Development of an Anti-Harassment Policy. Chicago Red Stars U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and Clubs Failed to Adequately Share Information Regarding Misconduct .. When the club held a call with players and staff to share the results of the investigation, however, the message left players and staff with the incorrect understanding that none of the reports against Cromwell and Greene were substantiated, that no remedial actions were taken to address their behavior, and that the club was standing by the coaches. Listen to Alyse's thoughts on why women's soccer is on the rise the United States, the story behind re-branding Sky Blue FC's to NJ/NY Gotham FC, and how Alyse is leveraging the power of Gotham's fans to inform th 118, coaches and staff to better understand their interactions with players. To that point, during this investigation, the Joint Investigative Team received reports of ongoing misconduct at more than half the League's clubs. Morgan and NWSLPA President Tori Huster also spoke on the phone with Baird and Levine about the issue. One player recalled that she and her teammates were told by their club, "People would die to be in [your] shoes," and that if the players had issues with the club or the League, they don't have a problem waiving you." A. These players reported that Dames engaged in consistent patterns of behavior over his tenure as head coach, including frequent yelling, targeting certain players for harsher treatment, lodging personal insults, and blurring personal and professional boundaries. On August 11, 2021, The Washington Post reported that Spirit Head Coach Richie Burke had verbally and emotionally abused players. As The Philadelphia Inquirer reported, the statement from LaHues lawyer claimed that investigators provided Ms. LaHue a few documents that contained alterations. Novo recalled that Holly denied a romantic relationship with Pearce Rampone. The NWSL should develop clear rules and guidelines addressing appropriate interactions between club staff and players to help ensure that individuals throughout the League understand and maintain appropriate boundaries that promote player safety and well-being. 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. Those discussions should be focused on how to improve the player's performance and should not include any jokes, insults, or other unconstructive comments about players' weight, appearance, or eating habits. Holly spoke with investigators for the Yates report but pulled out of a scheduled interview with the joint investigation after the release of the Yates report, which of course publicly revealed his misconduct for the first time. She has denied any wrongdoing. 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. After WPS collapsed in 2012, U.S. Soccer, the official governing body of soccer in the United States, convened representatives from various semi-professional leagues to discuss the future of women's professional soccer in the United States. Among the new revelations about specific individuals, those regarding Houston Dash head coach James Clarkson stand out. Please sign in below. 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. Gulati, who said he had never received the 2015 investigative report, said that although he could not remember clearly, he surmised that he was given legal advice by Levine not to disclose or discuss information regarding the allegations and investigation by the Thorns. 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. Under the language of the policy, the question in evaluating conduct is whether it has the potential to cause emotional harm for a similarly situated player, and not whether the target of the conduct in fact experienced such harm or whether the emotional harm was specifically intended. 3. 4. Christy Holly (Sky Blue, Assistant Coach, 2013-2015 and Head Coach, 2016-2017; Racing Louisville, Head Coach, 2020-2021) Lack of Uniform Training Misconduct in the League is not wholly independent from abuse that begins in youth soccer, where many coaches' and players' formative experiences shaped the way they engaged in, or reacted to, misconduct and abuse in the NWSL. She did not recall any concerns about Williams's treatment of players being raised at the August 2021 meeting, instead recalling that players shared concerns about the level of training and the team's poor performance. 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. In December 2013, Whisler emailed Cheryl Bailey that he had "sat with [a player] and addressed" her concerns about Dames; he then speculated, "Whatever the [player's] story is now it is window dressing likely because she wants more money." The summary also stated that the allegation was "credibly denied by Whisler," but he in fact did not explicitly deny the allegation. Until 2022, the League also had no free agency for any players, meaning a single club retained the rights to the player even if the player was not under contract. Players who preferred to remain anonymous were invited to contact the Joint Investigative Team anonymously by calling or emailing a hotline maintained by Covington. The NWSL did not distribute player surveys in 2018 and 2019 due to bandwidth and resource constraints, and it did not distribute player surveys in 2021 in part because the NWSL received feedback from players on many topics covered in previous player surveys during CBA negotiations. D. Standards of acceptable coaching behavior are evolving. After the article was published, six years after Shim had raised the alarm about Riley to the Thorns and the NWSL, Riley was fired by the Courage. The NWSL periodically distributed annual player surveys seeking feedback from players about a variety of topics. Ms. LaHue immediately hired a top digital forensic company, which provided the JIT metadata and evidence of alterations in documents used against her., That relates to a line in the report which