Cromwell said the team could "manage" one player, but the others "need to go." Facilitate Information Sharing Among Clubs Regarding Findings of Misconduct Aline Reis did not fully cooperate with the retaliation investigation, including by pressuring players to share favorable information with investigators. This was apparent in the hiring of Riley by the Flash, and subsequently the Courage. Players reported that Holly's relationship with Pearce Rampone led to a dysfunctional team environment, made players question Holly's decisionmaking, and exacerbated Holly's mistreatment of players. Several Dash players expressed concerns with Clarkson serving as both coach and general manager, noting that players "[could not] talk to our general manager because he's our coach." Jill Ellis, then-Head Coach of the USWNT, was also emailed copies of certain player survey results. When Farid Benstiti was hired by OL Reign, he was explicitly instructed not to discuss weight or nutrition with players. During the League's 2021 investigation into LaHue's conduct before her termination, multiple staff members reported that LaHue behaved differently around this player. NWSL, NWSLPA joint investigation finds 'widespread misconduct' NWSL staff, players, and club staff are required to then take three 30-minute annual refresher courses. 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. Paul Riley (Portland Thorns, Head Coach, 2014-2015; Western New York Flash, Head Coach, 2016; North Carolina Courage, Head Coach, 2017-2021) The article further reported that in 2021, Shim and Farrelly asked the NWSL to reopen the investigation into Riley, but that then-Commissioner Lisa Baird declined to investigate further. 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. Require Clubs to Revise Their Anti-Harassment Policies to Be Consistent with the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy The National Women's Soccer League and NWSL Players' Association have published their joint investigation into abuse allegations across the league. Another Spirit player recalled Burke "screaming" at a player, "You don't ever fucking call a coach before a game, after the player asked for feedback on her performance two days before a game. After Benstiti's hiring, Predmore instructed Benstiti not to discuss player weight or nutrition" with players, and "specifically forbade him from talking about "anything related to food." Additionally, despite the adverse findings, the Thorns asserted in an email to the NWSL that the 2015 Thorns Investigation revealed no "unlawful harassment," a conclusion that was not included in the 2015 investigative report itself and that was not further explained. In other instances, clubs transitioned coaches accused of misconduct to front office roles instead of terminating their employment. As a result, players felt they could not "risk going for dinner." The club had asked the NWSL to run a standard background check on this potential hire but did not request a reputational check. Because there was no requirement for clubs to consult former colleagues and players in the hiring process, clubs took an inconsistent approach and often collected only limited information about individuals' past conduct in the League, contributing to the issue of "recycling" individuals accused of misconduct into roles at other clubs. Given this conduct, players feared retaliation from Burke and held back from criticizing him out of fear they would be waived. The History and Culture of the League and its Member Clubs Discouraged Reporting of Potential Misconduct.. Sunil Gulati (U.S. Soccer, President, 2006-2018) and Dan Flynn (U.S. Soccer, CEO and Secretary General, 2000-2019) Since its inception, the NWSL and clubs have failed to provide clear guidance to players regarding what constitutes misconduct. 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. Burke also reportedly described one player as a "moron" in front of others on the team. One player recalled that Holly knew "every time [she] had people at [her] apartment, and a second player noted that Holly heard if players were playing loud music or things like that." The report, however, did not conclude that Dames's conduct "amounted to verbal and emotional abuse" or that his behavior would constitute a violation of the SafeSport Code of Conduct, if the Code applied. Consistent with the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy, the NWSL should require League and club staff to preserve documents relating to allegations and investigations of misconduct for at least seven years. Levine forwarded this email to Plush in September 2015. Club statement. Alyse LaHue Moreover, investigations into allegations of misconduct should not be limited to assessing whether "unlawful harassment" occurred. Decisions regarding the disclosure of sexual misconduct are complex and involve numerous considerations, including player confidentiality and safety. Can the USWNT's World Cup title push the NWSL to a long-awaited The Flash, the predecessor club to the Courage, began speaking with Riley regarding the head coach position in January 2016, around a month after Aaran Lines stepped down as head coach and became vice president of the Flash. One player explained that Holly demoted her to training with reserve players. The clubs that do address these topics in their handbooks set forth policies that depart from the League policy in various ways. It did not contain a carve-out that would allow the club to voluntarily disclose Holly's misconduct to law enforcement. In September 2015, a player on the Thorns, Meleana "Mana" Shim, emailed a complaint to leadership within the Thorns and to Jeff Plush, then Former NWSL commissioner Jeff Plush responded to the joint investigators after refusing to speak with Yates & Co., though the report indicates that Plush only provided written responses. When Racing Louisville learned of Holly's sexual misconduct toward Erin Simon, the club acted quickly, firing him within hours of speaking to Simon, and in spite of a request from the NWSL that they pause to let the League investigate. In particular, the Joint Investigative Team did not receive a copy of Dames's separation agreement from the Red Stars until the end of this investigation, after the publication of the USSF Report. The player spoke to Levine and Duffy later that day to explain her concerns. Lack of Transparency with NWSL Clubs About Riley's Conduct Players described numerous instances of club leaders engaging in sexual misconduct, including making unwanted sexual advances toward players and making inappropriate sexual remarks to players. 48, lack of information sharing deterred players from speaking out and left players with the impression that Dames's conduct was appropriate. The New Jersey-based club wanted to recognize its growing reach across the region. This appears to be in part due to uncertainty surrounding which entity or entities bore responsibility for developing policies of this nature. 