as leverage to manipulate players. One player recalled that at Dames's suggestion, she spent more time socializing with players identified as Dames's favorites. One of the players interviewed by Garcia by telephone told the Joint Investigative Team that her conversation with Garcia involved general questions, and she was given no indication that the conversation was part of an investigation. Some came from the media, and many others came from an investigation run by former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates for the U.S. Soccer Federation. For example, Racing Louisville player Erin Simon observed that former Racing Louisville Head Coach Christy Holly, discussed at length below, would inappropriately put his hands on players "all the time in training, and a rookie teammate went along with his inappropriate touching because she was a bench player and feared being cut from the team. The NWSL periodically distributed annual player surveys seeking feedback from players about a variety of topics. The player described feeling shocked at the sudden threat because her teammate "[hadn't] done a thing and was harmless." Christy Holly (Sky Blue, Assistant Coach, 2013-2015 and Head Coach, 2016-2017; Racing Louisville, Head Coach, 2020-2021) Dames joined the Red Stars in 2011 as a volunteer coach, when the club was part of the semi-professional Women's Premier Soccer League ("WPSL). Additionally, 15 current and former NWSL staff members engaged in interviews or provided documents, as did 11 current and former U.S. Soccer staffers. "We've grown out of a college environment at this point. This policy provides additional instructions regarding the reporting of complaints." 101, When players reported concerns about Dames or resisted his social invitations, they experienced retaliation. 2, these players faced the greatest barriers to speaking out about or obtaining redress for what they experienced. The NWSL's current processes and requirements, while improved, can be better implemented. In October 2022, the Thorns made witnesses available for additional interviews with the Joint Investigative Team. Estes, O'Connor, and Wilkins attended this meeting with players. 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." As The Washington Post reported, at least three other players "wanted to speak to U.S. Soccer investigators" about their experiences with Dames but were not given the opportunity. When the Courage was deciding whether to retain Riley as coach in 2017, Gulati told Courage owner Steve Malik that he should speak with Riley's previous employers, but Gulati did not inform Malik of the 2015 allegations or investigative findings regarding Riley. The NWSLPA regularly encouraged its members to share relevant information with the Joint Investigative Team. The NWSL completed an independent investigation, and it announced that based on witness interviews and a review of video footage, no disciplinary action would be taken against the club. When the Joint Investigative Team interviewed her, Wahlke denied making such a request. As discussed above, in early 2022, counsel for the Pride conducted an investigation into reports of inappropriate conduct by Head Coach Amanda Cromwell and Assistant Coach Sam Greene. The details could go too many different directions to even speculate. For instance, Duffy told the Joint Investigative Team she received "maybe one or two" updates while the investigation was ongoing. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy expands the scope of protections to prohibit discrimination based on any protected characteristic and to more explicitly prohibit retaliation. December 14, 2022 A player from another club recalled players feeling like they would not be protected if they spoke up about a coach's misconduct, and the player also expressed fear that she would be traded or cut if she raised concerns about her coach. g) Consequences of Inaction Non-fraternization policies need to extend beyond just head coaches as demonstrated within the report with very critical language regarding relationships between players and staff. 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. 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. . While the emails between Whisler, Bailey, Flynn, and Gulati obtained by the Joint Investigative Team do not reflect this, Whisler said that he attempted, but was unable, to get more information from U.S. Soccer on the comments regarding Dames or direction on how to address them. The Thorns's 2015 report clearly established certain of Shim's uncontested allegations, including that Riley made alcohol available to Shim and Farrelly at his apartment and danced with Shim, and that the players kissed at Riley's apartment that night (something Shim and another player corroborated was done to avoid the suicide mile); that Riley had one-on-one film sessions at his apartment with Shim and had dinner alone with Shim; that Riley sent Shim a series of inappropriate text messages; and that Riley deleted an email from Shim to Riley informing him that his conduct was inappropriate without telling his superiors about Shim's email. 29, In a written summary prepared for the Joint Investigative Team, the Courage stated that Chief Soccer Officer Curt Johnson and Malik vetted Riley, including by speaking with leadership at the Flash and with some of Riley's players at the Flash, who provided positive feedback. While player transactions and staff terminations are certainly not the only conduct that could be retaliatory-and many player transactions may be motivated by non-retaliatory and soccer-specific reasonstaking this step could alert the NWSL to any potentially retaliatory player transactions or staff terminations and allow the NWSL to investigate where needed. 