The failure to take intermediary action left players in an unsafe environment for well over a year while the investigation was ongoing. Sexism and Gender Bias I think most people that get an MBA then try to go on and get a nice . Riley returned from the restroom and asked the women, who had been assigned by Riley to share hotel rooms on team road trips during the season, if they "hooked up" while traveling for games, a notion he had raised even before that night and something they denied doing. Multiple players voiced concerns to the Joint Investigative Team regarding vague public statements that obscured the reason for departures, mainly for coaches. 57, older, all of his friends would want to sleep over at her house-which the player understood as an insinuation about her attractiveness. Plush was aware that the Thorns launched an investigation, and he received some updates regarding the investigation. After experiencing weight-shaming by Pauw and Riley, witnesses reported that players developed eating disorders and sought mental health treatment. To the player, the undertone of the response-and of the owner's consistent approach to such requests over the years-was clear: "Why are you not grateful for what I'm providing? The player recalled thinking, I can be grateful and still ask for progress." The following morning, on August 31, 2021, Starr met with Racing Louisville's HR Director Erin Wilkins, O'Connor, Estes, and Bates. Through her attorney, to The Athletics Meg Linehan, LaHue denied the allegations that got her terminated. Riley engaged in additional misconduct while at the Courage. New subjects include details on why former Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue was fired in July of last year. While coaches and staff may appropriately discuss professional players' fitness in the context of players' performance, coaches often made comments that did not address performance, but rather were focused on appearance or other arbitrary criteria. In January 2020, OL Reign hired Benstiti as their head coach, despite the availability of public reporting by multiple media sources that Benstiti harshly criticized Lindsey Horan's weight when he was her coach at the French club Paris Saint-Germain ("PSG") and told her she could not play until she lost weight. For much of the NWSL's history, the NWSL and many of its clubs did not employ any designated HR staff. If a club staff member who has been found to have engaged in misconduct seeks a position at another club in the NWSL, the NWSL should promptly alert that club of the prior misconduct. Multiple players recognized the frequency of these invitations and communications as "not normal and inappropriate." The Joint Investigative Team reported regularly to the Oversight Committee on its progress and investigative strategy. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy provides that emotional misconduct may include "belittling players about their body image or weight." When the Courage employed Riley as their head coach in 2017 in connection with their purchase of the Flash, they received insufficient information about the extent of Riley's misconduct while at the Thorns. Players raised multiple concerns about him to club management. The Thorns's counsel's unexplained conclusion was consistent with what was communicated to Shim and Riley. The report further established that Riley had two one-on-one Levine claimed that their failure to do so "contributed to [Riley's] remaining in the League until Farrelly and Shim went public in September 2021. In 2018, former Red Stars player Christen Press made a complaint about Chicago Red Stars Head Coach Rory Dames to U.S. Soccer, alleging that he engaged in verbal and emotional abuse. I have no idea." In addition to the SafeSport Trained Core Course and three annual refresher courses, medical staff are required to take a 60-minute course titled, "SafeSport for Health Professionals: Your Role in Preventing Abuse." On Tuesday, one player, who attended the dinner and was expected to start in the day's game, became ill during the warm-up. Hammond denied ever speaking to Riley about this request and denied that Riley told him that Kurtz could not be traded. Many of the club anti-harassment policies provided to the Joint Investigative Team were inconsistent with the NWSL's Anti-Harassment Policy, including by prohibiting a narrower scope of conduct. A former player told the Joint Investigative Team she believed the investigation was "inconclusive because no action was taken." The new report expands on many of those topics, though only relating specifically to occurrences in the NWSL era. However, Baird had received and reviewed Shim's complaint to the NWSL in March 2021, to which Shim attached her September 2015 complaint detailing sexual misconduct by Riley. Wahlke admitted that she did not share the findings and conclusions from the report with the NWSL or the Red Stars because the material was privileged. Simon told Holly she was uncomfortable and did her best to get out of the house, but she did not want to anger Holly because she was scared. A staff member reported that he and another staff member told Clarkson that they did not believe it was a hangover. 