Second, the Joint Investigative Team found no support for the Thorns's independent assertion that the 2015 investigation did not reveal any "unlawful harassment by Riley, an assertion which seemed to have emerged just after the 2015 Thorns Investigation. In certain instances, the Joint Investigative Team determined that conduct did not violate the Anti-Harassment Policy or other relevant standards. Hendrix also said that Holly both texted Simon and told her in person that she had too many clothes on and he could not see her nipples. 4, The scope of the investigation included a review of all reports of inappropriate conduct directed towards players in the NWSL and its member clubs from 2012 through the present, as well as a review of workplace misconduct and anti-discrimination policies and practices in the League and its clubs. The Thorns terminated Riley in September 2015, though his contract was set to end in December of that year. II. VI. She showed the text message to a teammate to try to gauge Riley's intention. An initial complaint against Clarkson was filed in December 2021, and the joint investigators leading Wednesday's report spoke with seven current and former players who described the coach as "volatile, verbally abusive, and not showing appropriate regard for players' wellbeing." Going forward, the NWSL will, in accordance with its policies and procedures, investigate and address any allegations of misconduct that are reported through its established reporting channels. 3. However, Gulati told the Joint Investigative Team that he did not tell Dorrance anything about the 2015 allegations or investigation of Riley. NEW YORK Sky Blue FC has restructured its leadership, announcing Wednesday the arrival of a new minority owner in Ed Nalbandian and a new role for Tammy Murphy, the New Jersey First Lady. B. In addition, Even retired players expressed fears that former coaches could affect their careers. Another NWSL employee expressed concern that criminal background checks are insufficient: "None of the issues we had last year with our coaches would have been discovered unless a reputation check had been conducted before they were hired. 10. 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 also announced plans to launch a new position dedicated to player safety. This training should encompass conduct and scenarios that players, staff, and volunteers at professional clubs could potentially encounter. The report also indicated that Gotham was one of seven clubs where players indicated to the Joint Investigative Team that they were unaware of whether the club had HR personnel or otherwise did not know to whom they could report concerns at their club. And after players reported concerns about Aaran Lines through the NWSL's player survey, the club removed him from his coaching position and installed him in the front office. Instead, Wilkinson said he told Lines that U.S. Soccer had the report, and Paulson said Wilkinson was advised to direct to the NWSL questions the Flash had about Riley. These failures created barriers to identifying and reporting misconduct, and bred distrust among players that reports would be handled appropriately by the League or clubs. Harrington said the coaches got drinks from the bar, finished their drinks, and then "got out of there." The Joint Investigative Team created an email address and phone number for individuals to confidentially provide information. It described instances of sexual abuse, unwanted sexual advances by a general manager, emotional abuse, cronyism, racist remarks, the blurring of professional boundaries and retaliation of players who complained about their mistreatment. In a written statement, Wilkinson denied this account of his discussion with Lines. On September 30, 2021, The Athletic published the article regarding Riley, and the Courage publicly announced Riley's termination that same day. A few weeks later, on June 12, 2018, another Red Stars player emailed the NWSL HR office to file a complaint about Dames and Whisler. The training should encompass sexual harassment and harassment based on other protected characteristics, including but not limited to race, religion, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. 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 Women's Soccer League and the NWSL Players Association on Wednesday. Levine did not report Riley to SafeSport between its creation in 2017 and the publication of the Athletic article. The NWSL should ensure that this antiharassment training is mandatory for all club staff and players and required annually. While Whisler told U.S. Soccer's investigator that Dames's demeanor" and "patience" had improved by 2019, in an external organizational climate review" the Red Stars conducted in the fall of 2021, players raised the same concerns about Dames that Press first raised in 2014. 