Garcia declined to speak with the Joint Investigative Team. Craig Harrington: The former Utah Royals coach is reported to have. After the meeting, one of the players said she felt like things were getting better. In addition, the policy sets forth a general process for conducting investigations into potential violations and reporting the findings of such investigations. I had no avenue to communicate with the League, or whatever that even meant. During the interview, Farrelly described the night that she and Shim had kissed in Riley's apartment, and she said she had seen some of Riley's inappropriate text messages to Shim. In November 2012, U.S. Soccer announced that it would manage a new women's professional soccer league, to begin play in 2013. She failed to take steps to protect players during the investigation, and ultimately failed to act on evidence of Dames's misconduct. 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. Shortly after the Flash hired Riley, Paulson expressed to Alex Sahlen that he had "a lot of affection" for Riley. The NWSL should consider creating an Alternative Complaint Resolution program as an additional resource to address conduct that is not covered by the Anti-Harassment Policy. 72, her a new one," about a player and within earshot of the player after she asked about practicing set pieces during training. The Thorns's counsel's unexplained conclusion was consistent with what was communicated to Shim and Riley. This was apparent in the hiring of Riley by the Flash, and subsequently the Courage. If you don't like it, then there's never going to be a league." 4. In the fall of 2022, Kurtz decided to share Riley's misconduct with the Joint Investigative Team. Another player explained, "We are still in a growing league, and that's not lost on players." During the 2017 season, Simon recalled players learning that Holly had been dating another player, Christie Pearce Rampone. Another club staff member felt that Holly lost trust in the locker room" because of his romantic relationship. Multiple witnesses reported that coaches continued their weight-shaming behavior even after being warned by players and other staff that such behavior was harmful. 6. She recalled reading texts that said, "You're nothing without me. Behavior In November 2021, the NWSL imposed requirements that prospective general managers, coaches, and presidents of clubs undergo background checks before being hired. Burke also engaged in multiple instances of conduct that included stereotyping and jokes about Jewish people. She was hired that May as vice president. Any individual who receives a report of potential misconduct must immediately submit the report to the NWSL HR Office. 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 the USSF Dames Report, a player described Dames calling a player trailer trash and insulting her educational background when she made a mistake. Borislow sued the WPS, entangling it in a costly legal battle One player remarked that rumors [got] around" because of the player-staff relationship, and a staff member said that while you could articulate a policy of "church and state . It stated that Riley danced with Shim at the apartment and that Shim and Farrelly kissed that night, which Shim claimed (and another player corroborated) was done to avoid the suicide mile. 5. There is no evidence that any additional investigative steps were taken between September 2019 and Wahlke's departure from U.S. Soccer the following year. In 2020, the NWSL investigated Dell Loy Hansen, then-owner of the Royals, for making racially offensive comments. Historically, clubs have not always conducted background checks on coaches and other club staff before hiring them. As a result, players reported multiple instances in which they did not report concerns or misconduct. Since then, the lineup of clubs has undergone various changes. Former NY/NJ Gotham FC general manager Alyse. The NWSL should contact an applicant's former employers and, where feasible, former colleagues. The two parties ultimately decided that a joint investigation made the most sense, with Covington taking the lead under the direction of an oversight committee. 4. .85 One player recalled that Holly knew "every time [she] had people at [her] apartment, and a second player noted that Holly heard if players were playing loud music or things like that." A second player credibly reported that Riley made comments regarding that player's weight and required her to report her weight to him daily. On multiple instances, clubs transitioned coaches accused of misconduct to front office roles instead of terminating their employment. LaHue participated in an initial interview, but then cancelled a follow-up interview. Accordingly, she cooperated in the first, second, and third investigations into alleged conduct from April 2020 reported in June 2021. 15, "manipulative" and noted that Holly stopped building her up and "became a monster" after she began a relationship with someone. Paulson thought Malik was "making a decision about the likelihood that Mana's complaint would go public," and that the Courage would be less inclined to allow Riley to continue as a coach if another team had terminated him. Other Inconsistencies Between the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy and Club Policies The Anti-Harassment Policy should specify that the Non-Fraternization Policy applies not just to head coaches, but also to assistant coaches and any other club staff in supervisory positions over players. Multiple players reported that there was an overlap between these players and those who had been vocal at the meeting. Holly complained to Simon about Hendrix and referred to Hendrix as a "cockblock." One player provided multiple examples of instances in which she felt Dames had used personal information against players. The club ultimately elected to retain Riley as head coach, but this decision was similarly affected by the Thorns's, U.S. Soccer's, and the NWSL's lack of transparency about Riley's misconduct. B. The NWSL should regularly remind club staff of their obligation to elevate information regarding misconduct to the NWSL HR Office or NWSL General Counsel. 