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Some of the sport's most prominent players are married to their former coaches, including their college coaches. This was despite Shim and Farrelly both indicating in their 2021 communications that they were dissatisfied with the NWSL's response to the 2015 complaint and investigation, and Farrelly providing additional information regarding Riley that should have been of interest to the NWSL. Players suggested that this relationship led to favoritism and improper information-sharing. The Management Agreement explained that U.S. Soccer would "provide NWSL with all management, governance, operational, administrative, and advisory services. U.S. Soccer remained the manager of the NWSL until December 31, 2020. 5. Sky Blue FC's game at Red Bull was a success, but only the first step II. With inconsistent anti-harassment policies between the league and various clubs and a lack of uniform training on how to identify and respond to inappropriate conduct, players lacked a clear structure in how to report. A. Paulson noted that Wahlke kept coming back to the determination of no unlawful harassment. Farrelly's email. READ MORE: Ex-Philadelphia Independence coach Paul Riley fired from NWSL team amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Each of these issues could potentially require their own mini-review to sort out the conflicting versions of events. 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. The same day, on August 15, 2019, Duffy forwarded the Thorns's attorney's 2015 email, along with the Thorns's investigative report and its supporting attachments, to then-U.S. Soccer Chief Legal Officer Lydia Wahlke. A majority of interviewees believed that Clarkson's mood could be unpredictablethat he could be hot or cold, or they would not know what to expect in terms of his attitude on any given day. 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. In addition, the Joint Investigative Team contacted approximately 90 current and former club staff, including coaching staff, and invited them to speak with the Joint Investigative Team. . Another player said she felt that Whisler had "loyalty" to Dames and did not hear" players' concerns. Amanda Cromwell and Sam Greene engaged in retaliatory conduct toward players they believed to have participated in a March 2022 investigation into reports of Cromwell's inappropriate verbal conduct towards players and Cromwell and Greene's display of inappropriate favoritism toward certain players. Adequately Staff the NWSL HR and Legal Departments to Complete Investigations into Allegations of Misconduct Thoroughly and Promptly He told the Joint Investigative Team, "We're all adults. 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. You need to lose weight. One player said that during the 2020 Challenge Cup, which began five months after Benstiti signed his contract, Benstiti was "already hiding food under the table he didn't want girls to eat." I'm the Inquirer's soccer reporter, covering the Union, MLS, the NWSL, the U.S. men's and women's national teams, and Philadelphia's place in the world's game. Wilkins similarly recalled O'Connor or Estes stating that Holly had a potentially inappropriate relationship with a player. Jeff Plush received Shim's September 2015 complaint alleging sexual misconduct by Paul Riley, and he then forwarded the complaint to individuals at U.S. Soccer and discussed it with Merritt Paulson and Gavin Wilkinson. . The NWSL has seen a series of changes in its executive leadership between 2012 and 2022. In each instance in which a report of misconduct was referred to another entity, the NWSL and the NWSLPA were consulted and agreed to the referral. Another veteran player commented on her early years in the NWSL: "I couldn't even have told you who was the president of the League at that time. Farrelly also emailed Baird and the NWSL HR Office email account in April 2021, stating she had "not only witnessed but also experienced firsthand extremely inappropriate conduct" by Riley, that she had raised "serious" allegations during the 2015 investigation that were not independently investigated, that she had experiences of Riley making comments about her personal relationships and sexual orientation in addition to what she reported during the 2015 investigation, and that there were "numerous instances of severe misconduct" involving Riley prior to when she joined the NWSL. Players Lacked Clear Guidance Regarding What Constituted Misconduct .. The Joint Investigative Team reached out to approximately 780 current and former NWSL players regarding the investigation. 