1. Aline Reis did not fully cooperate with the retaliation investigation, including by pressuring players to share favorable information with investigators. 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. 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. The Thorns initiated a week-long investigation (the "2015 Thorns Investigation") conducted by its HR director, who found that some of Shim's allegations were undisputed and who summarized findings against Riley in a final investigative report. They warned Predmore that he [needed] to double check on Benstiti's comments to Horan and noted that they were "flagging it for him. Even Clarkson told the Joint Investigative Team that he felt that the head coach and general manager roles should be held by two different people, and that he raised this issue with the Dash's president. She also said she was "petrified" that Wilkinson would trade her from the Thorns because Riley had portrayed himself and Wilkinson as good friends. . The NWSL celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2022. The Joint Investigative Team sought evidence from U.S. Soccer in the form of relevant documents and interviews of current and former U.S. Soccer employees. North Carolina Courage defender Kaleigh Kurtz previously spoke publicly about Riley's body-shaming of her, and how the disgraced coach told her she had to lose 14 pounds in 10 days if she expected to start the next game. For example, while Whisler told the Joint Investigative Team that he had not uncovered any red flags regarding Dames before his hire, two players expressed that concerns about Dames were known in the soccer community. Consider Engaging a Third Party to Provide Mental Health First-Aid Training for All NWSL and Club Staff and Players Reis was placed on unpaid administrative leave and is required to participate in mandatory training regarding retaliation, discrimination, harassment and bullying, and must participate in mandatory executive coaching. Both before and after the NWSL implemented its Non-Fraternization Policy in 2018, clubs responded inconsistently to player-staff relationships. These failings enabled Riley to continue coaching players in the NWSL for years after his sexual misconduct was discovered. A former player told the Joint Investigative Team she believed the investigation was "inconclusive because no action was taken." He was also a prominent owner and operator of youth soccer programs in New York. Kurtz recalled Hammond responding, You're a professional athlete; I hope you know you're not chubby. According to Kurtz, Hammond did not ask follow-up questions about why she felt uncomfortable around Riley. Portland Thorns The Joint Investigative Team requested an interview of Angie and Chris Long, and Angie Long sat for an interview. For example, the interviews of Shim and Farrelly were conducted at the Thorns's stadium-rather than a neutral locationwhere Shim and Farrelly may have been seen by club personnel or other players. The policy prohibits harassing conduct, regardless of whether it rises to the level of a legal violation. 58, imbalance between supervisors and their reports; (ii) the threat of favoritism; and Weight-Shaming Comments and Pressure In evaluating professional coaching standards, the Joint Investigative Team reviewed and considered professional and academic literature on verbal and emotional abuse in sport. The Joint Investigative Team then investigated those reports or, in limited instances, referred the reports to an appropriate entity, including U.S. Soccer, the League, and individual clubs, for investigation. Player Reports of Misconduct During the USSF Dames Investigation In a Tweet late Friday afternoon, the National Women's Soccer League club announced that LaHue had, as of July 9 - a week ago today - was no longer employed by the team. The Joint Investigative Team found that the League and its clubs failed to take adequate steps to protect players in hiring and filling positions. . These player survey results had already been shared with Dan Flynn and Sunil Gulati at U.S. Soccer. The two players found it difficult to identify reporting channels, whether anonymous or not, at either the NWSL or the Thorns. The HR employee told the Joint Investigative Team that Levine conveyed that the matter was under control, had been investigated, and that Riley had been "cleared." That player also said that Black players were uncomfortable because the club often placed the substantial burden of engaging in race and other culture-related activities on them. 8 In addition to the USSF Dames Report's internal contradictions, the report summary inappropriately minimized the severity of players' concerns. No information about the investigation or Riley's termination was made public until the release of the Athletic article on September 30, 2021. The policy should provide clear definitions and explanations of microaggressions so staff and players can identify and understand them, and it should explain how microaggressions and racist, antisemitic, and other derogatory language can constitute harassment. Two players recalled an instance when Harrington, former head