This player told the Joint Investigative Team that she did not feel comfortable reporting Burke's misconduct to Spirit club leadership because of Burke's control over players' careers and because of his seeming closeness with certain club staff and leadership. The courses also apparently do not describe the process whereby participants can report misconduct. However, it is far from the only misconduct experienced by players. He said that he did not believe Kurtz was saying that she could not play for Riley, and did not believe that Kurtz was upset or emotional during the call. Alyse LaHue, a former team executive, also received a two-year penalty, while ex-coaches Farid Benstiti, James Clarkson and Vera Pauw could return only by meeting specified conditions, such as . Six years later, at the age of 31, LaHue is the general manager of the Red Stars, a team whose roster includes Olympians from Mexico, Canada, and last summer's gold medal-winning US team. When Racing Louisville was considering hiring Holly, no one contacted Novo regarding Holly or the reason he departed Sky Blue. Holly also asked Simon to send him suggestive pictures of herself, including a request for a picture of her in his boxers. The report reached conclusions that minimized player concerns, that contradicted the factual findings laid out in the report, and that unjustifiably credited Whisler and Dames's statements. Confusion Over the Role of SafeSport However, interviewees reported that Clarkson on occasion failed to recognize or appreciate his effect on players. The failure to fully share information between stakeholders in women's soccer was also an issue during the USSF Dames Investigation. She recalled hearing Riley make negative "comments about players who [had] made the national team and then stopped doing favors for him. Multiple players voiced concerns to the Joint Investigative Team regarding vague public statements that obscured the reason for departures, mainly for coaches. Holly then pulled down his pants and began masturbating in front of her. This lack of transparency enabled Riley to continue to coach NWSL players for another six years after he was fired from the Thorns. The NWSL's Founding, Initial Success, and Challenges After his hire, OL Reign CEO Bill Predmore told Benstiti he was not allowed to discuss diet or weight with players. "Inattentiveness, neglect, and concealment allow misconduct to fester," the report's conclusion reads. The player explained that although she repeatedly pushed back against LaHues inappropriate conduct, LaHue persisted, the investigations report said. A. The head coach would ask questions about players who were dating women, and another coach would contrast players who were dating women with players who were not, implying that the team should consider players' sexual orientations when making roster decisions. It contributed to the perception among the general public, players, club staff, and owners alike that Riley's departure from the Thorns was voluntary or performance-related, rather than due to his misconduct. The responsible drinking policy should also state that the NWSL expects all NWSL staff, club staff, and players to exercise good judgment and professionalism when drinking alcohol with colleagues outside of official NWSL or club events, and that alcohol will never be accepted as an excuse for engaging in misconduct toward staff or players. Her dismissal was based on the results of an NWSL investigation into a . It was mean." Players reported that the relationship between Williams and the owners made players feel that any complaints raised to ownership would get back to Williams. This former player said a few players were kind of being weirded out" by Dames's invitations, because they felt he was "always asking" them "to go get food" or to "hang out" with him. Interviewees reported that the performance staff told Clarkson that the player was dealing with altitude sickness (Mexico City is over 7300 feet above sea level). One of the players perceived this as an attempt to convince them to go out drinking. Kurtz recalled speaking to Riley in late 2020 to again tell him she wanted to leave the club. 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. You're eating too much." You should be so grateful for me. Christy Holly (Sky Blue, Assistant Coach, 2013-2015 and Head Coach, 2016-2017; Racing Louisville, Head Coach, 2020-2021) . At the time, Plush contacted Gulati and Flynn, saying that the player survey comments from the Flash were disturbing and more worrisome than others." Players and staff also described coaches creating emotionally toxic workplace environments by subjecting players to volatility or manipulation. Simon shoved Holly's hands away, and in response, she felt that Holly looked at her like it was a "challenge." Moreover, investigations into allegations of misconduct should not be limited to assessing whether "unlawful harassment" occurred. After Benstiti's hiring, Predmore instructed Benstiti not to discuss player weight or nutrition" with players, and "specifically forbade him from talking about "anything related to food." While it appears Gotham and the NWSL handled the complaint made regarding LaHue in a timely and appropriate manner once it was reported, there must be steps taken to prevent misconduct from occurring in the first place, and ensure that players feel comfortable reporting it if and when it does occur. Players also suggested that Whisler perpetuated and allowed Dames's behavior because Whisler was "cheap" and Dames coached on a reduced salary. Several players said that Holly dating Pearce Rampone also affected the way he treated other players. disparagement language in the agreement included a caveat, which allowed Holly to "provide his honest assessment of players on the Club team, solely as it relates to their performance as soccer players." Players also told Novo that Holly was in a romantic relationship with another player, Christie Pearce Rampone. . In one text, he sent her a photo of himself in compression shorts. The NWSL's 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy attempts to clarify the roles of the clubs and League in investigating misconduct. The evidence suggests he also discussed with Levine and with U.S. Soccer's outside counsel that Levine should give Sky Blue certain information about the allegations of sexual harassment against Riley, the circumstances of Riley's termination from the Thorns, and conclusions from the 2015 investigation. 