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Equality. Wilkinson told the Joint Investigative Team that he discussed Riley's termination with Lines, though he was uncertain whether Lines had already known Riley was terminated, rather than simply not retained. On the evening of June 14, 2018, two days after the NWSL received the complaint about Dames, Levine and Duffy paused their investigation at Wahlke's request and informed the players they had contacted that they were "handing the matter off to an independent third party." On Paulson acknowledged in the letter that the club had made an "opaque" public announcement regarding Riley's termination, and he outlined new and ongoing initiatives for improvement. 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 By the end of the 2021 season, multiple players who had participated in the meeting were traded, waived, or not re-signed. Develop and Enforce Guidelines Addressing Appropriate Interactions Between Club Staff and Players In addition to the SafeSport Trained Core Course, players who are not minors are required to take a 30-minute SafeSport Training for Adult Athletes. 114, staff and players to identify conditions and circumstances for socializing that prioritize player safety and respect for boundaries. Other players also pointed to the developments of the past two years, and in particular, the implementation of the NWSL AntiHarassment Policy, as positive signs of a cultural change. Johnson recalled Flynn describing the incident as "a moment of poor judgment. Johnson said he did not understand from the conversation with Flynn that the incident had played a role in Riley's departure from the Thorns; rather, Johnson understood from Riley and from media reports that Riley's departure was related to a team performance issue. The same player said that at another club, she saw players go to dinner with the coach all the time. A former player recalled that Dames would hang out with some players more often than others." A. 1. The NWSL should consider whether players and staff would benefit from the League establishing guidelines on appropriate socializing between players and individuals with supervisory authority over players, including head coaches. She also reported that she had not at the time personally dealt with her experiences with Riley, and she was afraid of jeopardizing her position on the Thorns, which she felt was the best team to play for in the NWSL. One player said that the observed closeness between Holly and the staff member created a crazy, weird power dynamic," where the staff member was given improper decision-making authority over issues like nutrition. The NWSL's Non-Fraternization Policy, adopted in 2018, states: "No person in management or a supervisory position with a Team or the League shall have a romantic or dating relationship with a League or team employee whom he or she directly supervises or whose terms or conditions of employment he or she may influence." In May or June 2020, shortly after the murder of George Floyd, Burke made a comment-when players were kneeling for a photo to show solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement-about how it would look if someone took a photo while he knelt on a practice dummy and "flipped off" the camera. Between 2013 and 2017, the NWSL distributed player surveys asking general questions about players' history in the NWSL and plans for the off-season. The player said that LaHue was also critical of her religious beliefs and told her that she and other team members who shared those beliefs were seen as judgmental. 33, An NWSL HR employee recalled that she immediately went to Levine's office to discuss Among the new revelations about specific individuals, those regarding Houston Dash head coach James Clarkson stand out. Kurtz further detailed to investigators incidents of weight-shaming by Riley, noting that she developed an eating disorder. Clubs did not consistently prohibit player-staff relationships, which created confusion about whether such relationships were permissible. Several players interviewed reported that Clarkson targeted one or two players each year for excessive and unjustified criticism, and that Clarkson's conduct towards these players was outside the bounds of appropriate coaching. While the organization cut back its spending in 2002 and 2003, it could not recover financially. We must make the necessary changes based on the unprofessionalism and carelessness in the past in order to pave [the way for] a more mature and harmless future.. Women's Soccer Bans Ex-Coaches and Fines Teams After Misconduct Report One of the players recalled that Benstiti said, I don't care if you go to the newspapers no more fast food. While Sky Blue FC still might not be a first-place team, the differences off the pitch are shaping how the players perform on the pitch. These examples are illustrative and non-exhaustive; the policy makes clear that harassment can also include physical, visual, and written conduct, such as circulating or posting written materials that show hostility toward an individual because of their protected status, including derogatory cartoons, drawings, websites, emails, text messages, gifs, or memes. Despite receiving players' reports of verbal and emotional abuse by Dames, she took no action to suspend Dames or otherwise prevent