92, Players at the Thorns reported that they felt uncomfortable making complaints about Head Coach Paul Riley to Thorns President Gavin Wilkinson because the two were "buddybuddy." Overall, even the employee handbooks that generally acknowledged that club employees must comply Coordinate with Clubs and U.S. Soccer to Improve and Centralize Hiring Practices She explained that her job responsibilities were limited to coaching the national team, and she did not have a role in oversight of NWSL coaches. Wilkins, Estes, O'Connor, and outside legal counsel met with Holly later that day and terminated his employment. The report states that vague public statements contributed to the failure to adequately share information. a) Unconstructive, Personal, or Threatening Verbal Misconduct Likewise, a current general manager expressed that background checks "only catch[] so much" and explained that for this reason, her club also relied on input from players when hiring. The investigation focused on misconduct by NWSL employees and club staff directed at players. The player reported that Dames had texted one player at night to tell her he liked her outfit, and that he had "a tendency to 'pick on weak willed players and . Even as individuals at U.S. Soccer came to the conclusion that Riley's conduct made him unsuitable to be a national team coach, no one took any action to remove him from coaching NWSL players. Instead, it appears that, in the face of threatened litigation by Riley, and on the advice of counsel, the Thorns sought to limit their potential liability to their former coach. Clubs and Owners Giving Lahue a pass for something that is now a clear violation just because it's a newer policy would defeat the point of that necessary policy in the first place. While the player denied that this text made her uncomfortable, another player reported that she found the text concerning. One player reported that Dames had one-on-one dinners with players where he made comments about their appearances and dating lives. One player who witnessed this incident described that Dames's comments that had nothing to do with actually playing soccer" were constant." They warned Predmore that he [needed] to double check on Benstiti's comments to Horan and noted that they were "flagging it for him. The NWSL has recently hired an experienced general counsel, but it should ensure that it has the necessary resources and additional HR and Legal staff with experience in conducting sensitive investigations and expertise in DEI issues to fulfill its investigatory duties under the 2022 AntiHarassment Policy. On another occasion, after the detention of WNBA player Brittney Griner and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Clarkson approved conveying to a player's agent a contract offer from a Russian club, without acknowledging or showing sensitivity to the risks that would accompany playing in Russia. In late June 2015, Riley encouraged players to attend a Women's World Cup match in Vancouver. Clarkson, according to players interviewed in the report, targeted a couple of players each year to berate. 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. Though his candidacy never became serious, the report alleges that then-NWSL president Amanda Duffy and general counsel Lisa Levine worked with NWSL communications staff to prepare a draft public statement (which was never publicly released) related to the handling of sexual harassment complaints and a 2015 investigation by the Thorns when he coached that team. Reader discretion is advised. Hendrix informed the Joint Investigative Team that she had subtly tried to prevent Holly from being alone with Simon. Later that month, the NWSL adopted a Non-Fraternization Policy as part of its Operations Manual. 56, conduct, LaHue persisted. Cromwell told club leadership in reference to these players that the negative players suck the life out of this team," and that they were miserable people" and "bullies." Despite requests to the Thorns and the League, the Courage were not provided a copy of the 2015 investigative report and received only limited details from the Thorns, U.S. Soccer, and the NWSL about Riley's misconduct at the Thorns. . The Joint Investigative Team found no evidence that any of the 2020 player survey responses were elevated to Levine or anyone working in HR at the League. Under the leadership of Commissioner Jessica Berman, the NWSL released an updated Anti-Harassment Policy, increased dedicated resources for receiving and handling reports of misconduct, and acted on the findings of the Joint Investigative Team by removing individuals who engaged in misconduct from their roles at clubs. These allegations were largely unsupported by specific examples and appear to either be the result of personal relationships that have soured and/or a reaction to Dames's undisputed favoritism of certain players." Many clubs' anti-harassment policies were too narrow because they only prohibited unlawful harassment. The report stated that "Dames and Whisler offered credible explanations" for Dames's behavior in one incident. sex. Out of concern for Simon's anonymity, the NWSLPA and Racing Louisville players released a statement acknowledging the media and public's interest in transparency, while underscoring that "player safety will always be at the forefront and affirming that they stand behind Racing Louisville in the handling of the Club's recent matter and ask everyone to please trust and stand with us at this time." * The League should