In addition, some clubs did not historically offer anonymous reporting channels for players, which resulted in players not coming forward out of fear of retaliation. Outreach and Coordination Efforts 3. Both before and after the NWSL implemented its Non-Fraternization Policy in 2018, clubs responded inconsistently to player-staff relationships. The retreat involved drinking, with alcohol provided by Riley, and some players recalled that they felt the retreat was mandatory and that they could not leave. Burke also used racial slurs, made racially insensitive and offensive jokes, and undermined and discouraged activism on issues of race. A USWNT staff member said they were familiar with Benstiti before the Reign hired him and recalled that "everyone had heard rumors of his treatment of Lindsey Horan" because "it was public." Our players respect what Holly does as a coach and how he treats other players, coaches, and staff." Craig Harrington, the former Utah Royal F.C. On Tuesday, one player, who attended the dinner and was expected to start in the day's game, became ill during the warm-up. Two players expressed the concern that speaking out about issues of race could jeopardize a player's Rory Dames engaged in both verbal and emotional abuse and made racially insensitive and sexist comments to players. In addition to background checks, the NWSL should conduct reference checks for all prospective owners, coachesincluding volunteer coachesand club staff who may interact with players. While Sky Blue FC still might not be a first-place team, the differences off the pitch are shaping how the players perform on the pitch. He shut the door and stood between Shim and the door, and she saw he was wearing only his underwear. 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. She recalled trying to leave Holly's house, but as she rounded a corner to go downstairs to leave, Holly grabbed her arm. III. Holly stepped down as coach of Sky Blue during the 2017 season, and Simon was waived by Sky Blue in 2018. c) We don't have HR. The NWSL should consider avenues to create a formal partnership with the Black Women's Player Collective to hear and address the Collective's concerns and improve the NWSL experience for Black players. The Report concludes with systemic recommendations for the NWSL and its member clubs. 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. At that time, Levine provided Duffy a copy of the Thorns's 2015 investigative report, as well as supporting texts and emails. Both Dames and Whisler said that after leaving, the two players had "expressed a desire . In 2020 and 2021, the League saw a series of high-profile departures following reports of interpersonal misconduct. 68, Coaches can also engage in verbal misconduct when they target players for personal attributes or immutable characteristics, such as their appearance, parental status, medical condition, or socioeconomic and educational background. New subjects include details on why former Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue was fired in July of last year. Simon then joined West Ham United in the English Women's Super League, a move she credited in large part to Holly's help and connections. Although the separation agreement included a specific carve-out to the non-disparagement provision allowing the club to share information about Dames with current players, club staff, and club ownership in connection with the organizational climate review, the agreement included no such exception for the NWSL and NWSLPA Joint Investigation. The majority of NWSL coaches have been men. 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. The relationship also created problems among the players. The Joint Investigative Team also took into account whether conduct complied with professional coaching standards. The Red Stars's, the Dash's, and the Current's handbooks stated generally that employees were required to comply with all NWSL rules and/or policies, but other handbooks did not reference compliance with any NWSL policies. Pulling off the feat of moving to Red Bull Arena has been a longtime goal for LaHue. No further information was made public until October 2022. Players from other clubs shared similar sentiments: for example, players from one club said they feared a coach would retaliate if they reported concerns about him because they had seen him lash out" at players during meetings and because he had once removed a player from the roster after an on-field disagreement. 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. 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." 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. Williams reported that he had a good relationship with this player during the season. During the meeting, Holly was reportedly fidgeting and "fumbling over his words." This Report, prepared by Covington in collaboration with Weil, summarizes that joint investigation and offers recommendations for systemic reform. The Joint Investigative Team was tasked with making recommendations regarding the League's processes for identifying and investigating complaints of misconduct and addressing violations of the League's anti-harassment and discrimination policies. Dec 15, 2022, 07:04 AM EST. Though many of these policies were drafted prior to the activation of the NWSL RealResponse hotline, they had not been updated to reflect that important development. Riley continued his inappropriate conduct (both sexual and non-sexual) towards players while coaching for the Courage. On today's episode of the Dynamic Leaders Podcast, Colin is joined by Alyse LaHue. The club put out a statement via Twitter stating that LaHue had been let go following an investigation by the league. [we] use the [NWSLPA] as a voice or shield to speak to the executives at the club. 