5. Each individual was invited to speak with the Joint Investigative Team. Rory Dames (Chicago Red Stars, Head Coach, 2012-2021) When appropriate, the Joint Investigative Team interviewed individuals more than once. In 2019, when U.S. Soccer was considering Riley for the role of USWNT head coach, Duffy and Levine worked with NWSL communications staff to prepare a draft public statement related to the complaints against Riley and the investigation into his conduct. As discussed in further detail below, players have reported misconduct throughout the League's history. Revise the Anti-Harassment Policy to Include the Non-Fraternization Policy 95, stated: "I had no direct involvement in the creation, administration or review of the player surveys. He used a lot of language that was inappropriate and abrasive and his coaching style in general was not A USWNT staff member said they were familiar with Benstiti before the Reign hired him and recalled that "everyone had heard rumors of his treatment of Lindsey Horan" because "it was public." As one player observed, the practice of drinking together erased the sense of boundaries between "players, coaches, and general manager[s]." For example, the NWSL engaged a third-party investigator specializing in workplace investigations to conduct investigations into former Royals owner Dell Loy Hansen in 2020, Dash stadium security in 2021, and LaHue in 2021. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that he described to Wahlke the incident involving the coerced kiss between Farrelly and Shim, and they discussed the investigative findings and the fact that Riley had been terminated. The investigators said they conducted more than 200 interviews and reviewed some 200,000 documents. Hendrix also recalled that Holly sent Simon a picture of his penis. He also commented on players' weight and made verbally caustic remarks towards and about players; some players credibly reported that he was verbally abusive, including that he called players idiots, motherfuckers, and dumb, stupid, slow, idiotic, retarded, and that he said that they "have no balls and will never be better than the average 16 year old boy." Club staff must be held to higher standards. 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. Shim attached to this email her 2015 complaint. 2. 14 2. This witness said that Riley did not make similar comments about players in relationships with men. In response to the complaint made directly to the League, Baird spoke with Malik and Riley to relay that Riley should not be speaking to players about their weight; rather, weight and fitness issues should be handled by a nutritionist. 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." Commissioner of the NWSL, detailing numerous instances of sexually inappropriate conduct by Riley during the 2015 season. The NWSL should increase transparency regarding the outcomes of investigations and the NWSL's investigation processes generally. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy tasks the NWSL with investigating all complaints of misconduct. The statement called on the NWSL to (i) open an independent investigation into the issues described by The Athletic; (ii) suspend any staff accused of violating the anti-harassment policy; and (iii) disclose how Riley was hired within the NWSL after leaving another club following an investigation into his misconduct. The NWSL should consider preparing an annual report regarding the operation of the Anti-Harassment Policy, including aggregated data regarding reports to the League of potential violations of the Anti-Harassment Policy, and the outcomes and resolutions of those reports. Another Spirit player pointed out the disconnect between Burke's verbal attacks and constructive performance improvement: Burke "would pick on someone, and then he would see they were playing worse because he was picking on them, and pick on them more. . Dames would "hang out with some players more often than others," and a player remembered hearing that some players felt Dames "always want[ed] to hang out," in a way that made them uncomfortable. Former U.S. Soccer CEO Dan Flynn stated, in a written statement, [T]he USSF's role as manager' (a misnomer to be sure) of the NWSL was really quite limited. Averbuch West became Gotham's general manager earlier in the year after the harassment-related firing of GM Alyse LaHue. The policy provided that "while harassing conduct is generally unlawful only if it affects tangible job benefits and/or is sufficiently severe or pervasive so as to interfere unreasonably with work performance and creates an abusive or hostile work environment, this policy prohibits harassing conduct regardless of whether it rises to the level of a legal violation." The Dash's policy was titled "Policy Against Unlawful Harassment." LaHue later texted the player, "I don't see us as friends." One player said she felt that she could not breathe or think when Clarkson yelled at her as she was playing; another said she felt under the microscope based on the position she played and feared she would be cut from the team. .125, Introduction The NWSL represents the third attempt to establish a women's professional soccer league in the United States. Rather, she said the focus of the interview was on assessing the truth of Shim's allegations and determining whether Farrelly had told anyone about the incident. Second, the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy requires each club to designate two individuals to receive reports of potential violations of the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy, at least one of whom must be an individual other than the Board of Governors representative and the head coach of the club. LaHue first joined Gotham FC in 2018. These factors do not constitute a bright-line test; Craig Harrington: The former Utah Royals coach is reported to have. 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. 1. 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. Hansen's and Harrington's departures in 2020 presaged a wave of departures in 2021. 