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. Holly complained to Simon about Hendrix and referred to Hendrix as a "cockblock." He began by making dirty or sexual jokes; however, his behavior escalated.
Hope for 'new' NWSL after former coaches banned after misconduct Shim later recalled that during the interview, Garcia appeared focused on whether Riley had engaged in unlawful harassment, and Garcia expressed that Shim did not have a legal claim because she was not able to provide corroborating evidence. If misconduct under the Anti-Harassment Policy is revealed as part of the Alternative Complaint Resolution program process, the misconduct should be reported promptly to the NWSL HR Office and/or the NWSL General Counsel. Another comment said that the "coach made this year horrible for most people" and expressed uncertainty that people would be honest in their survey responses "out of fear." Trainings should also encourage players and staff to report bullying, harassment, discrimination, racist behavior, or other misconduct they experience or observe. Given the pervasive fear of retaliation in the NWSL, the absence of an anti-retaliation provision is particularly problematic. One player, who was vocal about racial equity, told the Joint Investigative Team that Burke and an assistant coach pressured her to leave her "blackness off the field" and discouraged her activism. VII. Whether that is through shrewd maneuvering, or the luck of incompetence, is an open debate. Players
She said she decided to hold the report open while U.S. Soccer and the NWSL negotiated the relationship that U.S. Soccer would have with the League going forward. Around the same time, on July 1, 2021, OL Reign decided to remove Benstiti from the club, and asked for his resignation that same day. Player-staff relationships, even when consensual, can create problems within a team environment and, in some instances, contribute to the mistreatment of players. Pauw appeared for an interview with the Joint Investigative Team, but refused to cooperate. 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. Clarkson then demanded hotel security footage (which investigators said he did not get) and reprimanded the team for drinking before a game, although player maintain they did not. Hendrix informed the Joint Investigative Team that she had subtly tried to prevent Holly from being alone with Simon. Investigators also call for more centralized hiring processes, including background checks with references for all prospective club owners, staff, and volunteers who might interact with players. Amidst this confusion, no entity embraced this responsibility. It further stated that the club's executive team and Holly each agreed not to make any written or verbal communication in any form . The results of all background checks should be shared with the League office and copies maintained for at least five years, subject to any applicable legal restrictions. The Thorns's handbook contains a similar Anti-Fraternization Policy which states that "[d]ating, romantic, and sexual relationships between players and staff and between managers and subordinates are prohibited." It was mean." 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. Sunil Gulati (U.S. Soccer, President, 2006-2018) and Dan Flynn (U.S. Soccer, CEO and Secretary General, 2000-2019)
Kansas City Current
Even retired players expressed fears that former coaches could affect their careers. 69, that would allow us to travel home." This player who observed the incident from the bench said she discussed the incident with Clarkson and he agreed that he did not handle it correctly. The focus of the investigation was too narrow, and interviews were not sufficiently thorough. D.
Whisler acknowledged the agreement and claimed that the non-disparagement clause was "standard.
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.
Another player said Harrington made other comments about players' appearances and bodies, including their breasts. Another member of the team said that LaHue paid special attention to this player and described instances in which she believed LaHue provided preferential treatment or sought to be close to the player. Shim emailed a complaint, with a narrative describing Riley's inappropriate conduct, to Garcia, Riley, Wilkinson, and Thorns owner Merritt Paulson. The player wondered, "How the hell am I going to lose 10 to 15 pounds without starving myself? On one occasion at his house, Holly grabbed Simon's breasts while Pearce Rampone was present but had her back turned. She also detailed how Riley questioned her about her dating life and discussed his own sex life with her, sharing his preferred sexual positions.
At that time, Levine provided Duffy a copy of the Thorns's 2015 investigative report, as well as supporting texts and emails. Unprofessional Communications
Amanda Duffy (NWSL, Managing Director of Operations, 2017-2019 and President, 2019-2020)
Following public reporting about Hansen's statements, the NWSL conducted an investigation and pushed Hansen to sell the club. D.
