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In the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy, the NWSL made several efforts to increase the number of reporting channels across all clubs: First, the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy lists several channels that facilitate the reporting of misconduct directly to the NWSL, including contacting the NWSL HR Office and texting or calling an anonymous RealResponse hotline. 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. Following the revelations of Riley's sexual misconduct on Sept. 30, 2021, the NWSL and the NWSLPA separately sought to conduct investigations. Only two clubs' employee handbooks-the Spirit's and Gotham's-referenced the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy. In 2020 and 2021, the League saw a series of high-profile departures following reports of interpersonal misconduct. 94, wrote that the staff were "not good" and generally stated there was "sexism and manipulation," and that "the combination of poor coaching and a destructive leader summ[ed] up [their] season." Players told the investigator that Dames (i) yelled excessively; (ii) singled certain players out for constant criticism; (iii) behaved unpredictably; (iv) failed to maintain professional boundaries; and (v) used personal information against players. He remained with the Flash until the club was sold in 2017. However, the joint investigative team indicated in the report that based on the totality of the evidence, misconduct did occur, notwithstanding these discrepancies, which are not described in any detail. 37, harshly criticized Kurtz's weight. Develop Partnerships with Diverse Affinity Groups 114 Dames yelled at players, targeted certain players for harsh treatment, made personal insults, and blurred personal and professional boundaries with players. Kurtz said her biggest fear was being considered a "troublemaker" for reporting misconduct, but she feels now that "players who come forward will be protected." A player also recounted hearing that around this time, Wilkinson asked Shim's agent at the time to meet in Portland. Ahead of the first game of the trip, Clarkson questioned whether a player was hungover from an outing the previous night, despite his medical staff informing him that they thought she was experiencing altitude sickness (Mexico City is 7,300 feet above sea level). 3. The NWSL has plans to engage a law firm to provide anti-harassment training to all NWSL and club staff, volunteers, and players. 110, D. The statement did not mention the investigation into Riley's conduct or his termination, and did not provide any reason for Riley's departure. However, she noted that she had asked a female staff member for help, and that when this staff member came over to help, Harrington "was also there." 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. 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. Multiple players reported that there was an overlap between these players and those who had been vocal at the meeting. Holly grabbed Simon's wrist and forced her to touch his penis. When the Thorns received Shim's complaint in 2015, the club conducted an investigation that was too narrowly scoped, that was not conducted in a trauma-informed manner, and that lacked follow-up on indicia of additional sexual misconduct towards Sinead Farrelly or on comments by Riley regarding players' sexual orientation. Nearly every player who spoke to U.S. Soccer's investigator said that Dames targeted certain players, criticizing them more often and with more severity than others. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy tasks the NWSL with investigating all complaints of misconduct. 63, 6. The NWSL planned to offer the same in-person anti-harassment training in 2020 but did not do so due to the pandemic. No reason to keep her, she is poison at this point. They also spoke with their former teammate Alex Morgan. Conduct Background Checks on All Prospective Club Owners, Staff, and Volunteers Who May Interact With Players Club and U.S. Soccer personnel repeated the Thorns's characterization of Riley's conduct as poor judgment for years. We felt like charity," one player explained. Don't ever leave me." The annual anti-bullying training should provide examples and explain the meaning of bullying and emotional abuse as defined in the Anti-Harassment Policy. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that the Thorns phrased the announcement this way based on the 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. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy prohibits harassment, including harassment on the basis of race. E. Enhance Reporting and Investigation Procedures Wilkins similarly recalled O'Connor or Estes stating that Holly had a potentially inappropriate relationship with a player. coach, and Alyse LaHue, the former general manager of Gotham F.C., each received two-year suspensions from the league. A peek at LaHues normally busy Twitter account suggests that things began to go south sometime around June 18, when her account last posted. Alyse LaHue was appointed as General Manager of NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in April 2019 (then known as Sky Blue FC) and has been leading the club's dramatic turnaround since. 