47, The stated purpose of the USSF Dames Investigation was "to understand the experience of the players and provide U.S. Soccer legal advice with respect to whether the alleged misconduct by Dames, to the extent that it occurred, is acceptable from the head coach of a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team from the perspective of U.S. The 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. You're eating too much." It acknowledged that the League had a "need to know," and that an "allegation that a head coach has acted inappropriately toward a player is obviously of concern to the League." However, Dames privately complained to Whisler about the need to change his behavior. He stated it was included because, in Estes's view, no one would sign a unilateral non-disparagement provision. Predmore said he told Benstiti that his comments were not appropriate and that he was not permitted to have a conversation with any players about diet, nutrition, or fitness under any circumstance. Multiple witnesses reported that coaches continued their weight-shaming behavior even after being warned by players and other staff that such behavior was harmful. On October 11, 2022, Paulson further stated that he was removing himself as CEO of the Thorns and the Portland Timbers, and was announcing a search for a permanent CEO. Rather, working closely with U.S. Soccer, she proceeded "stepwise" until she felt she had collected enough information to speak to Dames and Whisler. Simon was afraid to tell anyone of Holly's abuse because she was scared for her physical safety if Holly found out she had reported him. However, this position appears inconsistent with the email from the Thorns's counsel transmitting the Riley report to the League, which Plush received and which did not place any restrictions on the League. 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. According to Levine's notes from that conversation, Whisler immediately guessed which player had raised the complaint, then speculated that the player had "lost her starting job and might be "trying to take [Dames] out." Her investigation included interviews of Riley, Thorp, and four players; three of these interviews-including the interview of Farrelly-lasted 30 minutes or less. 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. 97, In an email exchange in July 2017, Sky Blue owner Steven Temares asked Novo whether "Christy has a relationship that takes advantage of any player or makes his independence as a coach questionable among the players." In fact, concerns about Dames's behavior were well known by that point. Holly then pulled down his pants and began masturbating in front of her. One club, in hiring a head coach, spoke to management at two of the coach's former clubs, individuals at the League and U.S. Soccer, players at one of the coach's former clubs, player agents, and a non-NWSL-affiliated member of the women's soccer community. However, the NWSL did not implement relevant policies until years later; the NWSL's anti-fraternization policy was implemented in January 2018, and its anti-harassment policy was implemented in April 2021, after a push by NWSL players. They told O'Connor that they would really appreciate if this was kept confidential." An additional reputational check-which would involve additional research into the candidate, including interviews with references and other contacts-is not required, but can be conducted at the club's election. By the time U.S. Soccer's investigator contacted the complainant to interview her, the Red Stars had already traded her. Duffy was also aware there was an ongoing investigation at the Red Stars, but the Joint Investigative Team found no evidence the NWSL requested updates regarding the investigation or requested the final investigative report, and Levine acknowledged that she interpreted the lack of update from Wahlke as a lack of material negative findings concerning Dames. Hammond said that Kurtz's agent had requested a trade, and Hammond reached out to teams to try to find a trade for Kurtz. In addition to conducting minimal outreach to players, U.S. Soccer's investigator did not speak to staff members other than Dames, even when players' statements suggested that a particular staff member could shed light on relevant facts. Former NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird stated that U.S. Soccer had "widespread approvals over everything in the League and that representatives from U.S. Soccer were "participants in every board meeting." After players reported concerns about Huw Williams's behavior around players, he was removed from his coaching role and moved into a scouting and player identification role. 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. 3. The investigation did not focus on player-on-player misconduct or misconduct directed at League or club staff. This policy provides additional instructions regarding the reporting of complaints." One player said the team reached its "breaking point" when Benstiti gave a speech about diet during a losing streak in the summer of 2021. Given this conduct, players feared retaliation from Burke and held back from criticizing him out of fear they would be waived. During his interview with the Joint Investigative Team, Harrington described the incident differently: Harrington said he was at the hotel when one of the players either messaged or called him to ask for help taking an intoxicated player to her hotel room, which he claimed he did. 67, players" or "belittling players about their body image or weight" may constitute emotional misconduct. A player who said that she liked Dames acknowledged that he would not make the blunt crazy comments" to her that he made to others. Rory Dames (Chicago Red Stars, Head Coach, 2012-2021) As one staff member explained, there had "always been a high interest and attention" in this player by LaHue. 