Baird then-again based on a response Levine had drafted-responded to Farrelly with an email similar to the one she had sent Shim, stating that the initial complaint in 2015 had been investigated to conclusion" and that she could not "share any additional details." To keep costs under control, U.S. Soccer would provide funding for the League front office, pay the salaries of USWNT players, and pursuant to the Management Agreement, administer management, governance, operational, administrative and advisory services. Under the Management Agreement, the League was subject to U.S. Soccer's decision-making in operational areas such as sponsorships and marketing, operations, player affairs, communications, and legal. 7. 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. Multiple players reported to the Joint Investigative Team that Holly had retaliated against them for raising concerns. During the spring of 2021, the 2015 complaints against Riley resurfaced. 5. Most players enter the League through a draft, and player contracts are not required to be guaranteed.
It also appears Shim's and Farrelly's interviews were not conducted in a trauma-informed manner. The player in question denied calling Harrington to ask for his help and noted Harrington "was never the one called to come assist." This report, along with text message and email exhibits, was shared with individuals at U.S. Soccer and the NWSL. Another player said it was "tough" to report "racial allegations" as a Black woman because "it almost feels like you're having to convince someone that it actually happened." It really wasn't an investment so much as it was philanthropy."
On at least one occasion, he mandated that a player "weigh in" on a daily basis and told her that she would not see the field until she hit a certain weight. Flynn clarified that while he was copied on "several emails that relate to the results of those surveys," he did not recall ever personally reviewing them. Before the next season, certain players who had participated in the meeting or raised concerns about Williams were traded, waived, or not re-signed. While recent efforts have been made to streamline the reporting and investigation procedures, the NWSL could take additional steps to further streamline and improve these procedures and communicate them more clearly to all players, club staff, and NWSL staff. 89, Racing Louisville's management said that when the club notified the League that it finished its investigation into former Head Coach Christy Holly, Baird told the club to pause so the League could investigate. In the course of this investigation, the Joint Investigative Team spoke to 47 individuals with knowledge relevant to Riley, including current and former players, key leaders including owners and general managersfrom the Thorns and the Courage, and other current and former club staff, League staff, and U.S. Soccer staff who were involved in or had information about the 2015 Thorns Investigation and Riley's subsequent hiring at the Flash and the Courage. The player said she and the others felt like "[they were] never going to play again." 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. He went on to describe players as "desperate to get starts" and said he knew that the team would become fragile "if th[e] poison continue[d]." Based on his conduct, she assumed he was leaving the Red Stars and was surprised when he returned the next season. Wilkinson said that on advice of counsel for the Thorns, he did not discuss the reason for Riley's termination and did not tell Lines about the allegations against Riley. 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). For example, while Whisler told the Joint Investigative Team that he had not uncovered any red flags regarding Dames before his hire, two players expressed that concerns about Dames were known in the soccer community. Hendrix also said that reporting to the NWSL did not seem like an option, and that she and Simon were afraid that because they were not highprofile players, their word would not be valued and weighted as much as Holly's. SafeSport produces over a dozen "abuse awareness and prevention courses, and all NWSL employees (including players) and club employees are required to participate in at least one training course developed by SafeSport. Novo responded, "My answer is that Christy [Holly] has a very good and fair relationship with our players .
alyse lahue relationship - yampariverbotanicpark.org The NWSL planned to offer the same in-person anti-harassment training in 2020 but did not do so due to the pandemic. Paulson noted that Wahlke kept coming back to the determination of no unlawful harassment.
report said. And thorough vetting, including a reputational check, is time-intensive and expensive. It then describes the Joint Investigative Team's observations and findings based on specific incidents and evidence obtained during the investigation, and summarizes findings of misconduct relating to key individuals and entities. The next day, Riley said, "A deal is a deal," and he did not require the team to run the suicide mile that week. Captaincy chaos and Waldrum ultimatums - Will Nigeria be ready for World Cup? The Joint Investigative Team concluded that Cromwell and Greene violated the NWSL's 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy prohibiting retaliation.
Members of club management spoke with former employers, and the club conducted a narrow criminal background check. The Joint Investigative Team also recognizes that NWSL players and other key stakeholders are looking to this Report to identify the individuals and entities who should be held responsible for acts of interpersonal misconduct directed at players and for the failures of institutions connected to women's professional soccer to prevent and address this misconduct.