coach for the Utah Royals and assistant coach for the Red Stars, went out drinking with players after a game and noted that Harrington had drank to excess. In his interview with the Joint Investigative Team, Clarkson exhibited a lack of candor. Even in Vancouver, Riley pushed Shim to stay the night with him. A staff member recalled that during the 2020 season, a player made overnight oats for breakfast, and Benstiti told her in front of other players, "You don't need those oats. Shim declined, and she traveled to Vancouver with her then-partner instead, along with Farrelly and her then-partner. In explaining this limited scope, the investigator stated that she did not have "unfettered discretion in the investigation." Riley and Holly were not the only club staff members reported to have made unwanted sexual advances toward players. Sign in to your account. She later described feeling "powerless" and "scared to say no." After participating in an initial interview with the Joint Investigative Team, LaHue, through her counsel, canceled another scheduled interview and declined the Joint Investigative Team's repeated requests to reschedule. C. These examples are illustrative and non-exhaustive; the policy makes clear that harassment can also include physical, visual, and written conduct, such as circulating or posting written materials that show hostility toward an individual because of their protected status, including derogatory cartoons, drawings, websites, emails, text messages, gifs, or memes. The anti-retaliation trainings should explain that ostracizing players or staff or ignoring them, denying players certain training opportunities or playing time, or showing favoritism toward certain other players or staff could be retaliatory if a motivating factor for engaging in the conduct relates to those individuals participating in a Protected Activity under the AntiHarassment Policy. 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. According to the USSF Dames Report, Dames told a player that when her son got The NWSL began its own investigation into the player's complaint, but stopped after two days at the direction of U.S. Soccer. 3, violations of those policies-to identify and reform deficiencies. 14 In any case, Riley told them that if they kissed, the team would not have to run the "suicide mile, an intensive fitness drill, that week. The investigation did not focus on player-on-player misconduct or misconduct directed at League or club staff. 3. Development of an Anti-Harassment Policy. When asked to describe negative aspects of the team, one player responded, "[T]he head coach," and another responded [C]oaching staff. . Within a few months, investors had spent what was originally expected to sustain the league for three to five years. December 14, 2022 Upon the conclusion of the investigation, U.S. Soccer did not communicate the investigation's factual findings to the players, the Red Stars, or the NWSL. Red Stars co-owner and ESPN personality Sarah Spain and Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue were both reportedly fined Wednesday for tweeting about the investigation. One assistant coach recalled another coach making comments about players' weight and once telling a player at a restaurant, You can't eat this. According to Wilkinson, he told Lines that U.S. Soccer had the investigative report regarding Riley. 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. For instance, one player recalled Holly telling her in the weight room that he wanted to "grab her ass" when he saw her squat. mentally" and could not perform at her best for the rest of the year. According to Cone, Malik thanked her and expressed that he did not know what she was talking about, but that he would make sure players were safe. A text message conversation between Whisler and Dames confirms the player's concern. 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. The next day, the Thorns placed Riley on administrative leave pending an investigation, which Paulson directed Garcia to begin. After Thorp left, Riley brought out more alcohol and turned on music, asking Shim to dance with him. Precious little information has been available about what went down between LaHue and Gotham. On multiple occasions, misconduct directed at NWSL players was reported to U.S. Soccer but inadequately investigated or addressed. The same is true of the Red Stars's hiring of Rory Dames as their head coach. Please sign in below. Revise the Anti-Harassment Policy to Define Retaliation More Clearly Multiple clubs expected the League to take a more active role in addressing misconduct. While some clubs have provided anti-harassment training to staff and players, the NWSL should develop and implement mandatory, uniform NWSL-wide trainings that address topics related to the Anti-Harassment Policy and that provide concrete examples of appropriate and inappropriate conduct. Hammond recalled telling Kurtz in a phone call that the Courage were not able to find a trade for her. The Joint Investigative Team was in the process of scheduling an interview with Holly when the USSF Report was released. 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. 