106, that Holly screamed at and verbally abused players. Following public reporting about Hansen's statements, the NWSL conducted an investigation and pushed Hansen to sell the club. 103, Benstiti did not respond to the Joint Investigative Team's request to speak with him. The NWSL's Founding, Initial Success, and Challenges 5. Consider Engaging a Third Party to Provide Mental Health First-Aid Training for All NWSL and Club Staff and Players 38, that Riley denied "weight-shaming" Kurtz, and Johnson told Riley that he should speak to players about "fitness, not "weight." 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. The Joint Investigative Team also contacted all 12 active clubs in the NWSL in writing at the outset of the investigation. A player on another team recalled that a general manager, when asked by a player about hotel room arrangements, screamed at the player for several minutes and accused the player of "trying to get inside information about who was going to be traded." While Dames yelled at players on the field, off the field, he developed close relationships that blurred personal and professional boundaries. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy requires clubs to promptly report all reports of misconduct to the League. The player survey changed significantly in 2020. Later that month, the NWSL adopted a Non-Fraternization Policy as part of its Operations Manual. The documents should be kept confidential and shared only with individuals who need them to investigate and make determinations regarding investigation outcomes and discipline. As a result of these failures, in multiple instances, players reported experiencing difficulty or confusion in reporting concerns of inappropriate behavior. One player recalled that six players spoke during the meeting; only one returned for the next season. The banned coaches engaged in sexual misconduct, verbal and emotional abuse and made sexist and racist remarks to players, a 14-month investigation found. 53, indicating he wanted to go to Simon's apartment and describing "inappropriate things he would do." Just when we thought it was safe to go back in the water, too. According to the staff member, Predmore said the Benstiti weight-shaming issue was a cultural thing and that he "worked on it." A staff member reported that he and another staff member told Clarkson that they did not believe it was a hangover. Strengthen Anti-Harassment Policies At some point, the notion of Shim and Farrelly kissing was raised, though no one could recall in 2015 who raised the idea; Farrelly told the Joint Investigative Team that Riley pushed the notion of intimacy between the players-both that night and persistently even before that nightand Shim and Farrelly have since recalled that Riley likely came up with the idea for them to kiss. 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." In total, the Joint Investigative Team reviewed approximately 200,000 documents. Despite the discussions between U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and both the Thorns and Courage regarding Rileys unsuitability to coach the USWNT, no steps were taken to remove or prevent him from coaching NWSL players, the report alleges. 52, Simon recalled that Holly once brought her into a suite in the Racing Louisville stadium for a film session, even though she had tried to hold it in a public place. Ownership terminated Ms. LaHues employment on July 9 and stands by that decision.. In January 2017, NCWFC, LLC, owned by Steve Malik, bought the Flash and moved the team to North Carolina, renaming it the North Carolina Courage. Based on the findings, the Thorns terminated Riley. Describing Dames, a Red Stars player stated that a "huge day-to-day struggle was the fear-what was the day going to bring?" D. When Simon arrived at Holly's house, Pearce Rampone was not there. She specifically denied receiving any complaints from Press regarding Dames. This information sharing between the staff member and the player led other players to express concerns to team management that the staff member was sharing players' private medical information with the player they were dating. The statement reads in part, Ms. The announcement finally came on July 16, about a termination that happened on July 9. Despite this high turnover, the NWSL has proven to be more resilient than its predecessor leagues. When asked whether she thought Whisler's close relationship with Dames led to players' unwillingness to report Dames's behavior, the staff member said she did think "there came a point where players felt, '[W]hy are we even raising issues to [Whisler]? Please sign in below. In fact, for much of the NWSLs existence, background checks on coaches and player-facing staff were not required. Another player explained, "We are still in a growing league, and that's not lost on players." Volatile Conduct Mishandling of Rory Dames's Misconduct by U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and the Chicago Red Stars Multiple current and former players from the Current raised concerns that Williams retaliated against players for participating in the meeting with ownership, both by mistreating players who complained and by taking actions to remove them from the club. Even Clarkson told the Joint Investigative Team that he felt that the head coach and general manager roles should be held by two different people, and that he raised this issue with the Dash's president. The NWSL should require clubs to provide separate housing accommodations to establish clearer boundaries between players and club staff. This misconduct included sending the player inappropriate text messages that continued even after the player told LaHue to accept that they were working together and nothing more. Players, including Kaiya McCullough, recounted in that article that Burke berated, screamed at, and targeted players, and that he had used racially insensitive language. Players explained that this dynamic can be exacerbated for bench players or newer players who might not feel empowered to speak up, or who might feel that their position on the team is not sufficiently secure. USWNT and Portland Thorns' Becky Sauerbrunn speaks out after findings of systemic abuse across women's soccer in the Yates report. 