says the Joint Investigative Team identified discrepancies in versions of an email exchange involving LaHue that was part of the file from the 2021 League investigation.. Players also reported concerns with how clubs responded to incidents involving reported discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and which gave them the impression that sexual orientation discrimination was not important. Alyse LaHue The group, including Thorp, went to Riley's apartment, though Thorp left shortly thereafter. According to this review, in 2021, players described Dames as 'condescending', 'manipulative', 'aggressive', 'insulting', [and] an intimidator. Players said they felt that Dames targeted "one or two players" and that he "utilize[d] preexisting relationships. Players reported Williams apologized to the team the day after the meeting, but players felt the club did not take action to address players' concerns after the meeting. An investigation commissioned by the National Women's Soccer League and its players union found "widespread misconduct" directed at players dating back to the beginnings nearly a decade ago of the Players reported they raised concerns during this meeting regarding Williams's ineffectiveness as a coach and unprofessional and demeaning communication style. During the course of the investigation, an attorney from the law firm engaged by the Thorns provided Levine-who in addition to her duties at the time as general counsel of U.S. Soccer would advise the NWSL-with updates regarding the progress of the investigation. One night in May 2015, members of the Thorns went to a bar in Portland following a home game. Maybe. The NWSL should consider providing leadership training to coaches. In one instance, a clubwhich had properly followed the protocols with respect to its new head coach-hired two assistant coaches without informing the NWSL or completing the NWSL's vetting process. The same day, The Athletic reported that the investigation was related to a violation of the NWSL's anti-harassment policy. Holly pulled Pearce Rampone from the starting lineup following the fight, but once they resolved their conflict, he put her back into the lineup. How a trailblazing female general manager transformed the worst Subsequently, on more than one occasion, Holly held doors open for Simon and grabbed her buttocks as she passed by him. Plush stated that he did not share additional information because the investigation was ongoing at the time. The Joint Investigative Team spoke to multiple current and former players from the Red Stars, ranging from Dames's first season in the NWSL to his last. Because there was no requirement for clubs to consult former colleagues and players in the hiring process, clubs took an inconsistent approach and often collected only limited information about individuals' past conduct in the League, contributing to the issue of "recycling" individuals accused of misconduct into roles at other clubs. The same player said that Holly told her she should send a photo to someone she had planned to meet for a date but who did not show up for the date. Farrelly recalled feeling guilty after the interview that she had told her partner about the kissing incident. A player told the Joint Investigative Team that the club first attempted to fix the social media post without acknowledging the error or reaching out to the player, and only later issued an apology after Baucom posted about the error on Twitter. 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Baird told ESPN that reading the article was the first she ever heard of accusations of sexual abuse against Riley. 8. According to Garcia's interview notes, her interview with Farrelly lasted only 30 minutes, though Farrelly recalled it being even shorter. C. and Players Union Report on Womens Soccer. Oversight Committee Composition and Operation. Sky Blue FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has named Alyse LaHue as General Manager. 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. While the organization cut back its spending in 2002 and 2003, it could not recover financially. Is that never appropriate?" This information suggested that Riley might pose a danger to players, but the Courage did not take adequate steps to learn the findings of the investigation, reflecting a lack of appreciation for the power dynamics between players and coaches, and the Courage employed Riley despite knowing of this allegation. 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. 1. Another club's general manager noted a lack of clarity in whether the NWSL or clubs should be handling complaints from players. 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. Both Gulati and U.S. Soccer CEO Dan Flynn received the NWSL player survey results from 2014, which included information about potential misconduct by both Riley and Dames. Simon said that in 2019, she received an invitation to a U-23 national team camp. The investigative teams evidence included inappropriate and suggestive text messages along with accounts of unwanted attention, even following pushback from the player. By the end of the 2021 season, multiple players who had participated in the meeting were traded, waived, or not re-signed. She heard from another player that it felt like Riley was really waiting until [players] were either belligerent or a little intoxicated." As Press told The Washington Post, this "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. In June 2021, on behalf of a Gotham FC player, the Clubs Director of Operations submitted to the NWSL a complaint alleging that Gothams General Manager Alyse LaHue had harassed a player. A. He used a lot of language that was inappropriate and abrasive and his coaching style in general was not if you don't want it, get a regular job. In one case, a member of club leadership, while following up on younger players' complaints of staff mistreatment, was told by more seasoned players that the younger players were "entitled" and did not appreciate, for example, that the club provided them meals at the training facility. The club announced Holly's termination "for cause on August 31, 2021. 