a lack of proper coaching. Later in 2015, U.S. Soccer received both Shim's initial complaint against Riley and the Thorns's investigative report. As discussed above, the USSF Dames Investigation resulted in a draft" report. C. Holly lived in the same apartment complex with players at Racing Louisville, and he tried to get Simon to go to his apartment many times, but she refused. B. Former Utah Royals head coach Craig Harrington and former Gotham GM Alyse LaHue drew two-year bans, with further conditions on subsequent NWSL employment. A third player stated that Lines "often encourage[d] hard fouls in training, which created a dangerous and toxic team culture during training. Players were asked to rate on a scale of one to five their satisfaction with: (i) facilities; (ii) technical staff knowledge and skill; (iii) logistics and accommodations; (iv) club organization; and (v) overall experience as a member of their NWSL teams. Riley also held club events for players at his Long Island home, where players reported that they drank with him during their stay. COVINGTON In addition, multiple players described a "be grateful" mentality permeating the League. Background checks and reputational vetting of player-facing club employees were not mandatory for much of the NWSL's existence. On a different occasion, Dames called Stanton into his office and told her she was playing poorly. In 2014, while U.S. Soccer was managing the NWSL, then-NWSL Executive Director Cheryl Bailey sent USWNT player survey results to Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler. Club ownership noted that the individual had "cleared" his background check and that they had planned to hire him, but that they ultimately chose not to hire him after the NWSL advised against it. He also made other inappropriate comments, including calling one player trailer trash" and insinuating he found players attractive. In general, players felt that the line between tough coaching and emotional misconduct is crossed when it becomes an attack, versus a criticism." Portland Thorns Another player Riley called Kurtz a few months later and told her she had no trade value." 49, that he did not have "near enough support" to keep him at the club and they would "need to find the right wording." They also spoke with Cindy Parlow Cone-former Thorns head coach and current U.S. Soccer President who indicated that Riley was better with up and coming players, was not as good with established players, and that players felt Riley over-trained them. 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. Other clubs in the NWSL pursued Riley after it became known that the Thorns would not retain him and in the absence of any public information indicating that he had been terminated for cause. There is no evidence that the NWSL or U.S. Soccer provided the Flash with the report, and the Joint Investigative Team did not uncover evidence indicating that the Flash attempted to obtain a report or other written documentation of an investigation. Which duo has the most goal contributions in Europe this season? The NWSL should provide mandatory and comprehensive annual anti-bullying trainings to address non-abusive approaches to coaching and to empower players to recognize and report misconduct. Following this discussion, Kurtz recalled having a telephone call with Hammond to discuss her request. It's not just this team. The player told Predmore she understood. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that he had recalled that Golub received a call from Lines during which they discussed the allegations against Riley, but Paulson no longer believes that call occurred because Golub and others have told him it did not. b) Staff Living in Player Apartment Complexes In one text, he sent her a photo of himself in compression shorts. E. Standards for Assessing Reports of Misconduct.. Paulson noted that Wahlke kept coming back to the determination of no unlawful harassment. Novo responded, "My answer is that Christy [Holly] has a very good and fair relationship with our players . d) READ MORE: Ex-Philadelphia Independence coach Paul Riley fired from NWSL team amid allegations of sexual misconduct. However, player confidentiality and safety were not the motivating factors in the Thorns's decision to withhold information about Riley's misconduct from the Flash and the Courage. The NWSL should update the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy to incorporate the NonFraternization Policy currently found in its Operations Manual. In other instances, clubs transitioned coaches accused of misconduct to front office roles instead of terminating their employment. Clubs Moved Coaches Accused of Misconduct to Other Roles Moreover, even if there were support for this assertion, clubs investigating allegations of misconduct should not limit their assessment to whether "unlawful harassment" occurred. Another player said the overall environment was "abusive." 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. And while the coaches offered some purported legitimate, non-retaliatory Simon explained that she would request to train or meet with both of them, but sometimes when she would arrive at their house, Pearce Rampone would not be there, and Holly would "always give a reason she wasn't there." beers, shots, whatever. This same player said that Riley would be at the bar "from the time" the players arrived until after players left. . The NWSL periodically distributed annual player surveys seeking feedback from players about a variety of topics.

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