22, b) In the player survey, Thorns players anonymously commented that Riley "ripped/yelled at players in a hurtful, non-productive way," was "verbally abussive [sic]," and would "call [players] dumb, stupid, slow, idiotic, retarded, we have no balls, we will never be better than the average 16 year old boy, worthless." Harrington denied each of these reports, but the Joint Investigative Team did not find his denials to be credible when viewed against the accounts of multiple other witnesses. U.S. Soccer's investigator also did not look into players' concerns that Whisler was not receptive to their complaints and that he had a financial incentive to protect Dames. 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. ", Among the specific incidents detailed about Clarkson was a 2022 preseason trip to Mexico. Craig Harrington: The former Utah Royals coach is reported to have. After Dames tendered his resignation, Whisler entered into a separation agreement with Dameseven though Dames was terminable at will. 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. According to Kurtz, Riley denied her request, telling her the club need[ed]" her. Harrington was found to have. The group, including Thorp, went to Riley's apartment, though Thorp left shortly thereafter. For most of its history, the NWSL did not require clubs to perform background checks when hiring coaches or other player-facing staff. On the evening of the announcement of LaHue's firing from Gotham, a statement was provided by Kelly Hoffman, attorney for Alyse LaHue via Meg Linehan of The Athletic on Twitter reading: "Ms. LaHue denies the allegations made against her and will make no further comment." No further information was made public until October 2022. 3. e) The USSF Dames Investigation's Conclusions The NWSL should re-open investigations when appropriate upon obtaining additional relevant information. After Riley joined the Thorns, he targeted Thorns player Mana Shim. As one player observed, the practice of drinking together erased the sense of boundaries between "players, coaches, and general manager[s]." A player on another team remembered her coach saying to a teammate, in front of others, "I could take away your contract like that." Naming Criteria.. 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 Joint Investigative Team sought evidence from U.S. Soccer in the form of relevant documents and interviews of current and former U.S. Soccer employees. 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. One player stated that, "Dishonesty and manipulation from your coach creates a toxic environment." Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that he had recalled that Golub received a call from Lines during which they discussed the allegations against Riley, but Paulson no longer believes that call occurred because Golub and others have told him it did not. She said, "I was made to feel by U.S. Soccer that I was in the wrong, there was nothing to report, and that this was acceptable." 12 Elements of Healthy Relationships - Johns Hopkins University Student 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. 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. She did not consider reporting Holly to the NWSL or U.S. Soccer, in part because she did not know who to contact or how to make a report. Hendrix also attended the meeting. 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. One club staff member stated that Dames would give the team three days off, but would not inform them until the day before, leaving the team "stuck [and] not able to get out of Illinois. The staff member said, I don't know if that's him being controlling, but also noted that it felt like Dames didn't like people leaving market." The 2021 AntiHarassment Policy primarily focused on maintaining a safe environment free of harassment. A third player stated that Lines "often encourage[d] hard fouls in training, which created a dangerous and toxic team culture during training. They also spoke with Cindy Parlow Cone-former Thorns head coach and current U.S. Soccer President who indicated that Riley was better with up and coming players, was not as good with established players, and that players felt Riley over-trained them. players." 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. 