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Lack of Transparency with NWSL Clubs About Riley's Conduct The staff member also said they brought up Horan's negative experience with Benstiti to Predmore in late December 2019 or early January 2020. Witnesses also reported that the coach attempted to get another player to dance with him and told her he did not care about her sexuality. Disseminate Annual Reports to Players Regarding the Effectiveness of the NWSL's Reporting Channels and Investigation Processes The Flash also wrote to the Joint Investigative Team that the "only negative reference" made was that Riley did not mesh well with all of the personalities" in the locker room, and Wilkinson had said to get Riley if the Flash could. 8 Simon recalled being excited to play for Racing Louisville but also "terrified" because of Holly's past behavior toward her. 100 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." Shim had told a teammate, Alex Morgan, about some of Riley's conduct and had consulted Morgan regarding reporting. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy prohibits harassment, including harassment on the basis of race. When one person holds both coaching roles and general manager roles, players have fewer avenues to report misconduct and may fear that reporting misconduct will lead to retaliation. One club's player representatives expressed frustration that those investing in Inappropriate Sexual and Objectifying Remarks to Players Holly declined requests to be interviewed in this investigation. The March Investigation focused on concerns that Cromwell inappropriately showed favoritism towards certain players, communicated with players in an unprofessional manner, and inappropriately commented on players' physical appearances, and that Greene inappropriately showed favoritism towards certain players. Former Sky Blue player Nikki Stanton said that Holly frequently told her in training sessions, If you want to be the best" in the League at your position and make the national team, "you need me." Plush stated that he never told Malik that Riley was "cleared" or in "good standing." In the wake of that public disclosure, Spirit CEO and managing partner Steve Baldwin resigned, but players called for him to sell his share of the team to minority owner Michele Kang. Finally, players and club staff recalled that Riley made caustic remarks to Thorns players, calling players idiots and motherfuckers, harshly criticizing their weight, and commenting about players' sexual orientations (including stating that a player loves a strapon"). Some players and club staff explained that the apology was requested because players had violated COVID-19 protocols in the stands. Some of these remarks were not necessarily targeted toward specific players but were made openly in the presence of other club staff and/or players and created an unwelcome working environment, especially for players of color. Two players said they sought therapy. While player transactions and staff terminations are certainly not the only conduct that could be retaliatory-and many player transactions may be motivated by non-retaliatory and soccer-specific reasonstaking this step could alert the NWSL to any potentially retaliatory player transactions or staff terminations and allow the NWSL to investigate where needed. Kurtz earned playing time while a more senior member of the Courage was competing with the USWNT, and she recalled Riley encouraging her with the news that Jill Ellis, then-Head Coach of the USWNT, was considering her for a spot on the team. Similarly, the League had no process for clubs to speak to former owners, general managers, staff, or players when hiring a new coach. The NWSLPA, in collaboration with a group of players, then drafted an anti-harassment policy and advocated for its adoption. Coaches would berate players about their weight in front of their teammates or speak disparagingly about a player's weight to people other than the player. In the course of 2021 alone, six of the League's then-existing ten clubs fired or accepted the resignations of general managers or head coaches due to misconduct, in some cases misconduct that had persisted for years. Instead of addressing players' concerns, Whisler repeatedly downplayed them and protected Dames throughout his tenure. The NWSL should require clubs to review and update their anti-harassment policies to be at least as protective of individuals who file complaints or participate in NWSL investigations as the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy. Shim described Riley as obsessed" with players' romantic and dating relationships. The same player said that at another club, she saw players go to dinner with the coach all the time. A former player recalled that Dames would hang out with some players more often than others." Another member of the team said that LaHue paid special attention to this player and described instances in which she believed LaHue provided preferential treatment or sought to be close to the player. The NWSL should consider working with the NWSLPA to establish additional affinity groups, and develop similar partnerships with those affinity groups to improve the NWSL experience for all players. In at least one instance, a former player declined to participate in a prior investigation due to this fear. The Joint Investigative Team heard different accounts regarding exactly what information was shared with players at this meeting. I don't think so, but I've honestly never asked. Some players reported feeling that the incident left them feeling attacked, scared, and on edge. The same article reported that Horan said Benstiti and his staff were just terrible about discussing fitness goals and told players, You need to lose weight, you need to get thinner, you need to run more." A player similarly described Riley policing details, like players' off-field wardrobes, and described his behavior as creating a constant state of being on edge." [in] less than a day." A few days after Farrelly's complaint to the NWSL, on May 3, 2021, an anonymous complainant emailed the NWSL Office and NWSL HR Office email accounts to report sexual harassment by Riley against Thorns players during Riley's time with the Thorns. According to Kurtz, Riley denied her request, telling her the club need[ed]" her. As discussed further below, Holly's relationship with Pearce Rampone created problems at Sky Blue and led, in part, to his departure from the club. Some owners described their involvement in terms that one would not expect from owners of professional sports franchises. Her investigation included interviews of Riley, Thorp, and four players; three of these interviews-including the interview of Farrelly-lasted 30 minutes or less. The NWSLPA retained Weil to conduct this investigation. One player reported that Williams stopped communicating with her, would ignore her when greeting other players, and made efforts to avoid her. Wilkinson also wrote to Riley in a letter, "While our investigation did not reveal any unlawful conduct by anyone, we did confirm that, on occasion, you exercised poor judgment in your interactions with one or more players." 