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Simon said there were certain questions she needed answered before she felt comfortable allowing Starr to give the club her name, like how the club would protect Simon. Simon described her fear that reporting Holly's misconduct could destroy her career after he insinuated to her that he had orchestrated her youth national team call-up; she recalled thinking, He could ruin me." One evening, he persuaded her to have dinner at an Italian restaurant in Portland. A. For example, in June 2021, a group of players reached out to O'Connor and asked if they could speak with him. While Whisler acknowledged receiving each of these complaints, he said he felt there was no "pattern" of complaints and wished he had received more information in order to take action earlier. As one player observed, the practice of drinking together erased the sense of boundaries between "players, coaches, and general manager[s]." This Report, prepared by Covington in collaboration with Weil, summarizes that joint investigation and offers recommendations for systemic reform. A player reported similar conduct by Dames to The Washington Post. She did recall discussing one of the transactions with Williams and that he offered a soccer-related reason for the transaction. The day after one player raised a complaint about Dames, he texted Arnim Whisler that he was planning on waiving the player because of her complaint. Whisler shared his perspective with the Joint Investigative Team that "if you're a coach and you know a player doesn't want to be in your environment, has other players upset because she turned something in to the League there's a chemistry issue that I think has to be thought through from a team health perspective." To encourage participation and transparency with responses, the NWSL should take steps to ensure the surveys are anonymous. In this video I discussing the details surrounding why former head coach and manager, Alyse LaHue, was fired from Gotham FC.SourceNWSL/NWSLPA Joint Investiga. Gulati responded that Dorrance "should reach out to previous owners as well" as part of "due diligence" about Riley. 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. In a recent interview with The Inquirer, LaHue made it clear that the team intends to leave Yurcak at the end of this season. The player said it later struck her as "weird" that Riley held these sessions in his hotel room rather than using a meeting room. The NWSL began the roll-out of training by the U.S. Center for SafeSport in January 2021. 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. 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. 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. Nearly every player who spoke to U.S. Soccer's investigator said that Dames targeted certain players, criticizing them more often and with more severity than others. MBA with a focus on. However, the allegations once again were not responded to appropriately by the NWSL, including by Levine, who had read Shim's 2015 allegations against Riley as well as the 2015 investigative report. While the report summary downplayed players' concerns in spite of the evidence, it credited Dames's and Whisler's explanations of events without further scrutiny. After she told Holly not to touch her, Simon felt Holly was harsher to her on the field: yelling at her frequently, taking her out of games regardless of her performance, and refusing to shake her hand when she came off the field, but shaking other players' hands. Craig Harrington blurred professional boundaries with players. In deciding whom to name, the Joint Investigative Team considered both the need for public accountability as well as the potential impact on player confidentiality. While the League itself cannot dictate changes to settings outside its purview, such as youth soccer or other leagues, it can implement reforms to the policies and practices within its control, which will in turn allow the League to serve as a standard-bearer and blueprint for other institutions. The failure to fully share information between stakeholders in women's soccer was also an issue during the USSF Dames Investigation. Players directed similar criticism to the processes that led to the hiring of Richie Burke, Farid Benstiti, Christy Holly, Vera Pauw, and Paul Riley. ", - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.). Burke also reportedly described one player as a "moron" in front of others on the team. Alyse LaHue joined the Chicago Red Stars eight years ago as an intern under Peter Wilt and then-GM Marcia McDermott. 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. Summary of Inappropriate Conduct.. A. Key individuals involved in the 2015 Thorns Investigation and Levine explained that, at that time, her role in investigations was unclear and that her only instruction was to ensure the League was informed of investigation results by clubs because of its direct employment relationship with players. In the course of the investigation, the Joint Investigative Team investigated not only historical misconduct by coaches and other club staff, but also ongoing concerns of misconduct raised by players and staff regarding current player-facing personnel in the NWSL, including concerns that were raised for the first time after the investigation commenced. It looks like I'm going to have to do that again." Shim attached to her email to Baird her September 16, 2015 email to the Thorns in which she made the complaint against Riley, along with responses to her complaint by Garcia and Plush. 