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. 84, stepping down from his position as the Spirit's head coach, the club first announced he would be reassigned to the club's front office. According to Kurtz, Riley denied her request, telling her the club need[ed]" her. (There have already been consequences since the Yates report, including Merritt Paulson and Arnim Whisler agreeing to sell the Portland Thorns and Chicago Red Stars, respectively.). Several players reported that following this meeting, Williams began to treat certain players negatively. As described in detail below, the Joint Investigative Team contacted and interviewed stakeholders representing a variety of perspectives, including current and former players, coaches and other club staff, NWSL employees and officials, U.S. Soccer officials, NWSLPA and U.S. Women's National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) leadership, and other members of the professional soccer community. The Joint Investigative Team looked to a variety of sources, including the League's 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy and professional coaching standards, when making these assessments. The investigators said they conducted more than 200 interviews and reviewed some 200,000 documents. Clarkson denied ever raising his voice at players or losing control of his emotions, notwithstanding credible evidence to the contrary. Burke screamed and cursed at players, even when those players were crying and visibly emotional. 3. Since the Joint Investigative Team began its work, the NWSL has increased efforts to eradicate misconduct, embraced greater accountability, and experienced a cultural shift regarding behaviors that are no longer tolerated. Background checks and reputational vetting of player-facing club employees were not mandatory for much of the NWSL's existence. The clause prevented Dames from making any negative, critical, or disparaging remarks about Whisler or the Red Stars, but did not restrict Dames's remarks about players. Some types of misconduct against players, including certain instances of sexual abuse and manipulation, have already been widely reported. The Joint Investigative Team collected documents and other materials from a variety of sources, including the NWSL, its member clubs, the NWSLPA, U.S. Soccer, and various individuals. Reports of Retaliation for Complaints of Misconduct She was. It provides a successful (albeit anonymous) example of this working in late 2021. Also around that time, Paulson-who frequently communicated with Malik-wrote to Malik via text message: "Paul's contract was up when he left us and we didnt [sic] renew it. Horan also said "the French coach was very brutal with it." The following morning, on August 31, 2021, Starr met with Racing Louisville's HR Director Erin Wilkins, O'Connor, Estes, and Bates. By June 26, 2018, Levine had transferred her records of the short NWSL investigation to She recalled Harrington commenting that some players had "good bodies but unattractive" faces, and he would refer to those players as "butterfaces" or "shrimpheads." What follows is a high-level summary of the Joint Investigative Team's findings related to these key individuals and entities. Numerous individuals reported that Cromwell and Greene stopped speaking to players who they believed had supported the allegations under investigation and who did not apologize to Cromwell and Greene for their participation in the March 2022 investigation. Kansas City Current Historically, there was no established process for sharing information about misconduct complaints or investigation findings among U.S. Soccer, the League, and clubs. Another player recalled other players informing her this coach was telling people that she needed to lose weight, but he never discussed it with her directly. One player said, After games, you could find [Riley] at the bar with players buying drinks, which she felt crossed "a propriety line." The policy provides multiple options for players to report concerns, including via an anonymous text hotline, or by emailing, calling, or writing to the NWSL HR office. Players recounted instances in which Harrington made sexual comments to and about players. 2. This reduces the risk that the concentration of power in a single individual will chill reporting of misconduct. Offensive and Insensitive Behavior Related to Race and Ethnicity After experiencing weight-shaming by Pauw and Riley, witnesses reported that players developed eating disorders and sought mental health treatment. Neither the Flash nor the Courage were provided a copy of the report that led the Thorns to fire Riley, and each received only limited details from the Thorns, U.S. Soccer, and the NWSL about Riley's misconduct in 2015. Players described their coaches' continual policing of food intake not as informed decisions based on nutritional needs, but rather as an example of these coaches' compulsion for control. 