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. Clubs and Owners The U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT") has consistently ranked in the top of FIFA's rankings and has never finished below third place in the Women's World Cup. Olympique Lyonnais LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the OL Groupe ("OL), was set to buy the Reign ahead of the 2020 season, so Predmore updated OL throughout the hiring process. When Starr asked Simon how Holly had touched her inappropriately, Starr recalled Simon stating that Holly had "put his hands down her pants" while watching film at the stadium, and that if she "messed up," Holly would "hold it against her." Although the Thorns conducted an investigation in 2015 that led to Riley's termination, the Thorns publicly announced only that Riley was not being retained, with no explanation as to why. A former OL Reign staff member who worked closely with Predmore was adamant that Benstiti had not yet been hired when Predmore was made aware of the issue. While the Joint Investigative Team considered the findings of the USSF Report, and identified lines of inquiry that merited further investigation, the objective of this Report is to summarize the work of the Joint Investigative Team, rather than to comment on, or respond to, the USSF Report. Players reported the coaching staff physically turned their backs on the player while she was experiencing a panic attack and did not follow up with this player afterward to ask how she was doing. December 14, 2022 The NWSL has not consistently offered anti-harassment training to players and club staff beyond the SafeSport trainings. This report, along with text message and email exhibits, was shared with individuals at U.S. Soccer and the NWSL. The Joint Investigative Team also conducted a substantial review of emails, text messages, and other relevant documents, including documents collected from the NWSL, the NWSLPA, U.S. Soccer, all 12 clubs, players, and other individuals. 7. At a higher level, the joint investigation makes a greater attempt to identify and define problematic everyday behaviors like emotional abuse, at times noting that even the players they interviewed struggle to define the lines between that and "tough coaching" because many of them grew up with so much of the latter. This concern was well-founded. Plush, the senior-most executive at the League, did not take any steps to ensure that the Flash, the Courage, and the players who would be coached by Riley were aware of the risks he posed. I had no avenue to communicate with the League, or whatever that even meant. After the release of the Athletic article detailing sexual misconduct by Riley, the club's communications department received outreach from a journalist seeking to speak with someone knowledgeable about the basis for Holly's termination. While the conclusion stated that Dames (i) yelled excessively; (ii) targeted players; and (iii) behaved unpredictably, it mentioned none of the other concerns about Dames. 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. He told the player that the club had provided Benstiti the opportunity to resign as "the most immediate and least risky path" to removing him from the club. Based on the evidence obtained during this investigation, the Joint Investigative Team makes the following observations and findings. With regards to the League's legal and HR functions, from 2012-2017, then-U.S. Soccer General Counsel Levine handled the NWSL's legal and HR responsibilities in the absence of an NWSL general counsel. When the NWSL kicked off its fourth season in 2016, it became the first professional women's league in the United States to play more than three seasons. The NWSL began its own investigation into the player's complaint, but stopped after two days at the direction of U.S. Soccer. However, Wahlke recalled that she met with Whisler in person after receiving the investigative report and told Whisler that he should find "personal development opportunities and maybe anger management training" for Dames. Women's soccer in the United States has a long history of relationships between players and staff. Misconduct on any level cannot be tolerated, and clear reporting lines along with proper vetting must be enshrined in NWSL policies. As early as June 2021, players reported that Holly had shouted at and personally attacked" players who had gone to him for one-on-one feedback. the ghosts of their former Sky Blue FC selves and all the baggage that came with it, 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, Amy Rodriguez traded to North Carolina; Kansas City acquires Mace, Hamilton and Rowland, 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? Farrelly described this as a build-up with Riley. 