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. Historically, SafeSport has been an ineffective reporting channel for NWSL players experiencing misconduct. In addition, the Joint Investigative Team coordinated with the USSF Investigation team where appropriate for certain interviews or other fact gathering. In November 2021, the league established an additional temporary protocol mandating all coaches, general managers, and president hires be approved by the league and complete a New Hire Certification, including background checks. The findings included information on what led to the firing of former Sky Blue/Gotham FC General Manager Alyse LaHue in July 2021. 9 The Joint Investigative Team spoke to other players on the Red Stars who reported similar concerns of retaliation. However, in a June 14, 2018 email, Wahlke informed Flynn and then-U.S. Soccer Chief Commercial Officer Jay Berhalter that she had "expressly taken [the investigation] over from [the NWSL]" because it overlapped with U.S. Soccer's ongoing review. Riley also engaged in other inappropriate behavior during his tenure on the Thorns, and he surrounded himself with staff members who were not likely to speak out against him. Offensive and Insensitive Behavior Related to Sexual Orientation Alyse LaHue, former vice president and general manager of NJ/NY Gotham FC (formerly Sky Blue FC), allegedly made unwanted sexual advances towards a player according to the joint investigative report released by the National Women's Soccer League and the NWSL Players Association on Wednesday. Using language drafted in part by Levine, Baird exchanged a few emails with Shim, and during one such exchange, Shim emphasized that given the League's inaction" in response to her 2015 complaint, she was concerned for current players; she requested confirmation that "these issues will be investigated and that appropriate corrective action will be taken to ensure that abusers are not permitted to coach in the NWSL." On October 29, 2021, following extensive negotiations, the NWSL and NWSLPA announced that in lieu of separate, standalone investigations, the two entities would conduct a joint investigation into workplace misconduct toward NWSL players and systemic issues in the League that impact the detection, handling, and prevention of misconduct. Ownership terminated Ms. LaHues employment on July 9 and stands by that decision.. One assistant coach described how Holly would "ream out two Black players on the team and how he described them as lazy. The assistant coach noted Holly's description was both inaccurate and racially insensitive. One player stated that, "Dishonesty and manipulation from your coach creates a toxic environment." Another player echoed these concerns, saying that Dames "sometimes ma[de] statements suggesting he found players attractive, but she felt these comments had "cooled off" after Dames's daughter was born. Similarly, the players were left in the dark about the findings of the investigation. He became condescending toward her and made jokes about "ripping [her] contract up." 7. The report points out issues within the NWSLs infrastructure, including a historical lack of background check procedures for potential coach and front-office hires. Simon reported that Holly first engaged in sexual misconduct toward her in the summer of 2019. The Flash then became a new NWSL club, the Courage, which also retained Riley as head coach. The day before a game, Holly got into a fight with Pearce Rampone during training. Plush's email summarized Lines's report of a conversation with Wilkinson, in which Wilkinson brought up what he referred to as the human resource issue, said Wilkinson felt Riley "was put in a bad position by the player," and said Wilkinson would hire [Riley] in a heartbeat. According to Plush's email, Lines had spoken with Riley, who told Lines, "I shouldn't have put myself in that situation." In interviews with the Joint Investigative Team, both Levine and Duffy remembered that they paused the NWSL investigation at Wahlke's request. The NWSLPA did not pursue collective bargaining at that time, and instead continued to focus on improving communication and addressing player concerns with the League. * . d) 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 At some point that night, only Riley, Shim, Farrelly, and Thorns Assistant Coach William "Skip" Thorp remained in the bar, and the four left together when the bar closed. Through the better part of a decade, through four leagues, through tumultuous seasons and staff turnovers, LaHue made the organization her life and eventually rose to become the new General Manager, where she's steered the club through the early years of the NWSL era with grace . After that night, Riley continued to make inappropriate advances towards Shim. coach, and Alyse LaHue, the former general manager of Gotham F.C., each received two-year suspensions from the league. A consultant who assessed Riley's email account as part of the 2015 Thorns Investigation concluded that Riley had deleted the message from his inbox, and then further selected it for permanent deletion from the deleted items folder, which he had 95, stated: "I had no direct involvement in the creation, administration or review of the player surveys. Another player on the same club recalled that club leadership gave the players the sense that if their owner was "thrown to the wolves" as a result of a player complaint, the club would cease to exist. Another player said she felt that Whisler had "loyalty" to Dames and did not hear" players' concerns. Multiple players credibly reported that Richie Burke verbally and emotionally abused players, and that he berated players in a way that was not constructive or conducive to improving performance. Sports and The New York Times, published articles detailing her experience at PSG. Despite the discussions between U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and both the Thorns and Courage regarding Riley's unsuitability to coach the USWNT, no steps were taken to remove or prevent him from coaching NWSL players. 