further misconduct during the investigation. E. Reports of Misconduct in 2020 and 2021 98, Multiple players also voiced concerns that coaches found to have committed misconduct were not terminated but were instead allowed to resign from their positions. Players from marginalized backgrounds, or with the least job security, were often targets of misconduct.". He also commented on players' weight and made verbally caustic remarks towards and about players; some players credibly reported that he was verbally abusive, including that he called players idiots, motherfuckers, and dumb, stupid, slow, idiotic, retarded, and that he said that they "have no balls and will never be better than the average 16 year old boy." The NWSL should not just list reporting channels in the Anti-Harassment Policy, but should email or otherwise share them with players, staff, and volunteers on a regular basis. The agreement prohibited the club from disclosing Holly's sexual misconduct, including to law enforcement, unless compelled by law. Sky Blue FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has named Alyse LaHue as General Manager. "We've seen other teams continue to up their professional standards, and Sky Blue has to follow suit," LaHue said. In written responses to the Joint Investigative Team, Plush stated that he told then-Sky Blue President and General Manager Tony Novo there were allegations of inappropriate conduct against Riley, encouraged Novo to reach out to the Thorns, and discouraged him from hiring Riley. Misunderstandings resulting from the way the findings were conveyed contributed to the development of substantial tension and divisiveness within the locker room. MBA-Packing Intern Was 'On the Ball' - St. Ambrose University 2. Farrelly emailed Wilkinson expressing discontent and concern that she was being traded so soon after the investigation into Riley's conduct. Enhance Reporting and Investigation Procedures. The NWSL then informed the club that it was not in compliance with the policy. It acknowledged that the League had a "need to know," and that an "allegation that a head coach has acted inappropriately toward a player is obviously of concern to the League." 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 most cases, witnesses were interviewed one at a time, although some interviews were conducted in small groups-for example, interviews of NWSLPA player representatives from certain clubs and of representatives from the Black Women's Player Collective, an organization founded by Black NWSL players to "advance opportunities for Black girls in sport and beyond." A player who participated in the USSF Dames Investigation told the investigator about an instance in which Dames kept her from visiting her parents. In multiple instances, Clarkson failed to understand how his conduct impacted players. In 2021, responding to an email that mentioned the USSF Dames Investigation, Whisler wrote that Dames was "fully investigated" based on "an anonymous tip from a disgruntled former player," and that U.S. Soccer found that "no action was required." On July 2, 2021, OL Reign announced, Farid Benstiti has resigned his position as head coach of the club with immediate effect. One player told the Joint Investigative Team that they felt Benstiti should have been fired and there should have been a private apology from the club to the players and a commitment to do right by the players. The NWSL should also develop standards for evaluating an applicant's fitness for the position, based on the results of background checks, that are consistent with applicable legal restrictions, including applicable state laws. Novo said club leadership told him to give Holly "the opportunity to step away if he wants to." Multiple players reported that Holly complimented a Racing Louisville player about her hair in one of her Instagram photographs; she was wearing a bathing suit in the photograph. Burke also engaged in multiple instances of conduct that included stereotyping and jokes about Jewish people. In some cases, even where clubs did have HR personnel, the clubs did not adequately inform players about the reporting channels available to them, leaving players under the impression that there were no HR personnel to whom they could report issues at the club. 32, and that for this reason, Riley would be disqualified from consideration. pic.twitter.com/hlBpaiwkaP, NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) July 16, 2021. Another player echoed this sentiment, saying, There are relationships in the League between player and coach, and there have been for a long time. Romantic relationships between players and staff members pose several potential problems, including (i) the power During this conversation, he asked Holly, "How would you like to handle that?" Since U.S. Soccer did not adequately disseminate the findings to the NWSL, the NWSL did not take any disciplinary or corrective action toward Dames. I think most people that get an MBA then try to go on and get a nice . Additionally, Farrelly was not treated as someone who was also targeted by Riley, and her interview-which lasted only 30 minutes at most-focused on Shim's allegations against Riley and whether Farrelly had told anyone about the incidents; the interview did not probe deeply into Farrelly's own negative experiences with Riley. 