69, that would allow us to travel home." USWNTPA Executive Director Becca Roux, who helped Press bring her complaint, told the Joint Investigative Team that Wahlke "called [her] and said nothing was fireable offense, but she received no factual findings from the investigation until November 2021. 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." From these conversations, the Courage said it understood that an investigation into Riley had been conducted and that Riley had exhibited poor judgment," the same language used in the Thorns's 2015 investigative report to describe Riley's conduct. Anonymous results from an annual NWSL player survey conducted in 2014, and described in greater detail below, also indicated similar misconduct by Riley. One NWSLPA member expressed the need for training on the Anti-Harassment Policy. Investigators also call for more centralized hiring processes, including background checks with references for all prospective club owners, staff, and volunteers who might interact with players. The player heard that during the meeting, Wilkinson asked about Shim's March 2021 email to the NWSL and stated he could not believe Riley had been hired by Before the next season, certain players who had participated in the meeting or raised concerns about Williams were traded, waived, or not re-signed. She did recall discussing one of the transactions with Williams and that he offered a soccer-related reason for the transaction. Gulati asked the group to meet the next day to discuss the matter. This is especially important in situations where club staff with control over player transactions (coaches, general managers, etc.) 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. Another player echoed this sentiment, saying, There are relationships in the League between player and coach, and there have been for a long time. Romantic relationships between players and staff members pose several potential problems, including (i) the power D. They also spoke with their former teammate Alex Morgan. 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. They told O'Connor that they would really appreciate if this was kept confidential." The perception of closeness between Riley and the Thorns front office was not limited to players; former NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush remarked in an email, after learning that Riley had been hired at the Flash in 2016, that his guess" was that Wilkinson "helped" Riley with the Flash. The Thorns's policy similarly stated that remedial action will be taken "if the company determines that unlawful harassment has occurred, and it lists examples of "[p]rohibited unlawful harassment." Joint Investigation Reveals Why Alyse LaHue Was Fired from Gotham FC Truth Be Told: The Fight for Women's Professional Soccer, stream on ESPN+. And as discussed above, in some cases, Riley's practice of holding meetings in hotel rooms did in fact lead to boundary-crossing interactions with Shim. It has been a tumultuous season in the NWSL on the player advocacy front. Following the publication of the Athletic article in 2021, Paulson stated in Golub's presence that "Mike [Golub] spent a lot of time on the phone w/Aaran Lines" when the Flash were considering hiring Riley. In the 2015 player survey, several players made negative comments about Flash Head Coach Aaran Lines. Lisa Baird (NWSL, Commissioner, 2020-2021) To learn more about player experiences in the NWSL, the NWSL should consider administering annual player surveys that include questions addressing misconduct, awareness of and accessibility of reporting channels, and team culture. The NWSL should ensure as part of its vetting process that prospective owners entering the NWSL express their personal commitment to protecting player safety, to combatting misconduct in all its forms, and to facilitating appropriate reporting of concerns. NWSL staff responsible for reviewing player survey results were not trained on how to handle player survey responses suggesting misconduct against players. This information sharing between the staff member and the player led other players to express concerns to team management that the staff member was sharing players' private medical information with the player they were dating. The findings, however, were not effectively communicated to Pride players or staff. This Report, prepared by Covington in collaboration with Weil, summarizes that joint investigation and offers recommendations for systemic reform. Arnim Whisler confirmed considering a similar plan for Dames at the Red Stars, even after Whisler learned that a majority of the players on the team believed Dames created an environment of fear and expressed concerns about retaliation. In 2020, the NWSL investigated Dell Loy Hansen, then-owner of the Royals, for making racially offensive comments. 