2. It provides a successful (albeit anonymous) example of this working in late 2021. Two former staff members recalled reporting to Wilkinson concerns they had about Riley's treatment of players; one of the staff members said Wilkinson dismissed the staff member's concerns and told the staff member to "support the coaching staff." The NWSL should ensure this training is mandated for all volunteers who regularly interact with players, including team chaplains and volunteer coaches. Paul Riley engaged in sexual misconduct towards Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim. This is inconsistent with the final USSF Dames Report issued in September 2019, which stated that Dames was still "unpredictable," and that he was continuing to target specific players "for constant criticism" and yelling excessively. 97 Plush stated that he never told Malik that Riley was "cleared" or in "good standing." Another comment said that the "coach made this year horrible for most people" and expressed uncertainty that people would be honest in their survey responses "out of fear." 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." For example, one staff member recalled hearing Holly call a Sky Blue player "lazy" and "dumb." The NWSL should share the nature of the misconduct with U.S. Soccer while protecting the confidentiality of anyone who experienced discrimination, harassment, bullying, or other forms of abuse, to the extent feasible. Zerboni is hopeful for the building process currently underway within the league, and looks forward to seeing positive improvements implemented at the league and club levels.The recommendations set forth by the report were extensive, and can be found in the final pages of the report. The failure by U.S. Soccer to share its investigation findings with the NWSL or the Red Stars was particularly perplexing in light of the fact that Wahlke had instructed the NWSL to stand down in its own investigation of Dames, and the fact that U.S. Soccer had concluded it was not in a position to take any action against Dames. 2. . He frequently texted Shim, even though she did not always reply, sometimes asking her to come to his apartment or turning the conversation to her sexual orientation. In that interview, Farrelly did not discuss, and Garcia did not ask, about Riley's other misconduct towards her, which was not uncovered until later. Require Separate Individuals to Hold Key Club Leadership Roles These confidential reporting lines offered an opportunity for players to disclose information to the Joint Investigative Team without reporting through a club or the League. It further stated that any employee "who believes they have been subject to or witnessed illegal discrimination, including sexual or other forms of unlawful harassment, is requested and enco couraged to make a complaint." Levine denied receiving a readout or final report of the investigation and assumed if something material came out of it," the NWSL "[would have] been made aware." Gulati told the Joint Investigative Team that he believed he read the player survey results, but he did not recall being aware of 2014 player comments that indicated Riley was verbally abusive. One player reported that Riley ripped" a player for being too fat during a halftime speech. The NWSLPA also established a 24-hour anonymous reporting system through which players could report abuse, and invited reports directly to the NWSLPA, the Joint Investigative Team, or to the NWSLPA's counsel at Weil. Following the survey responses, Whisler wrote in an email, I can tell you that Rory offered his resignation to me last night because of the embarrassment he thought it caused the organization. Interviewees reported that the performance staff told Clarkson that the player was dealing with altitude sickness (Mexico City is over 7300 feet above sea level). That's the problem with this league. While the NWSL and clubs have worked to strengthen their HR resources, many players continue to gravitate towards the NWSLPA as the safest reporting mechanism: even veteran players on the USWNT told the Joint Investigative Team that they would default to bringing their concerns through the NWSLPA. During the retaliation investigation, one of the players identified by Cromwell and Greene as having been involved in the March Investigation was informed that she would be waived by the club, and word spread in the club that Cromwell wanted to waive or trade several other players who she believed were involved in the March Investigation. 31, [U.S. Soccer] are aware of the issues because they were raised when he was at the Thorns." Farrelly said she felt coerced by Riley into having sexual intercourse on several occasions thereafter. Coordinate with Clubs and U.S. Soccer to Improve and Centralize Hiring Practices New Jersey Alyse LaHue has brought real change to Sky Blue FC. In December 2021, the Joint Investigative Team received a complaint about Clarkson and began an investigation. The NWSL should also periodically assess the effectiveness of its training programs by reviewing participant evaluations and ensuring that the training materials reflect the latest guidance or norms on workplace conduct. For example, players noted that Pauw wanted to exert control over "every aspect of [their] lives," including everything you were putting in your body, every exercise you were doing." Furthermore, in at least one instance, players received potentially misleading information about the outcome of an investigation. In many cases, a lack of separation between players' professional responsibilities and personal lives allowed staff members to exercise undue influence over players. 