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." Holly also told Simon on more than one occasion that he wanted to have a threesome with her and another former player, and he would refer to it as "the most epic threesome. Holly also sent Simon inappropriate messages on Snapchat, including a photo of him lying on his bed in boxers As discussed in more detail below, Pauw also strictly controlled players' eating and workout habits. Kurtz also reported in this meeting that Riley made "sexual comments to her and criticized her weight, including by calling her "chubby." This reduces the risk that the concentration of power in a single individual will chill reporting of misconduct. Paulson further noted that this was not the first time he told Malik that Riley had been terminated; he said he told Malik about the termination during a meeting of NWSL owners prior to this August 2019 call. The surveys also asked some open-ended questions and provided space for players to enter comments. Whisler himself admitted that the club had an inadequate HR person and the person who served as "HR lead for the club at the time scare[d] people, exacerbating these problems. The club immediately terminated the staff member for violating club policy. When he spoke to the investigator, Whisler indicated that he was aware of players' concerns even before Press's complaint. Require Coaches to Adhere to Club Medical Staff's Decisions Regarding Player Health and Ability to Train and Play Historically, clubs sometimes conducted investigations into allegations of misconduct, and the NWSL was not involved in certain investigations. The NWSL ran its standard background check, and its resulting report contained no significant adverse findings. Kaleigh Kurtz reported to the club that Riley made her uncomfortable and called her "chubby," and the club responded by telling Riley that he should speak to players about fitness," not "weight." Gorden's boyfriend was prevented from entering an area where he could speak with her, and she said publicly that her white teammates were visiting family in the same area, but were not scrutinized. Throughout Dames's tenure as head coach of the Red Stars, owner Arnim Whisler minimized and dismissed players' concerns that Dames was verbally and emotionally abusive. Founded in 2012, the National Women's Soccer League (the "NWSL" or the "League) has enjoyed success as the longest-running professional women's soccer league in U.S. history. Riley declined to respond to requests to participate in this investigation. "A review of the available investigative reports related to all historical complaints of discrimination, harassment, or abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual) in the NWSL, and where necessary, a reopening of the respective investigation, or the initiation of a new adjudication process. Inconsistencies Between Club Anti-Harassment Policies and the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy In general, players felt that the line between tough coaching and emotional misconduct is crossed when it becomes an attack, versus a criticism." One player reported that Dames extended frequent social invitations, inviting players to get lunch or ice cream with him. The Joint Investigative Team found no evidence that the Thorns, U.S. Soccer, or the NWSL ever shared these indications of a "more extensive" relationship between Riley and Farrelly with the NWSL clubs that subsequently employed Riley. Players who preferred to remain anonymous were invited to contact the Joint Investigative Team anonymously by calling or emailing a hotline maintained by Covington. In late 2020, the NWSLPA began advocating for the League to adopt an antiharassment policy. Simon said she moved away from Holly when he touched her and told him he was "insane." . This includes harassment; sexual harassment; discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local laws; bullying; sexual misconduct, including the use of coercion, force, intimidation, or certain power imbalances; emotional misconduct; physical misconduct; and retaliation. Even players who were more supportive of Dames said that he was "definitely very unpredictable and that players [did not] know what kind of Rory [they would] get at practice. 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. In another example, Paulson recounted that when he spoke to Wahlke about the 2015 Thorns Investigation when U.S. Soccer was considering hiring Riley as a coach in 2019, Wahlke focused on the fact that the investigation had found no unlawful harassment. This player said that on another occasion, she did not really" want to visit Riley's Long Island home but "felt pressure to go." On at least two occasions when Riley was recruited by the Flash and later when he was recruited by the Courage-the Thorns, U.S. Soccer, and the NWSL were not transparent with the recruiting club about the allegations and findings of misconduct against Riley in 2015. Instead, the report concluded: "The only result that is clearly called for by this external review is the establishment of standards for conduct by NWSL coaches and education on those standards, to resolve any uncertainty going forward." Many of the coaches and individuals who engaged in misconduct and who are discussed in this Report were not appropriately vetted by their clubs., Nor are the leagues current protocols sufficient, the report says: Significant gaps exist in the NWSLs revised background check requirements., READ MORE: Joanna Lohman was fooled by Paul Riley in Philadelphia, where he allegedly coerced her teammates. 