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 larger point is that if the environment at [the Red Stars] was different, and were perceived as one of mutual respect and professionalism, these issues would likely not be issues." The statement said LaHue has remained in conversation with investigators. Interviewees expressed that Clarkson failed to recognize when his ineffective communication was detrimental to players' emotional wellbeing, though many players also stated that Clarkson was tough but fair. (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.). The Courage and the Spirit listed an anonymous reporting hotline whereby employees could make complaints, but no clubs referenced the NWSL RealResponse hotline in their policies. 1. One player said it felt "like the lid came off" when the pressures of being head coach combined with Holly's personal life. These comments constituted impermissible emotional misconduct because they had the potential to, and did, cause emotional and psychological harm by degrading, insulting, and belittling players based on their weight. 31, [U.S. Soccer] are aware of the issues because they were raised when he was at the Thorns." Within one day of learning of the players complaint, the matter was escalated to the NWSL pursuant to league policy. NJ/NY Gotham FC parts ways with general manager Alyse LaHue Prioritize DEI Initiatives to Create a More Inclusive Environment for All Players and Staff 114 Establish Guidelines Addressing Appropriate Meeting Locations for Oneon-One Meetings Between Club Staff and Players Players expressed concerns that Whisler was loyal to Dames and justified Dames's behavior even when players brought concerns directly to Whisler. Had they done so, Riley likely would not have been hired by the Flash or, later, the Courage. . The NDA between Holly and Racing Louisville caused various problems, including for investigators trying to obtain evidence. Multiple players recognized the frequency of these invitations and communications as "not normal and inappropriate." The content of this report is sensitive and graphic. Pauw appeared for an interview with the Joint Investigative Team, but refused to cooperate. A text message conversation between Whisler and Dames on June 13, 2018, indicates that Whisler informed Dames of the complaint shortly after speaking to Levine. 85, In contrast, the NWSL's 2021 Anti-Harassment Policy prohibited certain forms of misconduct even if the conduct was not unlawful. Harrington responded that he reviewed his phone records, but he could not verify how the player contacted him. Another player wrote that Riley was "personally verbally attacking" a player during a game and further alleged that he lashed out every single game." After Riley joined the Thorns, he targeted Thorns player Mana Shim. Whisler and Dames's text conversations reflect this benefit. The two players found it difficult to identify reporting channels, whether anonymous or not, at either the NWSL or the Thorns. Non-contact physical behavior can also contribute to the creation of emotional misconduct. Farrelly reported to the Joint Investigative Team that she did not go into the interview with Garcia planning to disclose that history and instead planned to respond to the specific questions asked. Inappropriate Intimate and Sexual Interactions with Players Additional Barriers to Effective Reporting The Joint Investigative Team found multiple instances of romantic relationships between players and staff members in violation of this policy. In January 2020, Simon left West Ham and signed with the Dash. B. E. Standards for Assessing Reports of Misconduct The NWSL should increase transparency regarding the outcomes of investigations and the NWSL's investigation processes generally. Two players described Dames's mood shifts as "a cycle of abuse." The NWSL did not distribute these player surveys consistently: player surveys were distributed yearly from 2013 to 2017, and again in 2020. The union is referenced by players in the report as a default place to voice concerns, for lack of historical human resources departments in the league and at clubs, but concerns remain over how reported complaints are handled. Moreover, investigations into allegations of misconduct should not be limited to assessing whether "unlawful harassment" occurred. The club fired LaHue in July 2021. 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. Gorden said that she and her boyfriend were racially profiled, prompting a league investigation at the time. The club put out a statement via Twitter stating that LaHue had been let go following an investigation by the league. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that the Thorns phrased the announcement this way based on the 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. . Together with favorable comments Paulson and Wilkinson made about Riley, this reinforced the impression formed by the Flash and the Courage that Riley had not engaged in misconduct when employed by the Thorns. With the new details from the joint investigation along with the previous report released in October, it has become apparent that significant policy changes must be made to the league to ensure this behavior is discouraged and, if it does occur, reported and handled properly. During this meeting, Simon emphasized that she wanted to remain confidential, because she felt scared and unsafe. Mishandling of Paul Riley's Misconduct by U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and the Portland Thorns The NWSL and NWSLPA ultimately directed Covington and Weil to jointly conduct an independent, thorough, and objective investigation, to be led by Covington, under the direction of a newlyformed Oversight Committee. Contrary to the assertion that the allegations were largely unsupported by specific examples," the report's own findings included multiple examples of the ways in which players felt Dames did not maintain professional boundaries. Players Lacked Effective Channels for Reporting Inappropriate Behavior.. This confusion extended to the question of whether U.S. Soccer, the League, or clubs were expected-or even permitted-to develop HR functions and address misconduct. At the other end of the spectrum, another club "leaned on the League to run the background checks" or, in the case of its head coach, "did not do that vetting because in the soccer community, [the coach] was such a public and well-known figure." The Joint Investigative Team carefully considered which individuals to identify by name in this Report. NWSL staff, players, and club staff are required to then take three 30-minute annual refresher courses. While he sometimes yelled at her during practice, she described the yelling as a one and done; others he [would] stick with for a whole practice. Another player who felt positively about Dames similarly said that Dames would "pick on" certain players, "constantly criticizing their on-field performance." Since 2019, some clubs have offered their own anti-harassment trainings, but those trainings have not been approved by the NWSL, and one club's HR staff reported that the NWSL had not been helpful in developing trainings. A member of club staff told us the decision was based on a "business perspective," but could not "ascribe any personal feelings" to the decision. Over a year later, in September 2019, the law firm retained by U.S. Soccer completed its investigative steps and produced a draft report to U.S. Soccer (the "USSF Dames Report"). The report did not make any recommendations, noting instead that recommended actions for the Thorns to take would be determined by Paulson and Wilkinson. Players at the Dash reported that they had heard that the club had hired an HR representative in 2021, but that players did not have much contact with her. One player on the Red Stars described witnessing Dames go after her teammates even after it was "pretty obvious" that they were "mentally destroyed." Dames remained head coach for nine full seasons in the NWSL, and when he resigned in November 2021, he was the A player expressed a similar concern, saying that she felt Holly made "decisions that weren't in the best interest of the team" because of his relationship. 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. Other players similarly reported that they feared retaliation from Burke, or otherwise held back from criticizing Burke, due to incidents in which Burke threatened to waive players who disagreed with him and due to the fact that he had unilateral control over player contracts. U.S. Soccer's 2018 investigation into Dames's conduct surfaced several concerns about his interactions with players, but minimized the breadth and severity of these concerns and failed to protect players during the 16 months it took to complete the investigation. 60, a) Drinking with Players Comments further stated that Dames made "sexist, racist, abusive, and other prejudicial remarks at players." The surveys also asked some open-ended questions and provided space for players to enter comments. Club owners, coaches, and general managers from Utah Royals FC, OL Reign, NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, Racing Louisville FC, and later, the Chicago Red Stars departed their clubs following reports of misconduct towards players, including overtly racist conduct, verbal and emotional abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. When U.S. Soccer Chief Legal Officer Lydia Wahlke learned that Levine had told Whisler about the complaint, she expressed concern, noting that "it could put [Whisler] in the position of unwittingly creating a retaliation claim if he acts on it or communicates it to any third party (and worse, to the responding party)." Toward the end of July 2021, Simon had coffee with Starr and told Starr that Holly had touched her inappropriately while reviewing film at the stadium. Several of these players described Clarkson as fair, but tough on players based on their soccer performance and potential. The Courage learned nothing of the allegation that Riley had said players could avoid the suicide mile by kissing, or of the other clearly established Yates was commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation, which is the sport's governing body and was, for eight years between 2012 and 2020, the manager of the NWSL as part of an operational agreement. When the investigation concluded in September 2019, Wahlke failed to share relevant information about the investigative findings with the NWSL or the Red Stars, citing U.S. Soccer's privilege as the rationale for not sharing this information. It has been a tumultuous season in the NWSL on the player advocacy front.