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. 111, Also in 2018, a player raised concerns to Duffy and Levine about Dames's behavior towards players. 63, 6. According to one player, this staff member began dating the player mid-season. 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. He stated that the non-disparagement clause was mutual, in that it required that the club not disparage Holly. He also recalled being told that players were concerned about the amount of training given to non-starters. One player reported that club staff observed Burke's mistreatment of players but did nothing, reinforcing players' view that raising concerns about Burke would be futile. Continue Efforts to Improve and Increase Access to Reporting Channels Across All Clubs The player felt that the owner was suggesting that she was selfish for even raising the point. In certain instances, these coaches justified their behavior by relying on the rationale that the behavior was "cultural" or by doubling down on claims that their behavior was oriented around fitness. The owner said that if the player and staff member wanted to continue their relationship, then one or both would have to not be employed. In 2020, another club learned that a staff member was in a relationship with a player, and the player described the relationship as "loving and consensual." Many players and staff admitted that they struggled to identify the line between emotional misconduct and tough coaching." . She specifically denied receiving any complaints from Press regarding Dames. 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. Club statement. At first he told her he admired her fitness and her "soccer body," but then shifted to making other comments about her body, including calling her "sexy." 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. Burke also reportedly described one player as a "moron" in front of others on the team. Leadership at the Thorns had knowledge of misconduct by Paul Riley, including his drinking alcohol with players and reported mistreatment of players, even before Mana Shim made a formal complaint in September 2015 of sexual misconduct by Riley. This policy provides additional instructions regarding the reporting of complaints." Club staff must be held to higher standards. The next day, on June 13, 2018, Levine informed Whisler that a player had raised a complaint. Witnesses also reported that the coach attempted to get another player to dance with him and told her he did not care about her sexuality. "We existed because [our owner] wanted a soccer team for his daughter. 12 Elements of Healthy Relationships - Johns Hopkins University Student 99, In addition, investigation findings were often not memorialized such that they could be In Ep. III. ." The joint investigation also confirms that the misconduct from Riley, Burke and Holly, which made headlines, was part of a wider culture of power imbalances between players and staff members that was pervasive in the league. The NWSL has seen a series of changes in its executive leadership between 2012 and 2022. Some of these remarks were not necessarily targeted toward specific players but were made openly in the presence of other club staff and/or players and created an unwelcome working environment, especially for players of color. The NWSL engaged Covington & Burling LLP ("Covington") to conduct an independent investigation, and the NWSLPA engaged counsel at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP ("Weil"). He then characterized Press as "impossible to work with" and suggested she had a "fragile mentality." 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. Additionally, the explanation put forth by U.S. Soccer did not account for the risk that players who remained on the team and under Dames's management did not report contemporaneous conduct for fear of retaliation. According to Whisler, when he read the Washington Post article the next day describing Dames's pattern of abuse and harassment, it became clear that Dames could not take on such a new role with the club. 3, violations of those policies-to identify and reform deficiencies. The Spirit suspended Burke pending an investigation initiated shortly after the Washington Post article was published, and the club fired him on September 28, 2021, following the completion of that investigation. Horan spoke publicly about weight-shaming behaviors at PSG on multiple occasions before Benstiti's hiring at OL Reign. She recalled thinking at the time, "they're all adults, and did not consider the "context of how these people met." Require Clubs to Revise Their Anti-Harassment Policies to Be Consistent with the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy These behaviors undisputedly occurred and are still occurring." When Racing Louisville learned of Holly's sexual misconduct toward Erin Simon, the club acted quickly, firing him within hours of speaking to Simon, and in spite of a request from the NWSL that they pause to let the League investigate. One player said, After games, you could find [Riley] at the bar with players buying drinks, which she felt crossed "a propriety line." At least one player and a volunteer at the club corroborated that Holly treated Simon harshly. The Thorns's public announcement merely stated that Riley would not be retained as head coach for the 2016 season, without mentioning the investigation or termination, and without providing any reason for Riley not being retained. Wahlke admitted that she did not share the findings and conclusions from the report with the NWSL or the Red Stars because the material was privileged. When Stanton started "bawling [her] eyes out," Dames told her, "Your response