36, findings about Riley's inappropriate behavior beyond that night. This framework remained unchanged until August 13, 2021, when the NWSL implemented a process requiring clubs to submit their head coach candidates to the NWSL for a background check and subsequent approval. The NWSL should share with all clubs when a club employee is removed from a club due to a finding of misconduct under the Anti-Harassment Policy. Holly sent Simon a picture of his penis over WhatsApp. Moreover, individual acts of misconduct in the League cannot be addressed without considering the failures in institutional structures, policies, and proceduresat U.S. Soccer, the League, and individual clubs-that have allowed misconduct to persist. In August 2019, with the U.S. Soccer investigation ongoing, Dames texted Whisler that he had to "toe[] the proper line to not set off nonsense, and he felt this approach had made players "complacent." Levine's email contained no context or explanation for why she was forwarding the report. 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. O'Connor noted "there was definitely acknowledgement" by Holly. In another incident, players reported that Clarkson criticized an injured player. Boundary Blurring Between Players and Staff Players Lacked Clear Guidance Regarding What Constituted Misconduct Background. In late June 2015, Riley encouraged players to attend a Women's World Cup match in Vancouver. The NWSL also announced plans to launch a new position dedicated to player safety. Furthermore, the investigation was not conducted in a trauma-informed manner, as is standard for such an investigation. U.S. Soccer, the League, and individual clubs were not clear on which entity held the ultimate responsibility for establishing and enforcing policies and practices relating to misconduct, or thoroughly investigating complaints and allegations of misconduct. In April 2021, the NWSL adopted its first such policy, called the AntiHarassment Policy for a Safe Work Environment (the "2021 Anti-Harassment Policy"). Incorporate Anti-Retaliation Training Into Other Mandatory Trainings Anti-retaliation training should define retaliation and emphasize that retaliation can take many forms-not just termination of employment or formal discipline. Before the next season, certain players who had participated in the meeting or raised concerns about Williams were traded, waived, or not re-signed. Novo said club leadership told him to give Holly "the opportunity to step away if he wants to." 8. A third player recalled that during trips for away games, the team would "go to the bar together and Riley would "be there buying players . Emotional Misconduct As described above, Nikki Stanton recalled that Dames said she was not playing well because of her girlfriend at the time. In addition, despite recent messages of empowerment from the League and clubs, gender norms and biases led many players to believe that their needs and concerns were not worthy of attention. Wahlke told the Joint Investigative Team that she did not recall reviewing the 2015 Thorns report in detail, but she recalled reviewing the email from the Thorns's counsel that concluded Riley had not engaged in unlawful harassment. mentally" and could not perform at her best for the rest of the year. As applied to the Red Stars, the non-disparagement clause restricted not only Whisler but also "[all] owners, executive and senior management and front office staff" from making any negative, critical, or disparaging statements about Dames. Distribute Annual Player Surveys and Promptly Investigate Allegations of Misconduct Raised in Responses Facilitate Information Sharing Among Clubs Regarding Findings of Misconduct The following day, on June 14, 2018, Dames texted Whisler that he heard Levine had contacted a player to set up a call, and Whisler promptly responded that he had spoken to the player in question. A report organized by the league and its players union added yet more stinging information about how the league was mismanaged and how it mistreated its players. 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 5. 51, with an erection. 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. In interviews with the Joint Investigative Team, both Levine and Duffy remembered that they paused the NWSL investigation at Wahlke's request. A text message conversation between Whisler and Dames confirms the player's concern. Some players viewed this as defending stadium security staff. Shim told the Joint Investigative Team that it would be an easy thing for Riley to claim that her performance had decreased to justify the drop in playing time. Another staff member at the same club was retained as a consultant after complaints that he made inappropriate comments and singled out players. The investigative teams evidence included inappropriate and suggestive text messages along with accounts of unwanted attention, even following pushback from the player. In mid-August 2021, Starr told the NWSL volunteer chaplain coordinator that a player shared that Holly had touched her inappropriately, though Starr did not share Simon's name. The latest investigation ("the joint investigation") acknowledges and reiterates the Yates report's detailing of misconduct by former Portland Thorns, Western New York Flash and North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley; former Washington Spirit coach Richie Burke; and former Sky Blue FC and Racing Louisville coach Christy Holly.