Only two clubs' employee handbooks-the Spirit's and Gotham's-referenced the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy. 2. Whisler acknowledged to the Joint Investigative Team that he had spoken to Dames and the players involved in the complaint because he felt it was necessary to address the issues they raised. He often invited certain players to have lunch or dinner with him, taking one small group of players out to dinner on a regular basis. LaHue participated in an initial interview with the Joint Investigative Team but canceled a second scheduled interview and declined the Joint Investigative Team's repeated requests to reschedule. To be eligible for future employment in the NWSL, Cromwell and Greene must participate in mandatory training regarding retaliation, discrimination, harassment, and bullying, and must participate in mandatory executive coaching. Background checks should also be conducted on prospective owners of NWSL clubs, including prospective owners of expansion clubs or investors who are candidates to acquire majority or significant minority stakes in existing clubs. On at least two occasions when Riley was recruited by the Flash and later when he was recruited by the Courage-the Thorns, U.S. Soccer, and the NWSL were not transparent with the recruiting club about the allegations and findings of misconduct against Riley in 2015. Sky Blue FC announced on Tuesday evening that Tony Novo had officially resigned as club president and general manager. In at least one instance, a former player declined to participate in a prior investigation due to this fear. This was apparent in the hiring of Riley by the Flash, and subsequently the Courage. Inattentiveness, neglect, and concealment allow misconduct to fester. When one Spirit player tackled a teammate during practice, Burke went off out of nowhere," calling the player a "fucking asshole" and a cheat." Players also stated that Pauw commented on players' legs as being "bulky" and prohibited players from lifting weights based on her view that it would make them bulkier when she wanted players to be lean. The joint investigation details how LaHue sent inappropriate messages to a player, including some about the player being in her dreams, despite the player's request for those to stop and asking of LaHue to "accept that we are working together and nothing more." The Joint Investigative Team recommended temporary suspensions only where it had a factual basis to believe that interim action was warranted to protect players from imminent harm, prevent retaliation, or prevent interference with the investigation. When asked about this incident, Burke denied ever having yelled at a player who appeared to be experiencing a panic attack and explained that he always tried to make players laugh and feel comfortable before and during games. Despite this instruction, multiple people observed Benstiti commenting on players' food consumption at the 2020 Challenge Cup, where Benstiti also hid food from players. In a second case, a club hired a technical staff member who participated in training sessions before his required vetting was complete. Second, the Joint Investigative Team found no support for the Thorns's independent assertion that the 2015 investigation did not reveal any "unlawful harassment by Riley, an assertion which seemed to have emerged just after the 2015 Thorns Investigation. 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. Rarely so well behaved in my dreams." Likewise, OL Reign performed a background check but did not perform a reputational check when hiring Farid Benstiti, who later left the club following reports of misconduct that, as discussed above, mirrored public reports about his behavior while coaching a team overseas. Riley had a long and successful coaching career when he joined the Thorns in 2014, having held several head coach positions and having been named coach of the year in two soccer leagues. a) Vetting Requirements for Coaches and Staff The complainant explained that one night, Riley told two players that the team would not have to do fitness drills if they kissed. Players also recalled that the club requested players keep what was discussed at the meeting confidential. In the investigation commissioned by U.S. Soccer and led by Sally Yates, the former U.S. attorney general, one small reference was made regarding LaHue, which read as follows: Our investigation also uncovered examples of inappropriate conduct by club personnel. 89, Racing Louisville's management said that when the club notified the League that it finished its investigation into former Head Coach Christy Holly, Baird told the club to pause so the League could investigate. Around the same time, on July 1, 2021, OL Reign decided to remove Benstiti from the club, and asked for his resignation that same day. 102, directives were inconsistent with sports medicine best practices; for example, players reported that Pauw discouraged them from eating fruit because of its sugar content. Another player said Harrington made other comments about players' appearances and bodies, including their breasts. Kurtz was not the only player to share her experiences with Courage management after the Athletic article was published. 