That news followed a report from Meg Linehan of The Athletic on Thursday that Paul Riley, who was fired by the North Carolina Courage, had inappropriate sexual relationships with players and made. In the course of the investigation, the Joint Investigative Team investigated not only historical misconduct by coaches and other club staff, but also ongoing concerns of misconduct raised by players and staff regarding current player-facing personnel in the NWSL, including concerns that were raised for the first time after the investigation commenced. Just when we thought it was safe to go back in the water, too. According to one former Sky Blue player, Holly told a player in the weight room that when he saw her squat, he wanted to grab her ass. He also asked this player if she preferred boxers or briefs. Portland Thorns Plush told the Joint Investigative Team that the Flash had been considering Riley since October 2015, and Plush warned Lines in October 2015 that the Flash should not hire Riley but should follow up with the Thorns as to why Riley was "no longer coaching there." As one staff member explained, there had "always been a high interest and attention" in this player by LaHue. Investigators say they "reviewed approximately 200,000 documents.". Vera Pauw, who was the Houston Dash head coach in 2018 and is currently the head coach of the Ireland women's national team -- which will play in its first Women's World Cup next year -- was also identified in the report. A peek at LaHue's normally busy Twitter account suggests that things began to go south sometime around June 18, when her account last posted. Consider Requiring Clubs to Report Planned Player Transactions or Staff Terminations to the NWSL Following Allegations of Misconduct As with the first instance, the sex occurred after heavy drinking, with Riley paying for drinks and Farrelly feeling she had to appease Riley given his power in professional soccer and over her career. The report reached conclusions that minimized player concerns, that contradicted the factual findings laid out in the report, and that unjustifiably credited Whisler and Dames's statements. The Joint Investigative Team also found numerous deficiencies in the 2015 Thorns Investigation and subsequent communications by the Thorns, the NWSL, and U.S. Soccer about Riley's misconduct. Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue was fired by the team earlier this month on July 9, the club announced Friday. The complainant explained that one night, Riley told two players that the team would not have to do fitness drills if they kissed. The Joint Investigative Team investigated specific instances of misconduct that shed light not only on the lived experiences of the impacted players, but also on the cultural and Players and staff also described coaches creating emotionally toxic workplace environments by subjecting players to volatility or manipulation. The measures set forth below are only the beginning; it will take the collective efforts of everyone affiliated with the NWSL to build and maintain a culture with player safety, empowerment, and well-being at its core. a) Vetting Requirements for Coaches and Staff For example, the League's former interim CEO, Marla Messing, recalled multiple instances where, due to her experience in the soccer community, she was able to identify potential hires by clubs who were "terrible" or "abusive," but who had received clean background checks. In written responses to questions posed by U.S. Soccer and provided to the Joint Investigative Team, Flynn 2. 124 The training should advise that the NWSL does not tolerate inappropriate jokes that are sexist, racist, antisemitic, homophobic, bigoted, or that target any protected characteristic. One player recalled her club expressing "over and over" in response to players' requests for improved conditions and more resources, "This is how it is. 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. Sky Blue was not the only club at which a staff member and player became involved. Gotham fired her on July 9, 2021, and said in a statement seven days later that the dismissal was based on the results of a league investigation into a complaint of a violation of league policy.. Off the field, Dames blurred personal and professional boundaries. Multiple players emphasized that coaches who weight-shamed players often were concerned with appearance, irrespective of players' on-field performance. Background Develop and Enforce a Responsible Drinking Policy Applicable to All NWSL Staff, Club Staff, and Players Riley and Dames refused to speak to the joint investigation team or Yates' team, while Pauw "appeared, but refused to cooperate" and ultimately issued a written statement. Until now, the only reported detail was that LaHue was the subject of a complaint filed under the leagues anti-harassment policy. 7. One player told Predmore that they believed it to be "so important" that the club's communications state that Farid ha[d] been terminated. Instead, these conversations occurred on an ad hoc basis and were left to individual clubs. Club staff and players also recounted that Riley went out drinking with players and would buy them drinks, which some players, without experience with other coaches or clubs, assumed must have been normal for professional soccer. Farrelly also emailed Baird and the NWSL HR Office email account in April 2021, stating she had "not only witnessed but also experienced firsthand extremely inappropriate conduct" by Riley, that she had raised "serious" allegations during the 2015 investigation that were not independently investigated, that she had experiences of Riley making comments about her personal relationships and sexual orientation in addition to what she reported during the 2015 investigation, and that there were "numerous instances of severe misconduct" involving Riley prior to when she joined the NWSL. LaHue expressed an emotional reliance on the player, repeatedly questioned the player's interactions with another individual, and pressed the player for more attention. Alyse is the General Manager for Sky Blue FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Nevertheless, she decided to dress for the game because she did not think she would get any playing time. 124, VII. A. If [we have] a concern, we're going to sit down and try to find a solution. He also said, If you're trying to build trust, which is what we're trying to do, it's hard to build trust if someone's saying to you, '[I] can't tell you where it's coming from.' Multiple individuals emphasized the critical insight that can be gained by speaking with persons knowledgeable about the candidate and expressed the view that background checks alone are unable to detect every potentially problematic issue. 