10. Two players, in separate interviews, described feeling like a tax write-off" to their clubs' owners. Sexism and Gender Bias Following these reports and upon learning that Clarkson had been made aware that he was under investigation, the Joint Investigative Team recommended in April 2022 that Clarkson be placed on temporary suspension pending investigation. . In the suite, he began touching her under her shirt and under her pants, and told her that for every pass she fucked up," he was going to touch her. These factors do not constitute a bright-line test; 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. Lack of Confidence in League Responses to Misconduct Complaints In October 2022, the Joint Investigative Team received a report that then-Thorns Head Coach Rhian Wilkinson had disclosed to the Thorns's HR director potentially inappropriate interactions with a player with whom she had formed a friendship. When asked about this incident, Burke denied ever having yelled at a player who appeared to be experiencing a panic attack and explained that he always tried to make players laugh and feel comfortable before and during games. Predmore confirmed that during the 2020 Challenge Cup, he was informed by a staff member that Benstiti made comments to a player about the quantity and type of food the player was eating during a team meal. The annual anti-bullying training should provide examples and explain the meaning of bullying and emotional abuse as defined in the Anti-Harassment Policy. The NWSL should require annual written certifications from all NWSL and club staff and players certifying they have completed all mandatory annual trainings and that they have reviewed, understood, and agree to abide by the Anti-Harassment Policy. Players also expressed concerns that Williams, whom they believed had engaged in retaliation towards players who complained about him, was moved into a position where he was involved in decisions on player trades and other transactions; Williams acknowledged being involved in player transaction decisions during this time, but said the general manager finalized such decisions. In particular, the Joint Investigative Team did not receive a copy of Dames's separation agreement from the Red Stars until the end of this investigation, after the publication of the USSF Report. The Thorns selected a lead investigator who was relatively inexperienced in conducting sensitive investigations. In a news conference after the reports release, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said that neither she nor NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke had prior approval of the report before it was published. The NWSL and U.S. Soccer in multiple instances did not investigate or address comments from player surveys stating that club staff engaged in misconduct. Reports of Retaliation for Complaints of Misconduct coach, and Alyse LaHue, the former general manager of Gotham F.C., each received two-year suspensions from the league. Courage owner Steve Malik said when he learned of a complaint that Riley made inappropriate weightrelated comments, he did not follow up with the player; instead, he presumed the League would respond to [the] complaint" because he was told the complaint went to the League. In March 2016, Paulson emailed Alex Sahlen congratulating the Flash on hiring Riley and stating that he had a lot of affection" for Riley. Expectations of Gratitude and Acquiescence On one occasion, Dames called her into his office in the presence of his two assistant coaches and said that the two assistant coaches had told him she "had a really bad attitude" and was a bad teammate. He began by making dirty or sexual jokes; however, his behavior escalated. In addition, romantic relationships between players and staff, even when consensual, blur the lines between appropriate and inappropriate behavior, increasing the risk of misconduct. The conclusion mentioned none of these concerns. According to one former Sky Blue player, Holly told a player in the weight room that when he saw her squat, he wanted to grab her ass. He also asked this player if she preferred boxers or briefs. 3. Levine claimed that Farrelly "withheld her experiences with Riley in 2015, and she asserted through her counsel that Farrelly and Shim consciously did not explain Farrelly's alleged sexual history" with Riley when they emailed the NWSL in 2021 as part of an effort to "gain leverage over the League." This misconduct was perpetrated by coaches, staff, club leadership, and other individuals in positions of power. She was surprised then when the club's HR personnel emailed staff and the players who raised concerns to schedule a meeting for them to discuss the issues collectively. Horan spoke publicly about weight-shaming behaviors at PSG on multiple occasions before Benstiti's hiring at OL Reign. Now, league leadership must make meaningful changes: sources tell ESPN that the NWSL board received the report at the same time as it was released to the public, but in terms of timing, some of the report's recommendations could well be in place before the start of the 2023 season. Holly grabbed Simon's wrist and forced her to touch his penis. Other clubs in the NWSL pursued Riley after it became known that the Thorns would not retain him and in the absence of any public information indicating that he had been terminated for cause. Estes explained that Holly indicated this conduct "may have flowed over" from his time in New Jersey to his time as head coach of Racing Louisville. Formation of a Players' Union . Only two clubs' employee handbooks-the Spirit's and Gotham's-referenced the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy. Even in Vancouver, Riley pushed Shim to stay the night with him. Two other players said they felt that Dames gathered information about their personal and romantic relationships and used the information he learned about their personal lives as a tool for manipulation. Gotham FC fires general manager Alyse LaHue - The Athletic Holly also sent Simon videos of himself masturbating on Snapchat. 