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. 1. The Thorns's Flawed 2015 Investigation and Opaque Termination of Riley The joint investigation team noted that all three clubs also "withheld key documents" from them until after the Yates report was released. While Simon's parents gave Pearce Rampone a tour of the home, Holly grabbed Simon's buttocks and felt her over her leggings. Notwithstanding these discrepancies, based on the totality of evidence, including interviews and other documents, the Joint Investigative Team determined that LaHue's interactions with the player constituted misconduct. In the player survey, Thorns players anonymously commented that Riley "ripped/yelled at players in a hurtful, non-productive way," was "verbally abussive [sic]," and would "call [players] dumb, stupid, slow, idiotic, retarded, we have no balls, we will never be better than the average 16 year old boy, worthless." Create a Diversity Advisory Committee Dedicated to Implementing DEI Initiatives Dames declined requests to be interviewed in this investigation. His training sessions were inconsistent in intensity based on his mood. In an email responding to these comments, Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler attributed concerns about Dames to Whisler's perception that "one or both of the [US]WNT players did not like [Dames]probably because they did not start or play the way they wanted to." 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. Several coaches routinely relied on derogatory language and name-calling to shame or criticize players. Decisions regarding the disclosure of sexual misconduct are complex and involve numerous considerations, including player confidentiality and safety. . Shim recalled feeling uncomfortable because she felt that Riley was treating the evening like a date. She showed the text message to a teammate to try to gauge Riley's intention. Develop and Enforce Guidelines Addressing Appropriate Interactions Between Club Staff and Players 87, When the NWSL distributed its Anti-Harassment Policy in April 2021, it was not accompanied by any training. 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. The annual training should be interactive, with opportunities for participants to ask questions and receive feedback. 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. A text message conversation between Whisler and Dames confirms the player's concern. Some club policies also were less protective of players than the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy. With regards to Dames's treatment of players, one player recalled, "It wasn't like, 'Hey, bad pass.' 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. Simon recalled that during the camp, Holly did in fact try to get Simon to come to his hotel room, but she never did. He told Kurtz, I hope you know I'm doing this because I love you." He noted, for instance, that if Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler quit the League, the League would fail. In another instance, a player reported that Clarkson angrily asked her, "How the fuck are you so unprofessional," when she had to come out of a game due to an injury. The agreement also expressly permitted Holly to provide an honest assessment of players' performances-including Simon-notwithstanding the risk that he would retaliate against Simon or others by sharing negative feedback with scouts or coaches. One assistant coach recalled another coach making comments about players' weight and once telling a player at a restaurant, You can't eat this. For example, a member of club management reported that when Sky Blue hired Christy Holly as their head coach in August 2020, he was not subject to a criminal background check. The NWSL should also develop standards for evaluating an applicant's fitness for the position based on the results of reputational checks. Gotham's handbook stated that the club "will also adhere to National Women's Soccer League's Anti-Harassment Policy." Misconduct against players has occurred at the vast majority of NWSL clubs at various times from the earliest years of the League to the present.". 