1. During this meeting, Starr shared Simon's name. The latest report also focuses on racism and microaggressions in a way that the Yates report did not. Racing Louisville investigated but did not substantiate a relationship between Holly and the staff member. Later that month, the NWSL adopted a Non-Fraternization Policy as part of its Operations Manual. As described above, Nikki Stanton recalled that Dames said she was not playing well because of her girlfriend at the time. One player said it felt "like the lid came off" when the pressures of being head coach combined with Holly's personal life. A player told the Joint Investigative Team that the club first attempted to fix the social media post without acknowledging the error or reaching out to the player, and only later issued an apology after Baucom posted about the error on Twitter. Multiple players and staff shared that they have witnessed behavior from coaches that confirmed in their minds that coaches, staff, or club leadership would retaliate if they raised complaints. Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue was fired by the team earlier this month on July 9, the club announced Friday. In her summary of the conversation, Levine noted that she had cautioned Whisler about potential retaliation. 3. On October 14, 2021, the club announced that Baldwin, along with owner Bill Lynch, would sell their shares in the club to Kang. For example, one player recalled reaching out to an owner regarding a housing stipend that clubs could provide to players. 8. To address these concerns, the League has recently taken steps to create more effective reporting channels, including by setting up an anonymous hotline and listing reporting channels in the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy. Multiple players voiced concerns to the Joint Investigative Team regarding vague public statements that obscured the reason for departures, mainly for coaches. It did not contain a carve-out that would allow the club to voluntarily disclose Holly's misconduct to law enforcement. D. c) Necessity of Additional Vetting Riley was only one of several NWSL club personnel accused of misconduct in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. As Press told The Washington Post, this Whisler was confronted with players' concerns repeatedly beginning in at least 2014, in the form of player survey feedback, direct conversations with players, and Whisler's own participation in the USSF Dames Investigation. Some players reported that Clarkson's unpredictable mood contributed to a culture of anxiety. In certain instances, the Joint Investigative Team determined that conduct did not violate the Anti-Harassment Policy or other relevant standards. 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." According to Plush, as a result of his conversation with Lines, Riley called Plush and "accused [Plush] of trying to 'blackball [Riley] out of the league."" At the time, the NWSL was addressing a number of other issues with Sky Blue, unrelated to misconduct against players, and Duffy recalled "being confused" about how to handle Holly's relationship with Pearce Rampone and how Holly's departure fit into other concerns with the club. She added that it was possible her performance had in fact decreased because she was not comfortable with the situation. . Misconduct on any level cannot be tolerated, and clear reporting lines along with proper vetting must be enshrined in NWSL policies. Leaders from U.S. Soccer avoided taking responsibility for systemic failures to protect players, contending that decision-making authority and the responsibility to address misconduct lay with the NWSL and club owners. 14 On multiple instances, clubs transitioned coaches accused of misconduct to front office roles instead of terminating their employment. Players reported the coaching staff physically turned their backs on the player while she was experiencing a panic attack and did not follow up with this player afterward to ask how she was doing. At the end of the meeting, Simon was informed that the club planned to fire Holly that night. Until 2021, the NWSL did not have a formal policy prohibiting harassment. During that interview, she explained that she was more involved in on-the-field issues and that Chris Long was more involved in sponsorship and other business issues. Mishandling of Paul Riley's Misconduct by U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and the Portland Thorns 14 In mid-August 2021, Starr told the NWSL volunteer chaplain coordinator that a player shared that Holly had touched her inappropriately, though Starr did not share Simon's name. An investigation commissioned by the National Women's Soccer League and its players union found "widespread misconduct" directed at players dating back to the beginnings nearly a decade ago of the league. The NWSL should share with U.S. Soccer when a club employee is removed from a club due to a finding of misconduct under the Anti-Harassment Policy to allow U.S. Soccer to take necessary measures to prevent that employee from engaging in further misconduct in youth soccer or in other leagues, including the removal of coaching licenses where necessary. In fact, multiple players reported that they did not consider