69, that would allow us to travel home." Prior to 2021, the NWSL did not have a formal policy prohibiting harassment, which includes sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. In his interview with the Joint Investigative Team, Whisler said it was "clear that it was mutually beneficial," especially given that the Red Stars were "probably the poorest team in the League." One player recalled a specific comment Dames made about "her attractiveness." At the conclusion of its investigation, the Joint Investigative Team determined that Clarkson's actions constituted emotional misconduct. Two people, former Gotham FC General Manager Alyse LaHue and former Utah Royals FC head coach Craig Harrington, were handed two-year suspensions from the league. Most players enter the League through a draft, and player contracts are not required to be guaranteed. READ MORE: Ex-Philadelphia Independence coach Paul Riley fired from NWSL team amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Over the course of this investigation, the Joint Investigative Team conducted approximately 100 interviews of current and former NWSL players, 6 interviews of current and former leadership of the NWSLPA and the USWNTPA, approximately 90 interviews of current and former club staff, 15 interviews of current and former League leadership and staff, and 8 interviews of current and former U.S. Soccer personnel. Wednesday's report, which was jointly commissioned by the NWSL and the NWSL Players Association, comes just over two months after former U.S. deputy attorney general Sally Yates released her report, which was commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation. She added that it was possible her performance had in fact decreased because she was not comfortable with the situation. 118 Are we going to hurt the league? In multiple investigations by the NWSL, no written report, summary, or other record of findings was prepared, and findings were not broadly shared. In a written statement to the Joint Investigative Team, Plush contended that he was "very clear" with Malik that the Courage should not retain Riley and that Malik should reach out to Paulson to understand why Riley was "no longer coaching in Portland. Plush said he made Malik aware that the Thorns had conducted an investigation into Riley, though he acknowledged he did not disclose the investigative findings or conclusions because he had been advised by counsel that this information was "confidential" and was not the League's information to share. Cromwell and Greene may apply to the Commissioner for consideration only after they have successfully completed the mandatory training and coaching, acknowledged wrongdoing, and demonstrated a sincere commitment to modifying their behavior. Coaches' behavior may cross the line into emotional misconduct when their criticisms are divorced from performance-related or corrective language, including by using insults or derogatory language to criticize players, attacking characteristics of players that are unrelated to their professional performance, or threatening players' careers. 77, temporary administrative leave pending the results of an investigation. Borislow sued the WPS, entangling it in a costly legal battle Upon reading the accounts of Shim and Farrelly, Kaleigh Kurtz recognized many of her own experiences with Riley. However, looking back, this player observed, "People realized, 'There are different ways to do this. to return to the club. reliably disseminated to relevant stakeholders. Players reported that the relationship between Williams and the owners made players feel that any complaints raised to ownership would get back to Williams. O'Connor responded, Confidentiality in our culture suggests it is an issue which is either illegal or immoral," and the players responded that it did not fall into those categories. The prospective owner shared that he had learned of a relationship between an owner and a player at one club, and a coach and a player at another club. Likewise, at least one player expressed concern that the nature of Holly's departure from Sky Blue was not fully disclosed to Racing Louisville before the club hired Holly as their head coach in 2020. When one player opened the door, she told Harrington that she and her roommate did not want to go back out for drinks. Where players' clubs shared ownership or management with men's teams, players reported that their owners prioritized the men's teams, even in cases where the women's teams were more successful. In his interview by the Joint Investigative Team, Clarkson acknowledged having this meeting with players, but reported that he did not single out or attack any players. Furthermore, Thorns owner and then-CEO Merritt Paulson and then-Thorns General Manager Gavin Wilkinson were familiar with the 2015 allegations and findings against Riley, but they were not transparent with the Flash and the Courage when those clubs were vetting Riley. A third Courage player recalled that she "had a lot of really hard coaches growing up, including her college coach, and wondered, "Do I even know if I've been abused?" In another instance, according to the report summary, the investigator determined that "players provided very little detail about specific, inappropriate comments made by Dames about their personal appearance." When one Spirit player tackled a teammate during practice, Burke went off out of nowhere," calling the player a "fucking asshole" and a cheat." The previous investigation into misconduct allegations was conducted by outside counsel for the Pride in March 2022 (the March Investigation). This failure stemmed, in part, from confusion between U.S. Soccer, the League, and its clubs about their respective roles in responding to reports of misconduct, including whether they were expected-or even permitted-to develop HR functions and address misconduct. Compounding this effect, the League lacked trainings, policies, and other resources on harassment, abuse, and other forms