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. 118, coaches and staff to better understand their interactions with players. For instance, one player said that while she felt Whisler "cared," she felt he did not "get it or understand what he lets happen." When U.S. Soccer Chief Legal Officer Lydia Wahlke learned that Levine had told Whisler about the complaint, she expressed concern, noting that "it could put [Whisler] in the position of unwittingly creating a retaliation claim if he acts on it or communicates it to any third party (and worse, to the responding party)." Simon described feeling helpless and like she could not escape. On October 1, 2021, the day after The Athletic reported Riley's misconduct, the NWSL announced that all scheduled matches for that weekend would be rescheduled. e) B. Burke called players insulting names, like moron, fucking asshole," and "cheat," and explicitly threatened to waive players who challenged his conduct or otherwise disagreed with him. Paulson's and Wilkinson's accounts of the information shared with the Flash are inconsistent with a document the Flash prepared for the Joint Investigative Team's review summarizing the club's vetting and hiring of Riley. When asked about his comment, Burke claimed that he was not making light of the incident, but rather that he was upset about it. 70, Multiple players described an incident in which Clarkson was "out of line" and created a culture of fear and anxiety. Require Separate Individuals to Hold Key Club Leadership Roles 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. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy provides that emotional misconduct may include "belittling players about their body image or weight." READ MORE: Ex-Philadelphia Independence coach Paul Riley fired from NWSL team amid allegations of sexual misconduct. While traveling for an away game in June, Riley pressured Shim over text message to have a drink with him in his hotel room. A technicality but a distinction. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that prior to sending this message, he had told Malik over the phone that the Thorns had fired Riley based on Shim's complaint. This provision puts an unfair burden on employees experiencing misconduct by suggesting they should confront the employee engaging in misconduct. She also asked him not to speak to one player implicated in the complaint about the complaint until the League had the opportunity to call that player, but Whisler refused to comply, saying that th[e] situation has the potential to destroy team chemistry." Many players bravely recounted painful and personal experiences before and during this investigation in service of truth, accountability, and reform. 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. 1. According to the report, she denied the allegations. Moreover, NWSL staff reviewing player survey results-when they were reviewed-were not trained or provided any guidance on how to analyze player survey results for statements indicating misconduct and were not instructed to elevate any potential misconduct to NWSL HR or the NWSL General Counsel. This misconduct included sexual misconduct, inappropriate relationships with players, the blurring of professional boundaries, racially insensitive remarks, inappropriate statements about players' weight and body types and other forms of emotional misconduct, and retaliation for reporting misconduct. h[ad] meetings in their hotel rooms and held these meetings with [the] door closed." Levine told the HR employee not to worry about the email from Farrelly because a third party had already investigated the allegations and found no fault, and Riley had been hired by another club following the investigation. B. When Holly was let go-not for his mistreatment of players but for a reported relationship with a player-Sky Blue publicly framed Holly's departure as a mutual agreement, did not acknowledge Holly's misconduct, and expressed gratitude towards him. These comments constituted impermissible emotional misconduct because they had the potential to, and did, cause emotional and psychological harm by degrading, insulting, and belittling players based on their weight. And after players reported concerns about Aaran Lines through the NWSL's player survey, the club removed him from his coaching position and installed him in the front office. 54, substantiated, and the club had fired Holly. One player said that when she suggested players decline Dames's social invitations, the players asked her, "Then what if he doesn't play me? This player explained, "You don't want to say no to the coach." This included withholding documents and other information related to an investigation U.S. Soccer conducted into reports of misconduct by Rory Dames for the better part of a year. The NWSL should engage with players and staff of color and LGBTQIA+ players and staff to understand and develop channels for reporting misconduct that are safe and comfortable for individuals in these groups to use. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy requires clubs to promptly report all reports of misconduct to the League. Dames was not the only coach who resorted to critiques of players' parental status: a player described Riley "berating [one player]" through an entire game and blaming the loss on her infant son." This is partly due to institutional factors; SafeSport only has jurisdiction over reports concerning NWSL coaches or staff who hold U.S. Soccer coaching licenses. One evening, he persuaded her to have dinner at an Italian restaurant in Portland. Allowing Riley to continue coaching in the NWSL endangered NWSL players. Players on another team reported that a former assistant coach liked tweets critical of the Black Lives Matter movement, causing several Black and non-Black players to be uncomfortable and upset with the assistant coach. He also made other inappropriate comments, including calling one player trailer trash" and insinuating he found players attractive. One player recalled that Holly "suddenly exploded" during the meeting. She told Clarkson during a water break shortly after entering that she had to come off the field due to her injury. At the same time, Multiple players said that they felt they could not decline social invitations from coaches. The NWSL should also develop standards for evaluating an applicant's fitness for the position, based on the results of background checks, that are consistent with applicable legal restrictions, including applicable state laws. 3. The conclusion of the report similarly minimized players' concerns in favor of Dames's and Whisler's self-serving explanations. One player described this as a particular challenge with former Dash Head Coach Vera Pauw, who lived in player housing. Johnson recalled Flynn describing the incident as "a moment of poor judgment. Johnson said he did not understand from the conversation with Flynn that the incident had played a role in Riley's departure from the Thorns; rather, Johnson understood from Riley and from media reports that Riley's departure was related to a team performance issue. 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. . Create a Diversity Advisory Committee Dedicated to Implementing DEI Initiatives The calendar crisis explained. After Holly learned that a different starting player had complained about his behavior to club leadership, he demoted her to training with reserve players. Clarkson and Cromwell would be allowed to return to the league upon completing anti-harassment training and demonstrating a commitment to change. 120, An explanation of the reporting channels should also be a key component to antiharassment training, anti-bullying training, anti-retaliation training, and any other trainings the NWSL or clubs provide. One player recalled wanting to report conduct by her general manager, Alyse LaHue, but said that the team "didn't even know who we could contact because [the general manager] is our only contact. 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. 56, conduct, LaHue persisted. 3. Wilkinson said that on advice of counsel for the Thorns, he did not discuss the reason for Riley's termination and did not tell Lines about the allegations against Riley. According to Temares's and Smoot's accounts, neither had the information necessary to share that others in Sky Blue leadership were aware of complaints that Holly screamed at and verbally abused players. 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. As a result, the creation and enforcement of policies and in some cases, investigations and the communication of their findings-fell through the cracks. Players recounted numerous instances in which club staff made inappropriate sexual and objectifying comments. The day before a game, Holly got into a fight with Pearce Rampone during training. Many players reported that they feared instability both in terms of their own careers and the viability of the League, that they were advised to feel grateful to have the chance to play the game at all, and that they felt a personal responsibility to sustain the existence of the NWSL by keeping their heads down and their complaints unvoiced. Kaleigh Kurtz, who reported experiencing sexual misconduct from Riley at the Courage, said that she did not report Riley's behavior in the past out of fear of being called a "troublemaker," but that she felt comfortable being named in this Report because "players who come forward will be protected." As noted, several current and former U.S. Soccer employees told the Joint Investigative Team that Riley was never seriously considered for the USWNT coaching position. Player-staff relationships, even when consensual, can create problems within a team environment and, in some instances, contribute to the mistreatment of players. In a statement shared by her attorney, LaHue said she is supportive of reform in the NWSL but takes issue . The club announced that Holly was terminated "for cause," but the announcement did not specify that the "cause" was sexual misconduct. Baird consulted Levine-who had worked as general counsel for U.S. Soccer in 2015, and for the NWSL since 2017, and who had been kept closely apprised of the 2015 Thorns Investigation when it occurred-on how to respond. And thorough vetting, including a reputational check, is time-intensive and expensive. Develop and Enforce Guidelines Addressing Appropriate Interactions Between Club Staff and Players Additionally, the investigation seemed focused on limiting the club's liability rather than a) Dames's Misconduct at the Chicago Red Stars Other players reported instances of Dames texting players late at night, commenting on players' appearances, and "routinely" taking "some of his favorites out to dinner." Other club policies did not address supervisor or manager obligations to elevate complaints to anyone. 