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. Baird, again using language drafted by Levine, responded that the initial complaint in 2015 had been investigated to conclusion." Hendrix recalled Holly texted Simon requesting pictures of Simon. Likewise, at least two players expressed surprise that Amanda Cromwell had been hired as head coach of the Pride despite concerns arising from her tenure at UCLA. 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"). Baird, working from language drafted by Levine, ultimately replied that Shim's 2015 complaint had been investigated to conclusion." One player reported that club staff living in the same housing as players led to unprofessional interactions. A player recalled the owner of her club warning her that if players complained, the club would fold as the Breakers had already done because the owner would depart, anyone buying the club would have to assume the debts attached to it, and no one would be willing to do so. Among the suggested actions is involving players in hiring processes more formally and establishing information sharing among clubs. 83, required NWSL vetting, and this person raised concerns that clubs may not have been submitting all hires for screening. Alex Morgan shares her frustration at the NWSL's failure to support Meleana Shim after speaking out against Paul Riley in this behind-the-scenes clip from E60: Truth Be Told, available now on ESPN+. The NWSL should advise clubs to offer players the opportunity to speak candidly about their views on prospective coaches or staff and should guard vigilantly against any potential retaliation or breach of confidentiality associated with players sharing their views. Some clubs have strictly enforced a non-fraternization policy. Similarly, Levine reported that, prior to 2020, the League had only been involved in one or two investigations, and that no formal procedure for handling complaints had been developed. Vera Pauw (Houston Dash, Head Coach, 2018) A few weeks later, on October 2, 2014, then-NWSL Executive Director Cheryl Bailey shared a version of the USWNT players' comments with the Red Stars. As a result, several players felt that they needed to apologize for participating in or failing to stop the March Investigation. The Current's employee handbook states that employees "should not be employed in positions with supervisory responsibilities over the work of any family member or other person with whom the employee has a romantic or similarly close relationship," but it does not clarify if this applies only to relationships between club employees, or whether it also applies to relationships between club employees and players, who are NWSL employees. According to Wilkinson, he told Lines that U.S. Soccer had the investigative report regarding Riley. Getting a massage." Multiple players emphasized that coaches who weight-shamed players often were concerned with appearance, irrespective of players' on-field performance. 3. The club did not take steps to determine if Riley's conduct extended beyond an isolated comment or to other players. The League added seven expansion teams, and four teams were rebranded or relocated. Formation and Mandate of the Joint Investigative Team Another player To the player, the undertone of the response-and of the owner's consistent approach to such requests over the years-was clear: "Why are you not grateful for what I'm providing? The player recalled thinking, I can be grateful and still ask for progress." On an away trip to Portland following the 2019 World Cup, Kurtz received a text message from Riley with a picture of a bar he was at, commenting that Kurtz would like the bar and that he wished she were there. Players also emphasized that Dames often focused his yelling on fringe players, who started in some games but not all. Indeed, after Riley was fired on September 30, 2021, Kurtz disclosed additional misconduct by Riley, and another player told the club that Riley had been verbally abusive and created a "culture of fear" in which players could not express opinions, and that other coaches had allowed Riley to engage in this behavior. 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 NWSL should ensure as part of its vetting process that prospective owners entering the NWSL express their personal commitment to protecting player safety, to combatting misconduct in all its forms, and to facilitating appropriate reporting of concerns. 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." On the evening of the announcement of LaHue's firing from Gotham, a statement was provided by Kelly Hoffman, attorney for Alyse LaHue via Meg Linehan of The Athletic on Twitter reading: "Ms. LaHue denies the allegations made against her and will make no further comment." No further information was made public until October 2022. The player wondered, "Are you going to get a jokey type of day, or is he going to make your life hell that day?" It defines harassment as "unwelcome conduct, whether verbal, physical or visual, that is based upon a person's race or any other protected status." These misunderstandings hindered the reporting and identification of misconduct, placing players at unnecessary risk. The agreement increased minimum player salaries; created free agency; and provided severance pay, mental health, and parental leave. The club also agreed to pay Dames through the end of the year. 