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. Players told the team's head coach that Black players on the team felt unsupported and that the posts did not align with the team's values. Shim's and Farrelly's interviews occurred in person at Providence Park, the stadium where The Courage learned nothing of the allegation that Riley had said players could avoid the suicide mile by kissing, or of the other clearly established The club immediately terminated the staff member for violating club policy. This training should encompass conduct and scenarios that players, staff, and volunteers at professional clubs could potentially encounter. Player survey comments alleging that NWSL or club staff have engaged in misconduct should be assessed and, where appropriate, investigated. In text messages, LaHue also expressed an emotional reliance on the player and repeatedly questioned the player's interactions with another individual, stating in one message, [Y]ou knew I'd be mad about you talking to [her] so long. Paul Riley (Portland Thorns, Head Coach, 2014-2015; Western New York Flash, Head Coach, 2016; North Carolina Courage, Head Coach, 2017-2021) 46, of Dames's issues with the player's boyfriend. They warned Predmore that he [needed] to double check on Benstiti's comments to Horan and noted that they were "flagging it for him. At a team meeting the next day, players observed that Clarkson was visibly angry as he reprimanded the team at length, calling them selfish, disrespectful, and unprofessional by going out drinking prior to a game. Whereas Yates' report focused on three major storylines and perpetrators, the NWSL/NWSLPA joint investigation looked further, scrutinizing each of the 12 current NWSL teams, as well as historic complaints in the league. After Simon began training and playing with Racing Louisville, Holly's abuse continued. Kurtz added that after reading last year about Riley's past sexual misconduct, she realized that the coach was "grooming" her with similar patterns of behavior. The statement that no unlawful harassment" had occurred proved significant going forward, as it was repeated a number of times in the following years as a summary of the investigation's conclusions. Starr recalled that a couple of weeks later, she met with Simon again, and Simon informed her that the abuse had been "going on for a while." a) Dames's Misconduct at the Chicago Red Stars However, these surveys were not specifically intended to capture this information, and in multiple instances, the NWSL and U.S. Soccer failed to investigate or address comments from player surveys stating that club staff engaged in misconduct. In a separate conversation with Dames, Whisler revealed that he had also spoken to a different player about the complaint. In these instances, U.S. Soccer, the League, and the Thorns shared incomplete and high-level information about Riley's misconduct, which underplayed the extent of his misconduct. Wilkinson and Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that they were not aware of Shim's 2021 email to Baird. The NWSL should establish rules prohibiting an individual from occupying more than one of the following positions at a club: principal owner, general manager, and head coach. d) Frequent Social Interactions and Controlling Players' Social Lives Holly offered Simon another contract in 2017, which she accepted. In October 2019, Horan also appeared in a Players' Tribune podcast episode, titled Lindsey Horan Opens Up About Body Shaming at PSG," in which Horan said playing at PSG was the "lowest" part of her career in part because the coach was "brutal" and was not playing her because of "how [she] looked." Hendrix said Simon shared Holly's comment with her, and Holly's "nonchalant response to Simon asking him to stop touching her made them wonder if he was "doing something to someone else." 4. Players expressed a belief that the close relationships between coaching staff and management meant any complaints of misconduct would fall on deaf ears or subject them to retaliation. Multiple current and former players shared their belief that clubs' vetting practices have been insufficient. Players may also report concerns via the NWSLPA hotline, the details for which are set forth in the policy, or to any team HR department, general manager, or administrator. Representatives appointed by each of the 12 NWSL club owners comprise the League's Board of Governors, which acts on behalf of the League. Club staff and players reported that some staff members held meetings with players in staff hotel rooms, rather than in public meeting rooms. While the investigator documented the investigative steps that were taken, at the request of Levine, she did not prepare a summary of her findings and conclusions in either of these investigations, instead communicating informally with Levine. The Equalizer is partnering with The Next to bring more womens sports stories toyourinbox. When an assistant coach attempted to give the player the requested advice, Williams told the assistant coach, "Shut the fuck up and go sit down." These fears were not unfounded. Dames's explanation relied on his communications with another staff member, but the investigator did not attempt to speak to this staff member or otherwise corroborate Dames's explanation. ii If [we have] a concern, we're going to sit down and try to find a solution. He also said, If you're trying to build trust, which is what we're trying to do, it's hard to build trust if someone's saying to you, '[I] can't tell you where it's coming from.' . 