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. E. Players and former assistant coaches said that Holly would "ream" out players, verbally attack[] them, and play mind games. Holly retaliated against players who resisted his unwanted advances or complained about his conduct. For example, players reported that Dames would make comments about players' personal appearances. The Joint Investigative Team reported to an Oversight Committee comprised of two representatives selected by the NWSLPA, Meghann Burke (Executive Director, NWSLPA) and Terri Jackson (Executive Director, Women's National Basketball Players Association); two representatives selected by the NWSL, Jessica Berman (Commissioner, NWSL) and Djenaba Parker (General Counsel and Chief People Officer, Goop, Inc., and former General Counsel, New York Red Bulls); and one independent member, former United States District Judge Barbara S. Jones (Partner, Bracewell LLP). 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 . In fact, multiple players reported that they did not consider the League as an option to report misconduct and did not know of anyone at the League to whom they could report concerns. She asked him to remain professional going forward. In August 2019, a Thorns staff member emailed a draft public statement (which was never publicly released) to Paulson and Golub for review. Formation and Mandate of the Joint Investigative Team 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. Before retaining Riley, the Courage spoke to numerous people who knew Riley. Arnim Whisler confirmed considering a similar plan for Dames at the Red Stars, even after Whisler learned that a majority of the players on the team believed Dames created an environment of fear and expressed concerns about retaliation. However, the club did not share enough information about the reason for Holly's termination, leaving both players and the public uncertain about why he was fired. Historically, clubs sometimes conducted investigations into allegations of misconduct, and the NWSL was not involved in certain investigations. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy prohibits a range of misconduct. 12 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. In 2018, when players filed formal complaints, Whisler appeased Dames by telling him that players were "desperate to get starts." Starr recalled feeling confused about what to do, in part because she knew Simon was afraid, and she did not want to destroy Simon's trust in her. Levine told the Joint Investigative Team that from what she could recall, Lines was removed "directly in response" to the survey results. 58, imbalance between supervisors and their reports; (ii) the threat of favoritism; and 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. Shim contacted Riley by email that July, telling him that his conduct was inappropriate and made her uncomfortable. Clarkson denied The staff member said that a player told her that the team felt "if they ever said anything [negative about Dames], at the end of the season they would just get traded off." Ex-Canada assistant to coach NWSL Thorns, succeeding fellow Canadian 7. Farrelly said she felt coerced by Riley into having sexual intercourse on several occasions thereafter. Five months later, another NWSL club, the Western New York Flash, hired Riley as head coach. She recalled reading texts that said, "You're nothing without me. The joint investigation details how LaHue sent inappropriate messages to a player, including some about the player being in her dreams, despite the player's request for those to stop and asking of LaHue to "accept that we are working together and nothing more." The day before a game, Holly got into a fight with Pearce Rampone during training. 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. Since the announcement of the NWSL and NWSLPA Joint Investigation, the NWSL has undertaken significant efforts to correct the systemic failures that allowed misconduct to proliferate. In the letter, players demanded that the NWSL adopt policies to protect players, including by requiring clear reporting channels for complaints as well as procedures for thorough and impartial investigations. One player noted "bystander training" for players could be helpful so that players could help other players experiencing misconduct. Clarkson put her in as a substitute, and she soon began struggling with pain. Morgan and NWSLPA President Tori Huster also spoke on the phone with Baird and Levine about the issue. Coaches and Club Staff The NWSL should consider engaging with the NWSLPA on the role and parameters of such a program to ensure that it is responsive to player needs and concerns and that it is developed and implemented in a player-centered way. The investigation focused on misconduct by NWSL employees and club staff directed at players. 