44, words, speaking to individuals who were critical of Dames and those supportive of him. Since then, the lineup of clubs has undergone various changes. b) Failures of Background Checks The NWSL should consider creating an Alternative Complaint Resolution program as an additional resource to address conduct that is not covered by the Anti-Harassment Policy. 7. Although the sex did not continue in Portland, Riley continued to fixate on Farrelly, and she continued to feel that he could put her in a position in which she could not refuse him they were always going to take [Wilkinson's] recommendation over mine." Levine learned in February 2016 that the Flash would announce their hiring of Riley, and she learned information from Plush to suggest that the Thorns had perhaps not been candid with the Flash regarding the 2015 allegations or findings against Riley. Garcia, who conducted all of the interviews and collected and reviewed documents and text messages from individuals she interviewed, is not a lawyer and lacked experience in conducting sensitive investigations. When Racing Louisville learned of Holly's sexual misconduct toward Erin Simon, the club acted quickly, firing him within hours of speaking to Simon, and in spite of a request from the NWSL that they pause to let the League investigate. Develop and Enforce Guidelines Addressing Appropriate Interactions Between Club Staff and Players 64, beliefs and goals as a player. Farrelly also emailed Baird and the NWSL HR Office email address in April 2021 setting forth serious allegations against Riley, including that she had experienced inappropriate conduct by Riley in addition to what she reported during the Thorns's 2015 investigation. After Holly learned that a different starting player had complained about his behavior to club leadership, he demoted her to training with reserve players. This training should encompass conduct and scenarios that players, staff, and volunteers at professional clubs could potentially encounter. First, the 2015 investigation conducted by the Thorns had several shortcomings. According to the USSF Dames Report, one player said that Dames "was constantly putting her down, diminishing her self-worth, and making it clear he had the power and control and she did not." After players continued to push for a response, including through an HR manager, the club fired the assistant coach. There may be limited circumstances in which it is appropriate for a coach to discuss a player's weight with her as it pertains to that player's fitness goals, but those discussions generally should occur privately, without other players present. The Report concludes with systemic recommendations for the NWSL and its member clubs. 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. The same player noted that when players considered raising concerns, they wondered, "Are we going to ruin something? 4. The statement said LaHue was first contacted by this investigation in August, and did not get an interview until only after she made several requests for one. 2. 41, During the USSF Dames Investigation, multiple players reported similar concerns about After the release of the Athletic article detailing sexual misconduct by Riley, the club's communications department received outreach from a journalist seeking to speak with someone knowledgeable about the basis for Holly's termination. Additionally, despite the adverse findings, the Thorns asserted in an email to the NWSL that the 2015 Thorns Investigation revealed no "unlawful harassment," a conclusion that was not included in the 2015 investigative report itself and that was not further explained. The Current's employee handbook states that employees "should not be employed in positions with supervisory responsibilities over the work of any family member or other person with whom the employee has a romantic or similarly close relationship," but it does not clarify if this applies only to relationships between club employees, or whether it also applies to relationships between club employees and players, who are NWSL employees. These categories are illustrative and non-exhaustive; emotional misconduct also can include intentionally acting in a manner that causes emotional or psychological harm, including severe or repetitive conduct, such as insulting or degrading players or by creating a hostile working environment for players. The club did not contact Novo as part of its vetting process, even though Novo was the person most knowledgeable about the circumstances of Holly's departure. Riley agreed to try, and the Dash traded her back to the Thorns a week later. The NWSLPA also announced that it would conduct its own independent investigation into workplace misconduct within the League. Witnesses reported during the 2020 NWSL investigation that Hansen described individuals as "colored" or "oriental" and used descriptors and references based on racial stereotypes, including calling Black players on an opposing team "African gazelles." At Sky Blue, a former chief financial officer handled the club's budgeting, sponsorships, payroll, and merchandising in addition to the club's HR. It's a vicious cycle." Two prior leagues have." Given their public roles in U.S. Soccer, League, and club management, this Report also uses the names of individuals in the following roles: (i) club owners involved in day-to-day club management; (ii) club leadership and management, including presidents, general managers, and other equivalent positions; (iii) the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors and senior members of U.S. Soccer management; (iv) members of League management; and (v) where necessary, outside counsel and consultants. During the sixth minute of each match, the teams stopped play and gathered in a circle at midfield in recognition of the six years it had taken for the reports against Riley to become public. 