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)." He began by making dirty or sexual jokes; however, his behavior escalated. . She specifically recalled having meetings in hotel rooms alone with two coaches and stressed that from her perspective, it is never appropriate for a male coach to meet with a player in his hotel room with the door closed. A player who participated in the USSF Dames Investigation told the investigator about an instance in which Dames kept her from visiting her parents. He shared personal information with her, talking about his ex-wife, his relationship status, and his sex life, including describing his preferred sexual positions. On August 11, 2021, The Washington Post reported that Spirit Head Coach Richie Burke had verbally and emotionally abused players. sex. Even within the soccer world, the player explained, a tone appropriate for the field would not be appropriate in other settings, such as locker rooms, team dinners, or one-on-one meetings with players. Two players, in separate interviews, described feeling like a tax write-off" to their clubs' owners. 107, defames, or is derogatory of the other. Citing the non-disparagement provision in the agreement, the club and its executives declined to speak freely with the Joint Investigative Team about Holly until the fourth quarter of 2022, significantly delaying this aspect of the Even retired players expressed fears that former coaches could affect their careers. However, these surveys were not specifically intended to capture this information, and in multiple instances, the NWSL and U.S. Soccer failed to investigate or address comments from player surveys stating that club staff engaged in misconduct. Press had first shared concerns about Dames in a September 9, 2014, meeting of USWNT representatives from the NWSL. Whisler and Dames's text conversations reflect this benefit. After several months, the staff member notified the club of the romantic relationship with the player and resigned. [in] less than a day." 3. After participating in an initial interview with the Joint Investigative Team, LaHue, through her counsel, canceled another scheduled interview and declined the Joint Investigative Team's repeated requests to reschedule. Establish Guidelines Addressing Appropriate Meeting Locations for Oneon-One Meetings Between Club Staff and Players The League's policy should ensure that player privacy is not used as a pretextual basis to justify agreements that undermine player safety and fail to protect the confidentiality of players who are impacted by misconduct. "An independent review of practices and policies at the league and club levels-including workplace policies for each club in the league, league-mandated anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policy, and processes for identifying, investigating, and enforcing b) Non-Contact Physical Behavior Clarkson put her in as a substitute, and she soon began struggling with pain. 103, Benstiti did not respond to the Joint Investigative Team's request to speak with him. Neither Cromwell nor Greene took any steps to convey to players that they did not need to apologize for participating in an investigation. One player, describing Riley's fixation with players' weight, stated that he was "100% the most controlling person I've ever met. Another player recalled that he deployed a strategy of "breaking down [a player's] confidence, saying she doesn't look fit," and then when he needed her, "building her confidence back up and controlling her in that way." 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. Riley also engaged in other inappropriate conduct while at the Thorns, including going out drinking with players, hosting multi-day social retreats involving alcohol at his home on Long Island that some players felt pressure to attend, and making comments about players' sexual orientation. Background checks and reputational vetting of player-facing club employees were not mandatory for much of the NWSL's existence. ." ), The actions of League and U.S. Soccer personnelfrom the Leagues founding, through its years under U.S. Soccer management, to the presentdemonstrate that misconduct does not announce itself, but requires proactive prevention and detection, the report says. Sky Blue had three picks in the first round of the National Women's Soccer . The investigation focused on misconduct by NWSL employees and club staff directed at players. a) Definition of Retaliation 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 player who raised a complaint to the Courage, Kaleigh Kurtz, had joined the Courage in 2018 and was initially pleased to be playing for Riley. .17 (Golub told the Joint Investigative Team he did not know the Flash's then-general manager and said he did not know Plush sent his number to anyone at the Flash.) In late August 2021, approximately four weeks after Simon first disclosed Holly's abuse to Starr, Starr told Louisville City's chaplain Garrett Bates that Holly was "sexually harassing" a player, and that he had "touched a player inappropriately." The overlap of the two reports also proved problematic in some cases. For example, a player described Pauw saying to a player, when that player lifted her shirt to wipe her face, "Put that away."
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