is making me feel better about the accusation." Where necessary to gather additional facts, the NWSLPA further followed up with some players directly, requesting they share their experiences with the Joint Investigative Team. B. e) The USSF Dames Investigation's Conclusions Bailey also noted to Whisler that the player survey results were shared with Flynn and Gulati, and Whisler emailed both Flynn and Gulati regarding the survey results. Players described how emotional misconduct affected their performance. Riley agreed to try, and the Dash traded her back to the Thorns a week later. Other club policies did not address supervisor or manager obligations to elevate complaints to anyone. Distribute Annual Player Surveys and Promptly Investigate Allegations of Misconduct Raised in Responses In multiple investigations by the NWSL, no written report, summary, or other record of findings was prepared, and findings were not broadly shared. When interviewed by the Joint Investigative Team, Burke admitted making these comments but did not acknowledge their offensiveness. Players Experienced an Array of Interpersonal Misconduct and Reports of That Misconduct Were Mishandled. In addition to their many concerns about Dames, players told U.S. Soccer's investigator they felt the club's owner, Arnim Whisler, was insensitive and unresponsive to their concerns about Dames." One player opined that in the past, players had an innate instinct to put up with" problematic behavior and to protect a nascent, unstable league. Simon recalled that when she told him he could not touch her like that and that it was messing with her, he responded, "If you don't want me to touch your tits, I won't touch your tits." Though the club did not provide a reason for Benstiti's resignation at the time, The Washington Post reported later that year that Benstiti had made inappropriate comments to players regarding their fitness and nutrition." She pushed his hands away, crossed her legs, and turned away from him, but Holly told her to lighten up" and have fun. Hendrix said Simon told her about this incident right after it happened, and she recalled Simon crying. Another player recalled that Riley loved the feeling of controlling our lives, and that he acted on this feeling by chang[ing] the schedule at the last minute" and "withhold[ing] information 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. A second player credibly reported that Riley made comments regarding that player's weight and required her to report her weight to him daily. Players were confused about where to report misconduct, and the absence of clear guidance about reporting channels or designated personnel to receive reports compounded the problem. The NWSL's Founding, Initial Success, and Challenges Publicly, however, the club merely announced that it would not retain Riley for a third season, and then-Thorns General Manager and President of Soccer Gavin Wilkinson said, on behalf of the club, "I would like to thank Paul for his services to the club these past two seasons." 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. From her perspective, the concerns about Dames were not an emergency situation because the players identified as Dames's primary targets were no longer with the team" and the issues involved "older conduct." 7. 1. Players raised multiple concerns about him to club management. 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. The player recalled that a staff member who lived in her apartment complex "would offer to come over" to her apartment to give [her] a massage or help [her] with things like hanging [her] blinds." Holly was an assistant coach at the U-23 camp, which Simon did not know until a couple of days prior to the start of the camp. This player said that on another occasion, she did not really" want to visit Riley's Long Island home but "felt pressure to go." Witnesses to body-shaming by both Pauw and Riley reported that "players developed eating disorders and sought mental health treatment." Eight different ownership groups and 15 individuals -- including some from the NWSL and U.S. Soccer -- come under detailed scrutiny in the latest report. For at least one player, the limited size and resources of the League contributed to an impression that clubs were solely or primarily responsible for handling investigations. One player reported that Dames had one-on-one dinners with players where he made comments about their appearances and dating lives. Harrington then stated that the player may have contacted him via WhatsApp or may have just flagged [him] down" in the hotel lobby. Former NWSL Executive Director Cheryl Bailey said that in the League's early years, there was an expectation that clubs would each develop their own HR capability. The announcement finally came on July 16, about a termination that happened on July 9. During that interview, she explained that she was more involved in on-the-field issues and that Chris Long was more involved in sponsorship and other business issues. The NWSL began requiring background checks of prospective coaches and other club staff, and it has begun efforts to offer an anti-harassment training for players, coaches, and League and club staff. These misunderstandings hindered the reporting and identification of misconduct, placing players at unnecessary risk. In the 2015 player survey, several players made negative comments about Flash Head Coach Aaran Lines. 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. 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. Simon recalled being scared and noted that Holly lived in her apartment building, so she wanted to know how the club could keep her safe and make sure Holly did not come to her apartment after he was fired. At the second club, the relationship between the staff member and the player allowed rumors to pass between management, staff, and players.
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