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." The NWSL completed an independent investigation, and it announced that based on witness interviews and a review of video footage, no disciplinary action would be taken against the club. Players and staff members alike were often unsure of whether behavior rose to the level of misconduct and, even if they were able to identify behavior as misconduct, where to report it. As The Philadelphia Inquirer reported, the statement from LaHues lawyer claimed that investigators provided Ms. LaHue a few documents that contained alterations. The League should request mutual cooperation and informationsharing from U.S. Soccer and other organizations to ensure the League is made aware of findings of misconduct concerning candidates seeking employment in the NWSL. Another player remembered that Riley would "buy rounds and rounds of shots," which she thought was "awesome" as a 21-year-old but later found "weird." 6. Another player who participated in the USSF Dames Investigation told the investigator that Dames once interfered with her plans to visit her boyfriend on an away trip. Eight different ownership groups and 15 individuals -- including some from the NWSL and U.S. Soccer -- come under detailed scrutiny in the latest report. Following public reporting about Hansen's statements, the NWSL conducted an investigation and pushed Hansen to sell the club. ESPN's Sarah Spain, Gotham FC's Alyse LaHue reportedly fined - Yahoo! The Committee should engage regularly with the Board of Governors and the Commissioner regarding DEI efforts and should be sufficiently resourced to implement meaningful DEI initiatives. In essence, that's part of building trust, you have to create transparency. Regarding confidentiality, O'Connor stated repeatedly that confidentiality was at odds with the club's culture of trust" and "transparency," and that there was no need for confidentiality in reporting unless there were issues that were "illegal or immoral." Based on the findings, the Thorns terminated Riley. Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue was fired by the team earlier this month on July 9, the club announced Friday. a It is hard to overstate how much the conversation has changed around Sky Blue FC in less than a year, with Tammy Murphy taking on a lead role on behalf of ownership, and Alyse LaHue serving as. The player spoke to Levine and Duffy later that day to explain her concerns. Accordingly, she cooperated in the first, second, and third investigations into alleged conduct from April 2020 reported in June 2021. They used derogatory and insulting language towards players, displayed insensitivity towards players' mental health, and engaged in retaliation against players who attempted to report or did report concerns. Abusive Coaches In Women's Soccer, A Timeline - The18 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." Farrelly tried to pretend these sexual encounters never occurred, but Riley would try to talk about them with her. If there are allegations of misconduct against the staff member that are under investigation, the NWSL should work expeditiously to investigate before the staff member is hired by another club and should promptly notify that club of any finding of misconduct. How a trailblazing female general manager transformed the worst Some of these players reported feeling significantly affected by Clarkson's conduct; some reported that it affected their performance during games; and two players reported that they sought therapy. He said he shared with Johnson that Kurtz mentioned Riley calling her chubby, and understood that Johnson would talk to Riley about his choice of words. We interview the founders, investors, technologists, and early stage employees who are part of today's entrepreneurial ecosystem. The two parties ultimately decided that a joint investigation made the most sense, with Covington taking the lead under the direction of an oversight committee. However, that position is inconsistent with other evidence, including an email from counsel for the Thorns and Plush's own prior communications with Sky Blue. Wilkinson said that he informed Riley this could not occur again, and he separately told Thorns staff members that they could not go out drinking with players. Third, Dames made personal insults, and the summary stated, these comments in a professional environment are concerning." Players, fans, and the public expressed anger that the NWSL and its member clubs had failed to protect players while shielding perpetrators from public humiliation or the loss of job opportunities. As with former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates recent investigation for the U.S. Soccer Federation, this report did not hold back in its allegations. Another player recalled this teammate remarking that she would not be surprised if she was traded after the meeting. 105, Soccer and the NWSL that the 2015 investigation did not reveal "unlawful harassment" but merely "poor judgment, and provided no explanation for this characterization, including how it squared with the contents of the report or the decision to fire Riley because his conduct violated multiple provisions of his employment agreement. O'Connor acknowledged that he did not follow up with the players to determine whether they experienced any retaliation after the group meeting. Instead, the vetting of player-facing club employees including whether background checks were conducted and what those background checks included-was left entirely to the clubs' discretion. 