discourage clubs from entering into non-disclosure and nondisparagement agreements that restrict their ability to disclose alleged misconduct under the Anti-Harassment Policy to the NWSL, clubs, or members of the public. The Flash, the predecessor club to the Courage, began speaking with Riley regarding the head coach position in January 2016, around a month after Aaran Lines stepped down as head coach and became vice president of the Flash. Leveraging Players' Job Insecurity and Ambition However, the Joint Investigative Team found no evidence that the letters were written or sent. On an away trip to another state, she asked Dames for permission to visit her parents, who lived in the state. In addition to the lack of information at Sky Blue, NWSL personnel did not have a clear understanding of why Holly left Sky Blue. Founded in 2009 in Chicago. While some players expressed doubt that the SafeSport trainings were helpful, one player recalled that the SafeSport training made her realize she was experiencing sexual harassment; however, the player also noted that the training did not provide any NWSL-specific resources to help players experiencing misconduct. g) . 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." That January, the Courage made Riley their first head coach. 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. LaHue is supportive of the ongoing reforms that are taking place in the NWSL, it said in part. A majority of players expressed the view that Clarkson's treatment of players did not rise to the level of abuse or misconduct, though some of them took issue with some of Clarkson's conduct or aspects of his coaching style. Kurtz said that Riley's conduct led her to develop an eating disorder for which she later sought professional help. Four days after that, Equalizer Soccer reported the anti-harassment detail. Despite learning this information, investigators and individuals kept apprised of the investigation, including the Thorns and Levine, did not probe further by interviewing other witnesses, requesting additional text messages or emails, or asking Riley about his relationship with Farrelly, among other things. During this meeting with Novo, players shared that Holly had screamed at and verbally abused players. Support Former and Current NWSL Players in Pursuing Coaching Careers in the NWSL In text messages, LaHue also expressed an emotional reliance on the player and repeatedly questioned the player's interactions with another individual, stating in one message, [Y]ou knew I'd be mad about you talking to [her] so long. To address these concerns, the League has recently taken steps to create more effective reporting channels, including by setting up an anonymous hotline and listing reporting channels in the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy. Former Utah Royals head coach Craig Harrington and former Gotham GM Alyse LaHue drew two-year bans, with further conditions on subsequent NWSL employment. As one player described, Riley made it seem like "he had a direct line" to the USWNT head coach, and so as a player "you were willing to do everything he said to get you there." Hendrix recalled Holly texted Simon requesting pictures of Simon. Holly also crossed boundaries with other players by making unwanted sexual advances and overt sexual remarks to them. Players were asked to rate on a scale of one to five their satisfaction with: (i) facilities; (ii) technical staff knowledge and skill; (iii) logistics and accommodations; (iv) club organization; and (v) overall experience as a member of their NWSL teams. Some players also reported that the SafeSport trainings are not applicable to professional women's soccer and are geared toward youth sports, with the trainings including examples of misconduct involving children. Players on another team reported that a former assistant coach liked tweets critical of the Black Lives Matter movement, causing several Black and non-Black players to be uncomfortable and upset with the assistant coach. It was not until June 2021, when Benstiti gave a speech in which he criticized players' diets, that the club took action. In a separate survey of USWNT players, there were several negative comments about Dames: survey comments stated that the "head coach was disrespectful to players and created a hostile work environment." As a result, players felt they could not "risk going for dinner." Players told the Joint Investigative Team that this environment dissuaded them from reporting misconduct. The caveat, "if they were made," ignores the undisputed fact that Dames admitted to calling a Black player a "thug." Gulati told the Joint Investigative Team that the Thorns said they would only share the 2015 investigative report with the NWSL and with U.S. Soccer's General Counsel, Levine. Racing Louisville Ultimately, WUSA announced it was folding on September 15, 2003, less than a week before the kickoff of the 2003 World Cup in the United States. Consider Requiring Clubs to Report Planned Player Transactions or Staff Terminations to the NWSL Following Allegations of Misconduct In addition to the USSF Dames Report's internal contradictions, the report summary inappropriately minimized the severity of players' concerns. Alyse LaHue on Twitter: "We have an opportunity & ability to be leaders in this space in the way that @WNBA players & league have. Simon recalled being excited to play for Racing Louisville but also "terrified" because of Holly's past behavior toward her. Adding to this controversy, in