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." 34, another club following the 2015 investigation. While he sometimes yelled at her during practice, she described the yelling as a one and done; others he [would] stick with for a whole practice. Another player who felt positively about Dames similarly said that Dames would "pick on" certain players, "constantly criticizing their on-field performance." Gulati said that he generally tells people who are considering hiring candidates to call former employers, but in this case, he was also specifically hoping that Malik would contact the Thorns. Players told the Joint Investigative Team that this environment dissuaded them from reporting misconduct. LaHue first joined Gotham FC in 2018. Commissioner of the NWSL, detailing numerous instances of sexually inappropriate conduct by Riley during the 2015 season. When interviewed by the Joint Investigative Team, Whisler acknowledged that he received the survey comments in 2014, but said that these comments reflected only the USWNT players' views on Dames and he was aware that at least one USWNT Red Stars player-Christen Press-did not want to be on the team. Ex-Philadelphia Independence coach Paul Riley fired from NWSL team amid allegations of sexual misconduct, Joanna Lohman was fooled by Paul Riley in Philadelphia, where he allegedly coerced her teammates, Megan Rapinoe criticizes Paul Riley, who briefly coached her on the Philadelphia Independence, Equalizer Soccer reported the anti-harassment detail, U.S. Soccer promises action after Yates investigation details abuse and sexual coercion in NWSL, California residents do not sell my data request. This assessment of players' many other concerns underplayed the fact that players had raised several corroborated concerns and that the investigator had identified some of these concerns as requiring remediation. The NWSL should consider providing resources to support players and staff working to advance the interests of diverse and marginalized groups. The report did not make any recommendations, noting instead that recommended actions for the Thorns to take would be determined by Paulson and Wilkinson. Another player stated that Holly liked to play mind games" with players, including one incident in which he purposely benched a starting player immediately before a game just to observe her reaction, and then threatened to cut her from the team when she reacted poorly. Gulati acknowledged that he had read the memorandum in advance of a meeting with players, including Press, on September 17, 2014, but said that he did not remember any specifics about the meeting, including whether Dames's conduct was discussed. Riley grew bolder in making sexual advances over time, and Farrelly reported to The Athletic and to the Joint Investigative Team that they had sexual intercourse after Riley went out drinking with the team following a loss at an away game. Plush, the senior-most executive at the League, did not take any steps to ensure that the Flash, the Courage, and the players who would be coached by Riley were aware of the risks he posed. Kurtz also reported in this meeting that Riley made "sexual comments to her and criticized her weight, including by calling her "chubby." The calendar crisis explained. For example, the League's former interim CEO, Marla Messing, recalled multiple instances where, due to her experience in the soccer community, she was able to identify potential hires by clubs who were "terrible" or "abusive," but who had received clean background checks. Insufficient Understanding of the Respective Roles of U.S. Soccer, the League, and Clubs in Investigating Misconduct coach, and Alyse LaHue, the former general manager of Gotham F.C., each received two-year suspensions from the league. At some clubs, the players and club staff reported that they live in the same clubprovided housing during the season. Another club's general manager noted a lack of clarity in whether the NWSL or clubs should be handling complaints from players. 3. In the early stages of the investigation, the Joint Investigative Team interviewed seven current and former players who described Clarkson as volatile, verbally abusive, and as not showing appropriate regard for players' wellbeing. as leverage to manipulate players. One player recalled that at Dames's suggestion, she spent more time socializing with players identified as Dames's favorites. And while the coaches offered some purported legitimate, non-retaliatory The Spirit's handbook stated that "all employees and contractors are required to receive and acknowledge receipt of the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy for a Safe Work Environment. The NWSL should confirm that each club has designated such individuals and that those individuals are aware of their obligation to report any complaints or reports of violations of the Anti-Harassment Policy to the NWSL HR Office or the NWSL General Counsel within 24 hours of