1. NWSL, NWSLPA joint investigation finds 'widespread misconduct' b) U.S. Soccer Chief Legal Officer Lydia Wahlke directed the USSF Dames Investigation, asking the NWSL to stand down even though she believed U.S. Soccer did not have the authority to take action against Dames. When the Thorns's investigation was complete, Lisa Levine forwarded to Plush the email from the Thorns's counsel containing the determination that the 2015 investigation revealed no unlawful harassment." Temares and former Sky Blue Chief Financial Officer Mary Smoot did not recall being consulted about, or in any way involved in, the press release. Later in 2015, U.S. Soccer received both Shim's initial complaint against Riley and the Thorns's investigative report. Multiple players described being made to feel like they were a charity case for their ownership, rather than professional athletes. B. Out of respect for player privacy, this Report does not provide a detailed account of the evidence or findings in this and other instances where the Joint Investigative Team determined no misconduct occurred. For example, the report summary stated, "The players broadly described how Dames did not maintain professional boundaries, was too close to certain players, and tried to gather information to get close to others. A. Inattentiveness, neglect, and concealment allow misconduct to fester.. As discussed in further detail below, players have reported misconduct throughout the League's history. Shim declined, stating she needed to take care of a sick teammate. Coaches also should not be in a direct supervisory position over club medical staff and should not be in a position to unilaterally terminate or otherwise impose disciplinary action on medical staff without consulting with the managers of the club. Lack of Transparency with NWSL Clubs About Riley's Conduct NWSL investigation discovers 'widespread misconduct' in 'vast majority At one point during the 2017 season, players held a meeting with coaching staff to address their concerns that Holly was dating Pearce Rampone. The misconduct of Riley, Dames, and Holly has been a focus of public reporting regarding the treatment of players in the League. During Holly's tenure as head coach, players reported to Sky Blue management that Holly was verbally abusive, but the club took no action in response to those reports and ultimately failed to share accurate information about Holly's conduct both with the League and other clubs. 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. Sky Blue FC announced on Tuesday evening that Tony Novo had officially resigned as club president and general manager. For instance, players reported that Dames mistreated one player in part because of "issues [he] had with her boyfriend," and the U.S. Soccer report detailed two incidents which players felt were indicative If misconduct under the Anti-Harassment Policy is revealed as part of the Alternative Complaint Resolution program process, the misconduct should be reported promptly to the NWSL HR Office and/or the NWSL General Counsel. 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. It further stated that the club's executive team and Holly each agreed not to make any written or verbal communication in any form . Recommendations.. When asked whether she could have compelled Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler to obey a League instruction not to speak with players in relation to an investigation, former U.S. Soccer and NWSL General Counsel Lisa Levine stated that the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors-of which Whisler was a member at the time-had shown that it was not inclined to act to discipline clubs. Hammond told the Joint Investigative Team that he assured Kurtz that she was not chubby and told her that "sometimes, coaches choose their words poorly." Leadership training and coaching could provide coaches with skills to better communicate with players and other staff, motivate players, collaborate with other staff, and resolve conflicts within the team. Riley also held club events for players at his Long Island home, where players reported that they drank with him during their stay. According to an external review conducted by the Red Stars in 2021, players described Dames "as 'condescending', manipulative', 'aggressive', 'insulting', [and] an intimidator."" 75, Benstiti saying that he would replicate his "very strict monitoring and measuring [of Horan's] weight and what she's eating" with the club's players. A text message conversation between Whisler and Dames confirms the player's concern.

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