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. Shim contacted Riley by email that July, telling him that his conduct was inappropriate and made her uncomfortable. They also found former Utah Royals head coach Craig Harrington to lack credibility while offering defenses of his actions, which ranged from drinking with players (including once at a strip club while an assistant coach in Chicago), attempting to enter a player's hotel room and inappropriate comments of a sexual nature. Investigators say they "reviewed approximately 200,000 documents.". The Joint Investigative Team received reports from players that reflected concerns that Houston Dash Head Coach James Clarkson was engaged in ongoing emotional misconduct and insensitivity. All NWSL staff, players, and club staff, including coaching staff, are required to take a 90-minute SafeSport Trained Core Course, which includes training on sexual misconduct awareness and education, mandatory reporting, and physical and emotional misconduct. Novo responded, "My answer is that Christy [Holly] has a very good and fair relationship with our players . Some players of color reported they did not feel they could report racially insensitive and offensive conduct. The Joint Investigative Team is not aware of any action by U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, or the Red Stars to address the behavior described in the 2014 comments. A majority of the players who participated in the investigation raised the concern that "Dames would get close to players, learn personal information about them, and then use the information he gained . Malik reported that he told Cone that there were no concerns with Riley on the Courage, but that Malik understood there had been issues involving Riley in the past, and he and Cone discussed Riley drinking alcohol with players in 2015. The Joint Investigative Team found multiple instances of romantic relationships between players and staff members in violation of this policy. It was hopeless." 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." . As Equalizer has reported, the highly-anticipated report contained detailed findings of an investigation into numerous allegations of misconduct across the league. One NWSLPA member expressed the need for training on the Anti-Harassment Policy. This investigation found that players lacked effective channels for reporting inappropriate behavior. But the story had been percolating since June 28, when I reported via Twitter that Alyse LaHue was away from the team. Players reported to the Joint Investigative Team multiple instances in which club staff, coaches, or club leadership retaliated against players for reporting misconduct or for participating in an investigation into 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. 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. I. Players from other clubs shared similar sentiments: for example, players from one club said they feared a coach would retaliate if they reported concerns about him because they had seen him lash out" at players during meetings and because he had once removed a player from the roster after an on-field disagreement. Another player explained, "We are still in a growing league, and that's not lost on players." c) Inappropriate Player-Staff Relationships that he had created a "sexualized team environment" at a Chicago youth club that "crossed the line to sexual relationships in multiple cases, though those relationships may . In addition, the Joint Investigative Team coordinated with the USSF Investigation team where appropriate for certain interviews or other fact gathering. The NWSL should consider avenues to create a formal partnership with the Black Women's Player Collective to hear and address the Collective's concerns and improve the NWSL experience for Black players. No further information was made public until October 2022. 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." 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. She also asked him not to speak to one player implicated in the complaint about the complaint until the League had the opportunity to call that player, but Whisler refused to comply, saying that th[e] situation has the potential to destroy team chemistry." A member of club staff told us the decision was based on a "business perspective," but could not "ascribe any personal feelings" to the decision. December 14, 2022 . According to the report, one player recalled that players "felt forced to attend" social interactions with Dames, and if they did not, he "wouldn't look at [them] the next day at practice." Alyse LaHue (@alahue) September 23, 2019 So as much as LaHue has enjoyed coming into Manhattan for the AdWeek panel and then hanging around to talk about the upcoming game (and maybe. As one player explained, an emotionally or verbally abusive coach would "yell to hurt [players'] feelings, not make them better." 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. The NWSLPA regularly encouraged its members to share relevant information with the Joint Investigative Team. She was hired that May as vice president. We must make the necessary changes based on the unprofessionalism and carelessness in the past in order to pave [the way for] a more mature and harmless future.. Allowing Riley to continue coaching in the NWSL endangered NWSL players. The Courage's policy stated that [d]isciplinary action, up to and including discharge, will be taken against any employee engaging in sexual or other unlawful harassment." It didn't matter that the girls had other jobs-this team was their life." 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. 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. While the club discussed with Simon the possibility of a severance agreement, there is no evidence that the club sought Simon's input on these terms. According to Novo, after his meeting with the players, he took the concerns to the club's ownership and asked if the club could let Holly go. Alex Morgan shares her frustration at the NWSL's failure to support Meleana Shim after speaking out against Paul Riley in this behind-the-scenes clip from E60: Truth Be Told, available now on ESPN+. concerns. Many players told the Joint Investigative Team that they defaulted to viewing the NWSLPA as the most trustworthy channel to receive and respond to player complaints. She was left unprotected by the Thorns in the 2014 expansion draft and was selected by the Dash for the 2014 NWSL season. The NWSL should share with U.S. Soccer when a club employee is removed from a club due to a finding of misconduct under the Anti-Harassment Policy to allow U.S. Soccer to take necessary measures to prevent that employee from engaging in further misconduct in youth soccer or in other leagues, including the removal of coaching licenses where necessary. Two weeks later, an NWSL employee raised a concern she had heard from U.S. Soccer employees that the potential hire was "worse than Rory Dames in terms of belittling players" in youth soccer. Flynn did not recall sharing the details noted by Johnson; he only recalled telling Johnson to speak with individuals at the Thorns and to other club owners regarding Riley because others would know the results of the 2015 investigation. 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. Levine remembered that Holly left Sky Blue because of his relationship with Pearce Rampone and that the relationship created "issues with team chemistry but could not recall any complaints or concerns with respect to Holly's treatment of players.
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