receiving the report. Prior to the event, he forwarded Shim an email containing his hotel reservation-one room with a king bed-and asked Shim to stay with him. Multiple players reported that Holly complimented a Racing Louisville player about her hair in one of her Instagram photographs; she was wearing a bathing suit in the photograph. Holly lived in the same apartment complex with players at Racing Louisville, and he tried to get Simon to go to his apartment many times, but she refused. O'Connor acknowledged that he did not follow up with the players to determine whether they experienced any retaliation after the group meeting. A player for the Courage said Riley "would ask [her] to dinner in a "very casual way." 52, Simon recalled that Holly once brought her into a suite in the Racing Louisville stadium for a film session, even though she had tried to hold it in a public place. 82, September 30, 2021, assistant coaches and any other club staff who would "regularly interact with the players" also became subject to NWSL vetting. Rather than removing Dames, reprimanding him, or initiating an investigation into players' allegations of abuse, Whisler continually defended Dames and expressed suspicion about players' motives for raising concerns. Disseminate Annual Reports to Players Regarding the Effectiveness of the NWSL's Reporting Channels and Investigation Processes 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. This prevented the Joint Investigative Team from timely gathering documents and information relevant to the investigation, and substantially delayed important parts of this investigation. Dames told the investigator this was not retaliatory, though Dames said he understood why the player felt retaliated against. Misconduct in the League is not wholly independent from abuse that begins in youth soccer, where many coaches' and players' formative experiences shaped the way they engaged in, or reacted to, misconduct and abuse in the NWSL. Sports article mentioned Benstiti by name, stating that the club's technical staff, led by Benstiti, didn't care about communicating fitness goals respectfully." Alyse LaHue has overseen Sky Blue FC's successful debut at Red Bull Arena and has endeared herself . The club also wrote to the Joint Investigative Team that Johnson and Malik spoke with Plush from the NWSL, with Gulati and Flynn from U.S. Soccer, and with Paulson from the Thorns. Simon said she told Holly that now that he was her boss, he would have to stop the inappropriate behavior, and he replied that he had until January 1, because that was when her contract started. On another club, a staff member observed that when new players joined the team, the head coach would comment on their sexual orientation. 121, 6. Instead, the report concluded: "The only result that is clearly called for by this external review is the establishment of standards for conduct by NWSL coaches and education on those standards, to resolve any uncertainty going forward." Indeed, the report notes at the outset: "Misconduct in the League is not wholly independent from abuse that begins in youth soccer, where many coaches' and players' formative experiences shaped the way they engaged in, or reacted to, misconduct and abuse in the NWSL. The NWSL has recently hired an experienced general counsel, but it should ensure that it has the necessary resources and additional HR and Legal staff with experience in conducting sensitive investigations and expertise in DEI issues to fulfill its investigatory duties under the 2022 AntiHarassment Policy. Players sometimes reported misconduct through player surveys conducted by the NWSL, even though the surveys were not specifically intended to capture this information. Both she and other players reported that Dames would fixate on certain players when he was yelling. Some players reported that Clarkson's unpredictable mood contributed to a culture of anxiety. Levine told the Joint Investigative Team that from what she could recall, Lines was removed "directly in response" to the survey results. The statement said LaHue has remained in conversation with investigators. He has denied all allegations against him. and Players Union Report on Womens Soccer. A player at a different club recounted that she was berated by coaching staff for her conduct during training, and staff would not let her get a word in to explain that a different player with the same skin tone had actually engaged in that conduct. Racing Louisville only provided more meaningful cooperation after the USSF Report criticized the club for its "limited" cooperation with U.S. Soccer's investigation. The NWSL should contact an applicant's former employers and, where feasible, former colleagues. The club fired LaHue in July 2021. Shim said that particularly after that night, she was scared and feared Riley could physically try to restrain her or try to have sex with her. A lack of clarity in the roles played by the NWSL and clubs in receiving and responding to complaints of misconduct has contributed to confusion about reporting channels. Falling between these two approaches, one club consulted with owners at the coach's former club and U.S. Soccer staff during the hiring process, but not with the coach's former players. On August 14, 2019, outside counsel for U.S. Soccer emailed Wahlke stating Riley "was having a relationship with a Portland player. The only thing I can say for sure is that the issue stems from a complaint filed with the