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. * In evaluating professional coaching standards, the Joint Investigative Team reviewed and considered professional and academic literature on verbal and emotional abuse in sport. 2. None of the club policies referenced the 2021 Anti-Harassment Policy provision requiring supervisors, managers, coaches, and all general managers to report all potential violations of the policy to the NWSL HR Manager. The investigation did not focus on player-on-player misconduct or misconduct directed at League or club staff. 18 episodes. Players across numerous clubs described weight-shaming comments and actions by both male and female coaches. In her interview with the Joint Investigative Team, Ellis did not recall players bringing to her attention verbal abuse or racist or sexist comments by NWSL coaches during her tenure with the USWNT. A 2012 ESPN article later reported that Borislow's conduct included verbal abuse and sexually suggestive comments towards players. Whether or not players specifically described this particular issue as significant, the report should have independently assessed the facts provided by the players. Commissioner of the NWSL, detailing numerous instances of sexually inappropriate conduct by Riley during the 2015 season. NEW YORK Sky Blue FC has restructured its leadership, announcing Wednesday the arrival of a new minority owner in Ed Nalbandian and a new role for Tammy Murphy, the New Jersey First Lady. Multiple players and one staff member described a particular incident in which Holly's romantic relationship appeared to impact his decision-making. Plush eventually resigned as CEO of USA Curling nearly a month after the Yates report detailed his inaction and culpability in allowing Riley to continue coaching in the NWSL following Riley's 2015 sexual misconduct in Portland. The Joint Investigative Team found strong evidence to corroborate players' concerns about Whisler. 6. 47, The stated purpose of the USSF Dames Investigation was "to understand the experience of the players and provide U.S. Soccer legal advice with respect to whether the alleged misconduct by Dames, to the extent that it occurred, is acceptable from the head coach of a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team from the perspective of U.S. The 29-player list Photo Copyright Chris Pedota for NewJersey.com, via Meg Linehan of The Athletic on Twitter, investigation commissioned by U.S. Soccer and led by Sally Yates, the former U.S. attorney general, put out a statement via Meg Linehan on Twitter stating, Yazmeen Ryan is at Gotham FC for the long haul, Why Naomi Girma could be the USWNTs most important player at the World Cup, Pride swap white shorts for black as global push continues for player welfare, Waived from Gotham FC, Kelly Ann Livingstone sees opportunity with Fortuna Hjrring, 2023 NWSL schedule released: Actually, theres a lot to like, Sinead Farrelly joins Gotham FC preseason roster as Non-Roster Invitee, Joint investigation finds widespread, ongoing misconduct in NWSL, calls for policy reforms, The definitive Christy Holly timeline in the NWSL and U.S. Soccer, USWNT wrestling with identity ahead of World Cup, USWNT 2, Brazil 1: On fullback positioning and the double-edge sword of transitions, Several players drop out of French national team ahead of the World Cup, Seriously, a fall-to-spring schedule for the NWSL? One player recalled that the men's team was allowed to train on better practice fields, and the women were asked to train on inferior fields despite the availability of better fields near where the men practiced, apparently because the men's team found it distracting to practice near the women. Players also told the Joint Investigative Team that Riley [made] a face when players lifted their shirts to wipe their faces, commented that players had refrigerator[s] on their ass[es]," and stated that a player was eating too many hamburgers." But public reporting around misconduct against NWSL players has increased in recent years. When Riley was head coach of the Thorns, after a night out drinking alcohol with Thorns players, Riley brought Shim and Farrelly to his apartment, made additional alcohol available, tried to grind" against Shim, and told Farrelly and Shim that if they kissed each other, the team would not have to run an intensive fitness drill that week. Hammond came away from the call with the understanding that Kurtz was uncomfortable with what Riley said, and he did not recall asking follow-up questions about the circumstances or any other concerns about Riley. In September 2015, a player on the Thorns, Meleana "Mana" Shim, emailed a complaint to leadership within the Thorns and to Jeff Plush, then Simon recalled being scared and noted that Holly lived in her apartment building, so she wanted to know how the club could keep her safe and make sure Holly did not come to her apartment after he was fired. 1. These factors do not constitute a bright-line test; f) Resurfacing of 2015 Allegations Against Riley
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