of misconduct. Farrelly noted in her email that only a few months prior, Wilkinson had asked her to represent the Thorns on an international trip, an invitation that she believed he would only extend to players with a future on the Thorns. He used a lot of language that was inappropriate and abrasive and his coaching style in general was not 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." However, players expressed reluctance about bringing complaints about coaching staff to management due to close relationships between management and coaching staff, coaching staff occupying dual coach-management roles, and club ownership's lack of engagement with their players. Another club's general manager noted a lack of clarity in whether the NWSL or clubs should be handling complaints from players. But at the same time, Wahlke was having internal discussions about Riley's prior misconduct. Days later, Shim emailed Baird to ask if the NWSL would take further steps in connection with her 2015 complaint, considering the apparent failure of the NWSL to take any action to protect players" in response to that complaint. For instance, former Red Stars player Nikki Stanton recalled that she felt "worthless" during her time on the Red Stars, but she prided herself on being a good teammate and maintaining a positive attitude. b) Retaliation by Amanda Cromwell and Sam Greene Players also drew a connection between coaches who engaged in abusive behavior and coaches who, in the players' view, relished the feeling of having power over their players. In addition, while Cromwell and Greene denied knowing who made complaints about them during the March Investigation, the evidence suggests that they formed a belief as to which players made complaints or spoke negatively about them in connection with the March Investigation. Holly then declined to speak to the Joint Investigative Team. A 2012 ESPN article later reported that Borislow's conduct included verbal abuse and sexually suggestive comments towards players. On today's episode of the Dynamic Leaders Podcast, Colin is joined by Alyse LaHue. Following the survey responses, Whisler wrote in an email, I can tell you that Rory offered his resignation to me last night because of the embarrassment he thought it caused the organization. Multiple individuals confirmed that Benstiti addressed the players to criticize their diets and weight. And the report ties those biases to issues in the sport as a whole. 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. 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. There were also multiple process failures during the USSF Dames Investigation, which left notable gaps in its fact-finding. Multiple players and club staff reported that in 2017, while Holly was head coach of Sky Blue, he began dating Pearce Rampone. The tweet led to public support from Gorden's teammates, other NWSL players, and others. Many players across the NWSL said they did not know how to elevate concerns about club staff, including coaches, within their clubs or to the NWSL. 19, not respond appropriately to Shim's concerns for six years, until after Shim and Farrelly went public. 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. To keep costs under control, U.S. Soccer would provide funding for the League front office, pay the salaries of USWNT players, and pursuant to the Management Agreement, administer management, governance, operational, administrative and advisory services. Under the Management Agreement, the League was subject to U.S. Soccer's decision-making in operational areas such as sponsorships and marketing, operations, player affairs, communications, and legal. During her tenure as NWSL president, Amanda Duffy was made aware of, but failed to act on, Shim's 2015 complaint against Riley and the subsequent investigation conducted by the Thorns. The 29-player list Photo Copyright Chris Pedota for NewJersey.com, via Meg Linehan of The Athletic on Twitter, investigation commissioned by U.S. Soccer and led by Sally Yates, the former U.S. attorney general, put out a statement via Meg Linehan on Twitter stating, Yazmeen Ryan is at Gotham FC for the long haul, Why Naomi Girma could be the USWNTs most important player at the World Cup, Pride swap white shorts for black as global push continues for player welfare, Waived from Gotham FC, Kelly Ann Livingstone sees opportunity with Fortuna Hjrring, 2023 NWSL schedule released: Actually, theres a lot to like, Sinead Farrelly joins Gotham FC preseason roster as Non-Roster Invitee, Joint investigation finds widespread, ongoing misconduct in NWSL, calls for policy reforms, The definitive Christy Holly timeline in the NWSL and U.S. Soccer, USWNT wrestling with identity ahead of World Cup, USWNT 2, Brazil 1: On fullback positioning and the double-edge sword of transitions, Several players drop out of French national team ahead of the World Cup, Seriously, a fall-to-spring schedule for the NWSL? Additionally, the 2015 allegations and findings against Riley were often downplayed, including by discussing only certain aspects of the allegations and at times by using the phrase that no unlawful harassment" occurred as a way to summarize the investigative findings.
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