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 . Rather than removing Dames, reprimanding him, or initiating an investigation into players' allegations of abuse, Whisler continually defended Dames and expressed suspicion about players' motives for raising concerns. The report itself did not include or reference any finding about the lawfulness of Riley's conduct. The League and clubs should post easily-identifiable links to online reporting channels on websites where current and former players are likely to see them. 4. By January 2012, WPS suspended operations and announced it would be folding permanently in May 2012. Kurtz earned playing time while a more senior member of the Courage was competing with the USWNT, and she recalled Riley encouraging her with the news that Jill Ellis, then-Head Coach of the USWNT, was considering her for a spot on the team. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that he described to Wahlke the incident involving the coerced kiss between Farrelly and Shim, and they discussed the investigative findings and the fact that Riley had been terminated. One NWSLPA member expressed the need for training on the Anti-Harassment Policy. After Benstiti's hiring, Predmore instructed Benstiti not to discuss player weight or nutrition" with players, and "specifically forbade him from talking about "anything related to food." A player who said that she liked Dames acknowledged that he would not make the blunt crazy comments" to her that he made to others. A player similarly described Riley policing details, like players' off-field wardrobes, and described his behavior as creating a constant state of being on edge." Players recounted that he told one player he would have sex with her. The NWSL should also develop standards for evaluating an applicant's fitness for the position based on the results of reputational checks. One staff member said that everything Holly did "in film, in training, in games, in formations, in tactics centered around protecting" Pearce Rampone. Non-contact physical behavior can also contribute to the creation of emotional misconduct. Another player also recalled hearing players say they "would be at [his] pool and drinking," but Riley would then "get mad" because he thought that the players should be training. Two players said they sought therapy. Also during that time, in connection with Riley's hiring by the Flash, Plush, Gulati, Flynn, and Levine corresponded by email indicating some or all of them had discussed the need for [an NWSL] policy and training." Later that night, Bates texted Starr informing her he spoke to Racing Louisville Executive Vice President James O'Connor and Racing Louisville President Brad Estes about the sexual harassment, and they needed to know who the player was. On July 8, 2021, the Club was advised that the investigation determined that Ms. LaHue violated the leagues policy on harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. The Joint Investigative Team requested documents from every club through the appropriate club official or club counsel. C. It contributed to the perception among the general public, players, club staff, and owners alike that Riley's departure from the Thorns was voluntary or performance-related, rather than due to his misconduct. The NWSLPA also established a 24-hour anonymous reporting system through which players could report abuse, and invited reports directly to the NWSLPA, the Joint Investigative Team, or to the NWSLPA's counsel at Weil. b) Failures of Background Checks When asked to describe negative aspects of the team, one player responded, "[T]he head coach," and another responded [C]oaching staff. Craig Harrington, the former Utah Royal F.C. A player who raised concerns about Dames's treatment of players to Whisler in 2021 recalled that Whisler told her, Yes, I had this conversation with Rory a couple years ago to reel him back in. Courage leadership was made aware of Riley's conduct toward Kurtz, who also reported her experiences directly to then-NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird in a group meeting last year. In addition to reports of misconduct involving Paul Riley, Rory Dames, and Christy Holly, described in detail below, the Joint Investigative Team identified many instances of coaches, staff, club leadership, and other individuals in positions of power engaging in misconduct directed at players. Player-staff relationships, even when consensual, can create problems within a team environment and, in some instances, contribute to the mistreatment of players. From simultaneous kickoffs to end the regular season, to relegating the Challenge Cup to On Monday, NJ/NY Gotham FC released their highly anticipated preseason roster. 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. At some clubs, the players and club staff reported that they live in the same clubprovided housing during the season. Is that never appropriate?" Players may also report concerns via the NWSLPA hotline, the details for which are set forth in the policy, or to any team HR department, general manager, or administrator. Despite receiving updates on the investigation, U.S. Soccer failed to follow up on evidence that suggested Riley may have had a more extensive relationship with Farrelly. * Neither the club nor U.S. Soccer followed up on indications from the investigation that suggested Riley may have had a more extensive relationship with Farrelly. Multiple Spirit players expressed that they felt it was futile to report incidents to ownership or the club's general manager, as it was known that they were all just friends anyways, [and] there was no separation." Pauw appeared for an interview with the Joint Investigative Team, but refused to cooperate. We may eventually find out what happened to LaHue and we may not. Borislow sued the WPS, entangling it in a costly legal battle They stated that they had difficulty convincing the Board of Governors to act. Another player said the overall environment was "abusive." Despite having knowledge of Holly's relationship with Pearce Rampone, and of its negative impact on players at Sky Blue, no one at the club spoke to former Sky Blue players to ask for their perspective on Holly. The Joint Investigative Team further found that Goalkeeper Coach Aline Reis did not fully cooperate with the investigation, in violation of NWSL policy, including by pressuring players to share favorable information with investigators. Several players noted that Burke's conduct was very open, including in front of team staff and management, and that numerous players were uncomfortable with his conduct. The policy should provide clear definitions and explanations of microaggressions so staff and players can identify and understand them, and it should explain how microaggressions and racist, antisemitic, and other derogatory language can constitute harassment.
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