76, ever having a second discussion about the remark with the player. According to multiple players and club staff, Riley repeatedly made negative comments about the relationship to other players on the team, including remarks that Farrelly was not truly a lesbian and that Farrelly's then-partner was a "predator." At some clubs, the players and club staff reported that they live in the same clubprovided housing during the season. 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." 4. Players were "aware that this league could go under. On October 26, 2015, the Thorns announced that they were trading Farrelly to the Breakers, a now-defunct NWSL club. The player spoke to Levine and Duffy later that day to explain her concerns. Coaches and Club Staff While many clubs properly submitted candidates for the required vetting once these processes were in place, on at least two occasions, clubs hired player-facing staff and allowed them to begin working before they were cleared by the NWSL. One Spirit player recalled Burke going "from zero to a thousand on the aggressive scale" towards one of her teammates during a halftime speech and making the teammate cry. 5. Alyse LaHue, General Manager of the NJ/NY Gotham FC Women's Football Team Lisa Ferkul, Director of Hockey Sponsorship at Scotiabank Andrew Sutherland, Vice President of Marketing, Creative and Original Content at Sportsnet What were the takeaways? Players were confused about where to report misconduct, and the absence of clear guidance about reporting channels or designated personnel to receive reports compounded the problem. The same day, The Athletic reported that the investigation was related to a violation of the NWSL's anti-harassment policy. In interviews with the Joint Investigative Team, both Levine and Duffy remembered that they paused the NWSL investigation at Wahlke's request. The clubs that do address these topics in their handbooks set forth policies that depart from the League policy in various ways. The reasons for Alyse LaHue's termination as NJ/NY Gotham FC general manager in July 2021 are also now clear following 1 years of silence from the club on the issue. The NWSL's current processes and requirements, while improved, can be better implemented. This actually isn't okay. Instead, it stated only that [e]mployees, without fear of retaliation, have the responsibility to bring any form of intimidation, threats, and sexual or other harassment to the attention of any member of management." Several coaches routinely relied on derogatory language and name-calling to shame or criticize players. 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. 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." 35, conducting thorough fact-finding. The league retained Covington & Burling LLP, while the NWSLPA retained Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. The player described feeling shocked at the sudden threat because her teammate "[hadn't] done a thing and was harmless." Players reported Williams apologized to the team the day after the meeting, but players felt the club did not take action to address players' concerns after the meeting. Consider Developing a Plan to Conduct Exit Interviews of Departing Players Players and club staff also reported that Dames exercised control over players' social lives. Another club staff member felt that Holly lost trust in the locker room" because of his romantic relationship. 16, the League come with the mentality of doing you a favor." The Joint Investigative Team also conducted a substantial review of emails, text messages, and other relevant documents, including documents collected from the NWSL, the NWSLPA, U.S. Soccer, all 12 clubs, players, and other individuals. The NWSLPA encouraged and facilitated participation by a significant number of players, past and present. To the extent possible, and where appropriate, the NWSL should share with players the outcome of any investigation that finds a violation of the Anti-Harassment Policy against players by club personnel. The club then released a statement that did not disclose the reason for Benstiti's departure. Establish Guidelines Addressing Appropriate Meeting Locations for Oneon-One Meetings Between Club Staff and Players 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. A witness recalled that when introducing a staff member to the front office, a general manager announced that the staff member was "engaged to one of [the] players." shooting in south central los angeles today, knock knock jokes punctuation,
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