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"). One player referred to Riley as verbally abusive. . Reis was placed on unpaid administrative leave and is required to participate in mandatory training regarding retaliation, discrimination, harassment and bullying, and must participate in mandatory executive coaching. Through the better part of a decade, through four leagues, through tumultuous seasons and staff turnovers, LaHue made the organization her life and eventually rose to become the new General Manager, where she's steered the club through the early years of the NWSL era with grace . At a team meeting the next day, players observed that Clarkson was visibly angry as he reprimanded the team at length, calling them selfish, disrespectful, and unprofessional by going out drinking prior to a game. While the investigator documented the investigative steps that were taken, at the request of Levine, she did not prepare a summary of her findings and conclusions in either of these investigations, instead communicating informally with Levine. It also states that "[e]xceptions to this policy may be granted by ownership or the Chief Operating Officer if, in their sole discretion, it is determined that the close relationship is not likely to cause actual or perceived conflict or favoritism, which is inconsistent with the NWSL policy. In September 2015, Gulati and Flynn received Shim's email containing allegations against Riley, and during the Thorns's investigation, they received some updates related to Riley and to the investigation from Levine. Sky Blue FC's Alyse LaHue And for every role model out there, and every new one made, there's another awakening. 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. However, the extent to which clubs actually spoke to former owners, general managers, staff, or players who had worked with a coach varied drastically. As one former player described, "It was almost like [the coach] was trying to break down [my teammate's] confidence so that she would not even be playing for the team. A Spirit player stated that rather than engaging in constructive criticism, Burke would "[go] at [her teammate] just to get her to cry." While Dames yelled at players on the field, off the field, he developed close relationships that blurred personal and professional boundaries. The League should issue a public statement reiterating its commitment to creating a safe working environment for players, announcing specific actions that the NWSL will take to demonstrate this commitment, and setting a timeline for implementation in consultation with the NWSLPA. On the Monday night before the game, four Dash players had dinner at a Pumas player's apartment and returned to their hotel around midnight. At the second club, the relationship between the staff member and the player allowed rumors to pass between management, staff, and players. The same HR employee who spoke to Levine about Farrelly's complaint told the Joint Investigative Team that she printed the complaint and handed it to Levine. A. For instance, one player said that while she felt Whisler "cared," she felt he did not "get it or understand what he lets happen." At some clubs, the players and club staff reported that they live in the same clubprovided housing during the season. While the NWSL has recently improved its hiring practices and background check processes, background and reputational checks should be enhanced, and the NWSL should establish formal procedures to facilitate information-sharing among clubs. 7. . On November 4, 2022, these findings were conveyed to the NWSL, NWSLPA, Thorns, Wilkinson, and the player involved. LaHue was appointed as general manager of NJ/NY Gotham FC (formerly Sky Blue FC) in September 2019, and has been credited with playing a major role in turning the club around, both on and off the . Hendrix also said that reporting to the NWSL did not seem like an option, and that she and Simon were afraid that because they were not highprofile players, their word would not be valued and weighted as much as Holly's. Dames declined requests to be interviewed in this investigation. He also made other inappropriate comments, including calling one player trailer trash" and insinuating he found players attractive. The NWSL should also periodically assess the effectiveness of its training programs by reviewing participant evaluations and ensuring that the training materials reflect the latest guidance or norms on workplace conduct. The NWSL's 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy contains this same language, and it further clarifies that the NWSL prohibits discriminatory and harassing conduct in any form, regardless of whether it rises to the level of a legal violation. Dames also texted a player after a fundraising event they both attended and told her that she looked nice that evening. Two other players said that Harrington told a player he wondered what her hair looks like when she gets out of the shower. O'Connor met with the players, who shared concerns about how the staff was handling players' medical issues as well as concerns about Holly's treatment of players. Examples of prohibited verbal conduct include epithets; derogatory comments or slurs; negative stereotyping; and jokes, kidding, or teasing about another person's protected status.