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. 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 . Burke generally denied being verbally abusive, but acknowledged repeated examples of using demeaning and belittling language. Formation of a Players' Union . Moreover, even if there were support for this assertion, clubs investigating allegations of misconduct should not limit their assessment to whether "unlawful harassment" occurred. For example, one staff member recalled hearing Holly call a Sky Blue player "lazy" and "dumb." Golub told the Joint Investigative Team he did not recall speaking with Lines during that time regarding Riley. Although the Thorns conducted an investigation in 2015 that led to Riley's termination, the Thorns publicly announced only that Riley was not being retained, with no explanation as to why. Simon felt like she owed him, because she believed he played a role in getting her a spot at the camp. 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. Former 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. The NWSL began planning for a 2021 anti-harassment training, but the training did not happen before the crises that emerged in the fall of 2021. . Simon trained with Holly and Pearce Rampone during this time. When recalling their early experiences in the NWSL, multiple players described feeling grateful in situations ranging from practicing in subpar facilities, to living with host families, to accepting a salary of $6,000 a year, to not being traded in retaliation for reporting a complaint. If there are allegations of misconduct against the staff member that are under investigation, the NWSL should work expeditiously to investigate before the staff member is hired by another club and should promptly notify that club of any finding of misconduct. One player recalled Harrington saying, on multiple occasions in front of players, "I need to have sex with someone tonight who's not my wife." While Whisler told U.S. Soccer's investigator that Dames's demeanor" and "patience" had improved by 2019, in an external organizational climate review" the Red Stars conducted in the fall of 2021, players raised the same concerns about Dames that Press first raised in 2014. 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. One player said that "everything" players told Pearce Rampone "went back to" Holly. E. Enhance Reporting and Investigation Procedures As described below, individuals from U.S. Soccer, including General Counsel Lisa Levine, her successor Chief Legal Officer Lydia Wahlke, President Sunil Gulati, and CEO Dan Flynn, failed on numerous occasions to disclose what they knew about Riley's misconduct to other NWSL clubs that hired him. Whisler shared his perspective with the Joint Investigative Team that "if you're a coach and you know a player doesn't want to be in your environment, has other players upset because she turned something in to the League there's a chemistry issue that I think has to be thought through from a team health perspective." The League should also consider whether these groups can play a role in developing and implementing League-wide initiatives related to DEI. Another player said it was "tough" to report "racial allegations" as a Black woman because "it almost feels like you're having to convince someone that it actually happened." 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. For instance, Duffy told the Joint Investigative Team she received "maybe one or two" updates while the investigation was ongoing. 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. Why not talk to me?" Then, in the spring of 2022, came additional complaints and concerns that Clarkson would retaliate against players since he was aware of an investigation into him, which led to his suspension. The NWSL should advise clubs and coaches that if a coach has legitimate health or fitness concerns about a player's weight, that coach should speak privately with the club medical staff so that the medical staff can address the concern privately with the player. 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. 117, complete each mandatory training. 10, that worsened its financial troubles. A PDF version of this document with embedded text is available at the link below: Report of the Yates was commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation, which is the sport's governing body and was, for eight years between 2012 and 2020, the manager of the NWSL as part of an operational agreement. NWSL Sep 03, 2019. The League and its Clubs Often Have Not Sufficiently Vetted Coaches and Staff Joint Investigation Reveals Why Alyse LaHue Was Fired from Gotham FC 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 a news conference after the reports release, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said that neither she nor NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke had prior approval of the report before it was published. Several of these players described Clarkson as fair, but tough on players based on their soccer performance and potential. On another club, a staff member observed that when new players joined the team, the head coach would comment on their sexual orientation. The Joint Investigative Team was in the process of scheduling an interview with Holly when the USSF Report was released. 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. A player recalled this same coach making comments about what players "had on their plates" and "food-shaming" players. The statement said LaHue has remained in conversation with investigators. According to the USSF Dames Report, one player said that Dames "was constantly putting her down, diminishing her self-worth, and making it clear he had the power and control and she did not." She felt that he had been grooming her and identified his conduct as abusive. In explaining this limited scope, the investigator stated that she did not have "unfettered discretion in the investigation." Whisler cautioned, Don't do [that] out [of] emotion. One player said that she considered quitting rather than reporting harassment because she was skeptical that the League would handle her complaint properly. The owner said that if the player and staff member wanted to continue their relationship, then one or both would have to not be employed. In 2020, another club learned that a staff member was in a relationship with a player, and the player described the relationship as "loving and consensual." At some point, the notion of Shim and Farrelly kissing was raised, though no one could recall in 2015 who raised the idea; Farrelly told the Joint Investigative Team that Riley pushed the notion of intimacy between the players-both that night and persistently even before that nightand Shim and Farrelly have since recalled that Riley likely came up with the idea for them to kiss. Coordinate with Clubs and U.S. Soccer to Improve and Centralize Hiring Practices