the League as an option to report misconduct and did not know of anyone at the League to whom they could report concerns. Multiple players emphasized that coaches who weight-shamed players often were concerned with appearance, irrespective of players' on-field performance. One player, describing Riley's fixation with players' weight, stated that he was "100% the most controlling person I've ever met. Another player recalled that he deployed a strategy of "breaking down [a player's] confidence, saying she doesn't look fit," and then when he needed her, "building her confidence back up and controlling her in that way." Kurtz was not the only player to share her experiences with Courage management after the Athletic article was published. In one instance, players said they felt confined to their hotel on their day off because Dames told them that each player would have to meet with him "within five minutes of him calling them or they would be cut from the team, but did not give them advance notice of the meeting times. The team's first game was scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, which required a 6:00 a.m. wake-up call. Cone said she informed others at U.S. Soccer about this call, and she called Malik to ensure Courage players were safe. The next day, Riley said, "A deal is a deal," and he did not require the team to run the suicide mile that week. Most prominently, on September 30, 2021, The Athletic reported that then-North Carolina Courage Head Coach Paul Riley had engaged in sexual misconduct during his tenure as head coach of Portland Thorns FC. Offensive and Insensitive Behavior Related to Race and Ethnicity In announcing his resignation, which immediately preceded the Washington Post article detailing his abuse and harassment of players, the Red Stars credited Dames's "leadership" for the club's "consistent" and "excellent" on-field performance. Two players also reported they believed that if they complained about a problematic coach, they, and not the coach, would likely lose their jobs. After players reported concerns about Huw Williams's behavior around players, he was removed from his coaching role and moved into a scouting and player identification role. On October 6, 2021, NWSL teams returned to play for the first time since publication of the Athletic article. During her interview-which was two hours long (more than twice as long as any other interview conducted at the time)Shim recounted the instances she had described in her complaint. In 2019, several media outlets, including Yahoo! To that point, during this investigation, the Joint Investigative Team received reports of ongoing misconduct at more than half the League's clubs. "A reopening of the 2015 investigation regarding former NWSL coach Paul Riley, including a review of the circumstances surrounding his departure from the Portland Thorns FC, and his subsequent hiring by Western New York Flash and the North Carolina Courage." - NWSL investigation finds 'ongoing misconduct,' details culture of abuse. The agreement provided Dames with an additional five weeks of pay, and prohibited Dames and the Red Stars from disparaging the other or disclosing to anyone the existence and content of the agreement, with no exception for cooperation with the ongoing investigations. 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. In a text message she sent about bringing in the expert, Cromwell stated, "We don't want [those players] around this week." That committee included: NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman; NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke; WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson (selected by the NWSLPA); Goop, Inc. general counsel and chief people officer Djenaba Parker (selected by the NWSL) and former United States District Judge Barbara S. Jones, who was deemed an independent member. A peek at LaHue's normally busy Twitter account suggests that things began to go south sometime around June 18, when her account last posted. * I had no avenue to communicate with the League, or whatever that even meant. 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. A member of club staff told us the decision was based on a "business perspective," but could not "ascribe any personal feelings" to the decision. The Spirit suspended Burke pending an investigation initiated shortly after the Washington Post article was published, and the club fired him on September 28, 2021, following the completion of that investigation. Recently we have absolutely discovered and uncovered the areas [where the] NWSL lacked and the harm it has caused. By the time U.S. Soccer's investigator contacted the complainant to interview her, the Red Stars had already traded her. Simon felt scared and physically intimidated. Riley also engaged in other inappropriate conduct while at the Thorns, including going out drinking with players, hosting multi-day social retreats involving alcohol at his home on Long Island that some players felt pressure to attend, and making comments about players' sexual orientation. Former Sky Blue President and General Manager Tony Novo told the Joint Investigative Team that Holly was "let go" from Sky Blue in 2017. One player explained that Holly demoted her to training with reserve players. The day Racing Louisville fired Holly, players received a text message to meet at the training facility that evening for an "emergency meeting. For instance, the Courage credibly recounted that the club was only informed that players went to Riley's apartment after drinking with Riley in a nearby bar, and that someone stated that Riley had suggested they kiss.

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