July 2011, the WPS players' union filed a grievance that accused Borislow of bullying and threatening players, and creating a "hostile, oppressive and intimidating work environment." For example, when Riley was terminated from the Thorns in September 2015, the club's public announcement merely stated that Riley would not be retained as head coach for the 2016 season. Offensive and Insensitive Behavior Related to Race and Ethnicity Significant gaps exist in the NWSL's revised background check requirements. This player sensed that Riley "wanted to keep [her] feeling like [she] owed him and would do favors for him. In August 2020, Holly was named head coach of Racing Louisville, and in November 2020, Holly selected Simon in the expansion draft. Clarkson denied 95, stated: "I had no direct involvement in the creation, administration or review of the player surveys. 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. The staff member stated that Clarkson believed that the player was 100%" fit to play because she had dressed for the game, although the player reported that Clarkson was aware she had been dealing with the injury. Another player said that "it was clear [Holly] was not in an emotional place" to coach in 2017. The Thorns selected a lead investigator who was relatively inexperienced in conducting sensitive investigations. As an example of this favoritism, another player Second, the Joint Investigative Team found no support for the Thorns's independent assertion that the 2015 investigation did not reveal any "unlawful harassment by Riley, an assertion which seemed to have emerged just after the 2015 Thorns Investigation. Wilkinson responded that the trade was "purely a player move that made sense." 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. Former NWSL President Amanda Duffy recalled hearing that Holly stepped down and believed his relationship with Pearce Rampone "may have been part of [the reason]" that he left. On September 20, 2020, the Royals placed Head Coach Craig Harrington on a leave of absence, which public reporting stated was related to "inappropriate comments of a sexual nature with staff." For example, in June 2021, a group of players reached out to O'Connor and asked if they could speak with him. . For instance, the Courage credibly recounted that the club was only informed that players went to Riley's apartment after drinking with Riley in a nearby bar, and that someone stated that Riley had suggested they kiss. Dames's explanation relied on his communications with another staff member, but the investigator did not attempt to speak to this staff member or otherwise corroborate Dames's explanation. The Joint Investigative Team spoke to other players on the Red Stars who reported similar concerns of retaliation. That player requested that The Washington Post not name her in the article due to fears of retaliation. Whisler recalled that the club worked to get the severance agreement "done by midnight" on November 21, and he signed the agreement that night. Despite this high turnover, the NWSL has proven to be more resilient than its predecessor leagues. When LaHue was named GM in April, her first big goal was to re-establish a relationship with the fanbase, which had been very vocal about ousting former Sky Blue president and GM, Tony Novo. In 2019, when Riley was under consideration for the USWNT head coach position, Wahlke received a copy of the Thorns's 2015 investigative report regarding Riley, and she participated in discussions regarding his suitability for the position. Paulson also told the Joint Investigative Team that Riley and Lines had a long-standing relationship," and at the time Dames responded, [S]he was one of the 2 in consideration prior to any of this crap going on per our text last night. 90, with NWSL policies were unclear as to what those policies were and what club employees' obligations were. 81 votes, 27 comments. Additionally, the 2015 allegations and findings against Riley were often downplayed, including by discussing only certain aspects of the allegations and at times by using the phrase that no unlawful harassment" occurred as a way to summarize the investigative findings. One player said she felt that she could not breathe or think when Clarkson yelled at her as she was playing; another said she felt under the microscope based on the position she played and feared she would be cut from the team. Additionally, the investigation seemed focused on limiting the club's liability rather than d) Failure to Investigate The NWSL should consider avenues to create a formal partnership with the Black Women's Player Collective to hear and address the Collective's concerns and improve the NWSL experience for Black players. Harrington also stated "with 100% certainty" that he never [did] and would never enter a player's room." The background checks should continue to be conducted by professional employment services companies in a manner consistent with any applicable legal restrictions and guidelines. Some owners described their involvement in terms that one would not expect from owners of professional sports franchises. 6. 19, not respond appropriately to Shim's concerns for six years, until after Shim and Farrelly went public. Decisions regarding the disclosure of sexual misconduct are complex and involve numerous considerations, including player confidentiality and safety. The club immediately terminated the staff member for violating club policy.

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