1. In order to ensure the integrity of reporting channels, and to mitigate concerns regarding potential retaliation, the NWSL should require that separate individuals hold key leadership and management roles within clubs. The League should consider stronger restrictions on the use of such agreements in matters involving sexual misconduct or physical abuse. Neither Temares nor Smoot recalled Novo telling them concerns about Holly's treatment of players, and they emphasized that they were not in player-facing roles. Another player said the overall environment was "abusive." Players from the team met with club owners Angie and Chris Long, and other club staff, to raise these concerns. These sorts of threats were most frightening to fringe players, who felt that Dames had complete control" over their career prospects. 88, U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro characterized U.S. Soccer's relationship with the League as a "regulator and sanctioning body." ), The actions of League and U.S. Soccer personnelfrom the Leagues founding, through its years under U.S. Soccer management, to the presentdemonstrate that misconduct does not announce itself, but requires proactive prevention and detection, the report says. Non-contact physical behavior can also contribute to the creation of emotional misconduct. A player at Racing Louisville reported feeling that complaints about Christy Holly were not appropriately addressed due to the close relationship he had with club management. This sparked discussions and concern by individuals at the NWSL, U.S. Soccer, and the Thorns about Riley's prior sexual misconduct, evincing their recognition that the prior findings against Riley were cause for concern in assessing his suitability to coach players. One player, who was vocal about racial equity, told the Joint Investigative Team that Burke and an assistant coach pressured her to leave her "blackness off the field" and discouraged her activism. One owner said, "I came on as a passive investor. NJ/NY Gotham FC and general manager Alyse LaHue have parted ways. O'Connor acknowledged that he did not follow up with the players to determine whether they experienced any retaliation after the group meeting. Pauw lived in the same apartment complex as players -- an issue the report flags as a too-common problem around the league -- and allegedly attempted to control their diets and prevent them from weight training for fear they would be too "bulky.". Following these reports and upon learning that Clarkson had been made aware that he was under investigation, the Joint Investigative Team recommended in April 2022 that Clarkson be placed on temporary suspension pending investigation. Although Racing Louisville's vetting of Holly was not atypical for clubs at the time, it did not go far enough in assessing his treatment of players. Volunteer chaplain Taylor Starr shared her impression that Simon "kept it in for so long because she thought her career was on the line." Days later, Racing Louisville entered into a severance agreement with Holly, which stated that the club's executive team and Holly could not make any written or verbal communication in any form . Players reported that playing time and favorable feedback from coaches were critical to their chances of selection for the USWNT; a lack of playing time also impacted sponsorship opportunities, without which many players had to work second jobs in the off-season to supplement their income. The League is also part of a soccer ecosystem in which mistreatment of players is endemic one which affects not only the NWSL, but other professional leagues, both domestic and abroad, the report says. In other cases, clubs knew of and allowed the staff member and player to continue their romantic relationship, particularly where the relationship preexisted their time at the club. Through counsel, the Thorns emailed Levine a copy of the report with its attachments. Shim declined, stating she needed to take care of a sick teammate. The investigators said they conducted more than 200 interviews and reviewed some 200,000 documents. At the time, Levine told U.S. Soccer and NWSL leadership that she would send letters to Riley and to Joe Sahlen warning that coaches must remain professional and reminding Sahlen to report any inappropriate conduct by staff to the NWSL. Until now, the only reported detail was that LaHue was the subject of a complaint filed under the league's anti-harassment policy. Any individual who receives a report of potential misconduct must immediately submit the report to the NWSL HR Office. . In response to her request, Courage Assistant General Manager Bobby Hammond conveyed to Kurtz or her agent that the club was unable to find a trade for her, but that it could increase her salary by a "few thousand dollars." When asked about the 2015 player survey responses regarding Lines, Gulati said he did not recall having any conversations about Lines's treatment of players, and Gulati did not know why Lines was moved from the head coach role to a front office role. One member of the NWSL community criticized the SafeSport trainings as not being interactive and consisting of lectures and short quizzes that participants are not required to pass before proceeding with the training. Another child, tween, teen and beyond will know the world is better when it's . After the group returned to the hotel, Harrington came upstairs to two players' hotel room. [in] less than a day." 