13, In November 2021, The Washington Post published an article reporting that Rory Dames, head coach of the Red Stars and the longest-tenured coach in the League, had been verbally and emotionally abusive towards players, and that U.S. Soccer had failed to adequately investigate and respond to reports of his misconduct. Kurtz said she cried on the phone, telling Hammond that her request was not about playing time-she said she did not feel comfortable being around Riley and told Hammond that Riley had called her chubby." In addition, players could report complaints to the NWSL HR Manager, the email address and phone number for which are published in the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy, posted on the League website, and disseminated to clubs and players. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy clarifies that it applies to all "NWSL Personnel," which includes "certain individuals and entities not employed by NWSL," including team owners, team personnel, and team medical staff. In total, the Joint Investigative Team reviewed approximately 200,000 documents. Club anti-harassment policies generally provided reporting channels for employees who believe they were subjected to or witnessed discrimination or harassment; however, none of these policies listed the NWSL HR Office as a reporting channel. This same player stated Riley called players "dumb, stupid, slow, idiotic, retarded" and "worthless," and remarked that the players had "no balls" and would never be better than the average 16 year old boy." The agreement provided Dames with an additional five weeks of pay, and prohibited Dames and the Red Stars from disparaging the other or disclosing to anyone the existence and content of the agreement, with no exception for cooperation with the ongoing investigations. Clarkson then demanded hotel security footage (which investigators said he did not get) and reprimanded the team for drinking before a game, although player maintain they did not. Sky Blue was not the only club at which a staff member and player became involved. 38, that Riley denied "weight-shaming" Kurtz, and Johnson told Riley that he should speak to players about "fitness, not "weight." Players reported that Pauw's comments affected a teammate struggling with an eating disorder. Some players reported the interactions made them uncomfortable, but they felt like they had to tolerate the behavior because they were concerned they would face retaliation, including loss of playing time or being cut from their team, if they raised any concerns. During this meeting, Simon recalled Wilkins and her supervisor asked Simon to share as much detail as she was comfortable sharing about Holly's treatment of her, and they asked her to go from "start to finish." Furthermore, in at least one instance, players received potentially misleading information about the outcome of an investigation. 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." However, witnesses provided conflicting accounts of U.S. Soccer's actual role in managing the League. For example, the Courage's policy did not contain an anti-retaliation provision. Why not talk to me?" When appropriate, the Joint Investigative Team interviewed individuals more than once. During this investigation, Racing Louisville initially refused to allow witnesses to discuss substantial aspects of Holly's employment and termination, citing the severance agreement's mutual non-disparagement and non-disclosure provisions. Inattentiveness, neglect, and concealment allow misconduct to fester. A few days later, Plush emailed Gulati, Flynn, and Levine and recounted a "long conversation" with Lines. 11 The player reported that Dames had texted one player at night to tell her he liked her outfit, and that he had "a tendency to 'pick on weak willed players and . The report did not make any recommendations, noting instead that recommended actions for the Thorns to take would be determined by Paulson and Wilkinson. Paulson noted that Wahlke kept coming back to the determination of no unlawful harassment. I didn't accept it." Clubs Moved Coaches Accused of Misconduct to Other Roles Angie Long did not recall many details of discussions regarding these player transactions. players." Clarkson admitted speaking to players about drinking and professionalism, and although he understood that the players may have felt attacked, he denied "attacking" anyone. At the same time, In December 2013, Whisler emailed Cheryl Bailey that he had "sat with [a player] and addressed" her concerns about Dames; he then speculated, "Whatever the [player's] story is now it is window dressing likely because she wants more money." The Joint Investigative Team repeatedly sought to speak with Lines about the Flash's inquiries regarding Riley, but Lines declined to speak with the Joint Investigative Team. 118, coaches and staff to better understand their interactions with players. IV. As one staff member explained, there had always been a high interest and attention in this player by LaHue., The new investigation by the league and union said LaHue participated in an initial interview with the Joint Investigative Team but canceled a second scheduled interview and declined the Joint Investigative Teams repeated requests to reschedule., This was accompanied, investigators further said, by an email from LaHues lawyer calling the allegations false claims., READ MORE: U.S. Soccer promises action after Yates investigation details abuse and sexual coercion in NWSL. The club also agreed to pay Dames through the end of the year. 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. 4. 42, Wahlke. During a break for West Ham in the summer of 2019, Simon returned home to New Jersey, where Holly lived about 20 minutes from her home. As the report summarizes, LaHues alleged 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. LaHue expressed an emotional reliance on the player, repeatedly questioned the players interactions with another individual, and pressed the player for more attention.. Alyse LaHue, former vice president and general manager of NJ/NY Gotham FC (formerly Sky Blue FC), allegedly made unwanted sexual advances towards a player according to the joint investigative report released by the National Womens Soccer League and the NWSL Players Association on Wednesday. A player also recounted hearing that around this time, Wilkinson asked Shim's agent at the time to meet in Portland. Cromwell also sought to exclude the players she believed to have been involved in the March Investigation from her efforts to improve the locker room culture.