league under its anti-harassment policy. Benstiti did not respond to the Joint Investigative Team's request to speak with him. 7. the Joint Investigative Team sent each club a document collection questionnaire to gather information about its organization, structure, and mechanisms for reporting complaints. Simon eventually deleted Snapchat from her phone because she did not want Holly to continue sending her inappropriate photos, but Holly would ask her why she had deleted the application or encourage her to download it again. Such volatility was a common thread among many coaches in the League who engaged in other forms of emotional, verbal, or sexual misconduct. For example, in 2018, Horan wrote an op-ed about her time at PSG and stated what she "went through was almost like abuse emotionally and mentally," and "extremely intense." 55, making a statement to the reporter. The actions of League and U.S. Soccer personnel-from the League's founding, through its years under U.S. Soccer management, to the present-demonstrate that misconduct does not announce itself, but requires proactive prevention and detection. History of Professional Women's Soccer in the United States The training for coaches and other club staff should encourage athlete-centered coaching (focusing on the holistic development of players), effective partnerships between coaches and players, and soccer-specific constructive criticism. Riley targeted Shim in other ways as well. The clubs that do address these topics in their handbooks set forth policies that depart from the League policy in various ways. The U.S. Soccer investigator also took at face value Whisler's claims that he was "very accessible" and that players could come to [him]" with their concerns. According to this player, Wilkinson told the agent that before their meeting, he had met with Paulson and Baird to discuss the situation. Former NY/NJ Gotham FC general manager Alyse. Behavior The Joint Investigative Team made substantial efforts to contact individuals who might have information relevant to past and present misconduct in the NWSL, and did not refuse any witness's request to speak with the Joint Investigative Team during this investigation. Players and club staff also reported that they questioned Holly's decision-making because of this romantic relationship. 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 Levine's explanation for her response to these emails was that she was focused on language in the emails regarding how the NWSL would respond to Shim's initial 2015 complaint-despite indicia in the emails that Shim and Farrelly were dissatisfied with the NWSL's response to Shim's 2015 complaint and despite Farrelly having provided additional pertinent information in her email. Players Lacked Clear Guidance Regarding What Constituted Misconduct .. These vague public statements contributed to the failure to adequately share information between U.S. Soccer, the League, and clubs regarding coaches who committed misconduct. During the limbo period, the National Womens Soccer League media relations department was mildly more helpful, finally acknowledging the situation by saying they were not going to comment on a club matter. Reis acknowledged encouraging players to speak with investigators, but she denied telling them what to say. The union is referenced by players in the report as a default place to voice concerns, for lack of historical human resources departments in the league and at clubs, but concerns remain over how reported complaints are handled. The location of Shim's and Farrelly's interviews-the Thorns's stadium-was not an appropriate setting for such a sensitive conversation and contributed to Shim feeling uncomfortable and concerned that staff would see her being interviewed. A text message conversation between Whisler and Dames on June 13, 2018, indicates that Whisler informed Dames of the complaint shortly after speaking to Levine. The NWSL should provide clear guidance to players, club staff, and League staff addressing how to use the program and clear examples of disputes that are appropriate for the program. She did not recall any concerns about Williams's treatment of players being raised at the August 2021 meeting, instead recalling that players shared concerns about the level of training and the team's poor performance. g) Consequences of Inaction It has become more apparent that the influence and control coaches hold over players and their careers increase the risk that abuse will occur in the first placeand that if it does, players will fear the repercussions of reporting that abuse. 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 For much of the NWSL's history, the NWSL and many of its clubs did not employ any designated HR staff. Two players had in fact described the same example of Dames sharing personal information, but one of the two players also provided a different example of when Dames's had shared information in a way that made her uncomfortable. Outreach and Coordination Efforts . Club and U.S. Soccer personnel repeated the Thorns's characterization of Riley's conduct as poor judgment for years. 125, The N.W.S.L. At the end of the meeting, Simon was informed that the club planned to fire Holly that night. The NWSLPA and the League began collective bargaining in late 2020, and Meghann Burke was hired to a full-time position as the Executive Director of the NWSLPA in early 2021.

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