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. Another player explained that she had dealt with coaches yelling in the past, but what set Holly apart was that there was "such a shift" and he would "lose control." The NWSL should regularly remind club staff of their obligation to elevate information regarding misconduct to the NWSL HR Office or NWSL General Counsel. Investigators determined that LaHue's interactions with the player constituted misconduct. Sports and The New York Times, published articles detailing her experience at PSG. This misconduct included sending the player inappropriate text messages that continued even after the player told LaHue to accept that they were working together and nothing more. Simon also confided in Racing Louisville's team chaplain Taylor Starr, whom the Joint Investigative Team also interviewed. Shim reported that at his apartment, Riley offered her wine and placed his hand on her leg. But some players and club staff described that Clarkson seemed to defend stadium security, and players and club staff expressed disappointment at Clarkson's and the club's failure to attempt to understand the Black players' perspective. 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. Over a year later, in September 2019, the law firm retained by U.S. Soccer completed its investigative steps and produced a draft report to U.S. Soccer (the "USSF Dames Report"). During this meeting with Novo, players shared that Holly had screamed at and verbally abused players. For example, coaches often must raise their voices to be heard across a field. professionalism. Simon said she moved away from Holly when he touched her and told him he was "insane." Other Inconsistencies Between the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy and Club Policies These sentiments, in combination with the downplaying of the allegations and findings against Riley, contributed to the Flash's and Courage's limited understanding of the events of 2015. Even after repeated requests and lengthy negotiations with the separate law firm U.S. Soccer retained to respond to the Joint Investigative Team's requests, U.S. Soccer did not meaningfully respond to those requests until shortly before, and again after, the USSF Report was released. READ MORE: Ex-Philadelphia Independence coach Paul Riley fired from NWSL team amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Players explained that this dynamic can be exacerbated for bench players or newer players who might not feel empowered to speak up, or who might feel that their position on the team is not sufficiently secure. 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)." B. Observations and Findings In September 2021, The Athletic publicly reported on the existence of a prior, more extensive history between Riley and Farrelly, which was suggested by Shim to the Thorns investigator in 2015, but not explored in that investigation. He became condescending toward her and made jokes about "ripping [her] contract up." LaHue later texted the player, "I don't see us as friends." Gulati responded saying, We need to discuss this immediately. Levine recalled that Plush shared those comments with the club ownership, who according to Levine, was "understandably upset." The Dash's policy was titled "Policy Against Unlawful Harassment." When Olympique Lyonnais became the club's majority owner in January 2020, Predmore retained his position as CEO and was primarily responsible for day-to-day club decisions. "We've seen other teams continue to up their professional standards, and Sky Blue has to follow suit," LaHue said. Players reported that Spirit Head Coach Richie Burke used racial epithets, made jokes about race and ethnicity, and undermined activism on issues of race. On c) Necessity of Additional Vetting 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. Sources: Alyse LaHue out as Gotham FC general manager : r/NWSL - reddit to any third-party that denigrates, disparages, criticizes, defames, or is derogatory of the other." The Joint Investigative Team was comprised of Covington, as counsel for the NWSL, and Weil, as counsel for the NWSLPA. He asked her what she was eating, told her she looked chubby, and told her she would need to lose 14 pounds before the game to keep her starting role, telling her, "I hope you know I'm doing this because I love you." Mental Health First Aid training teaches participants how to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or who may be experiencing a mental health crisis. The club then released a statement that did not disclose the reason for Benstiti's departure. On August 16, 2017, Sky Blue announced that Holly was "stepping down" as head coach, and the club said it had come to a mutual agreement with Holly" and that he left "on good terms." In many instances, in the absence of League requirements for coach vetting, the NWSL and its clubs failed to sufficiently vet coaches before hiring them. Baird, working from language drafted by Levine, ultimately replied that Shim's 2015 complaint had been investigated to conclusion."
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