A player told the Joint Investigative Team that the club first attempted to fix the social media post without acknowledging the error or reaching out to the player, and only later issued an apology after Baucom posted about the error on Twitter. . 26, c)
When Simon arrived at Holly's house, Pearce Rampone was not there. In June 2021, on behalf of a Gotham FC player, the Clubs Director of Operations submitted to the NWSL a complaint alleging that Gothams General Manager Alyse LaHue had harassed a player. Many players reported that they feared instability both in terms of their own careers and the viability of the League, that they were advised to feel grateful to have the chance to play the game at all, and that they felt a personal responsibility to sustain the existence of the NWSL by keeping their heads down and their complaints unvoiced. In 2018, former Red Stars player Christen Press made a complaint about Chicago Red Stars Head Coach Rory Dames to U.S. Soccer, alleging that he engaged in verbal and emotional abuse.
Investigators said after interviews that Burke did not acknowledge the offensiveness of his behaviors with the Washington Spirit, and that Clarkson "exhibited a lack of candor Clarkson denied ever raising his voice at players or losing control of his emotions, notwithstanding credible evidence to the contrary." But public reporting around misconduct against NWSL players has increased in recent years. Whisler informed Dames that waiving the player "the day after she raised an issue (if it was her)" would increase the risk of a claim of retaliation, and Dames responded, "Of course it was her . At an end-of-season meeting in 2019, she asked Riley for a trade. We interview the founders, investors, technologists, and early stage employees who are part of today's entrepreneurial ecosystem. 44, words, speaking to individuals who were critical of Dames and those supportive of him. The Report concludes with systemic recommendations for the NWSL and its member clubs. For a number of players and fans, the spark behind this new era is interim general manager Alyse LaHue, whose can-do, laser-focused attitude towards implementing positive changes has led to Sky Blue setting and reaching new goals. 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. In another instance, a player reported that Clarkson angrily asked her, "How the fuck are you so unprofessional," when she had to come out of a game due to an injury. Clarkson was described by many players in the report as unpredictable and temperamental, which "created a culture of anxiety." Washington Spirit
Reis acknowledged encouraging players to speak with investigators, but she denied telling them what to say. The player was traded shortly thereafter. The Flash then became a new NWSL club, the Courage, which also retained Riley as head coach.
D.
It begins with an overview of the investigation's scope and process, and a summary of the history and founding of the NWSL, including its establishment and management by U.S. Soccer. 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. It described instances of sexual abuse, unwanted sexual advances by a general manager, emotional abuse, cronyism, racist remarks, the blurring of professional boundaries and retaliation of players who complained about their mistreatment. 33, An NWSL HR employee recalled that she immediately went to Levine's office to discuss
In September 2015, Sky Blue, an NWSL club now known as NJ/NY Gotham FC, expressed an interest to the NWSL and the Thorns in speaking with Riley regarding a coaching position. 11, In 2018, the League voluntarily recognized the NWSLPA as the exclusive bargaining representative for all players who signed a standard player agreementin other words, all players except players allocated to the League by the USWNT. In early 2022, the NWSLPA and the League announced that they had signed their first collective bargaining agreement. 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. During the 2021 season, however, a series of news reports exposed multiple examples of interpersonal misconduct going back years by coaches and other club staff towards players in the NWSL.
The failure to take intermediary action left players in an unsafe environment for well over a year while the investigation was ongoing. It's not just this coach.
Tammy Murphy, Alyse LaHue Share What Success Looks Like For - Forbes Similarly, the sex occurred only when Farrelly and Riley had come together for soccer-related activities, such as after Riley invited Farrelly to dinner to discuss her 2012 soccer contract. Kurtz said that she found the text to be "weird" and was confused as to whether Riley was trying to invite her to the bar. Shim had joined the Thorns during the NWSL's inaugural 2013 season, prior to Riley's hiring.
13, In November 2021, The Washington Post published an article reporting that Rory Dames, head coach of the Red Stars and the longest-tenured coach in the League, had been verbally and emotionally abusive towards players, and that U.S. Soccer had failed to adequately investigate and respond to reports of his misconduct. In March 2021, days after Baird received a letter from 240 NWSL players urging the NWSL to adopt an anti-harassment policy, Shim emailed Baird indicating that she believed the League had failed to take any action to protect players in response" to her 2015 complaint about Riley. The Oversight Committee pledged to ensure that the investigation was independent, thorough, and objective. 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. 3
The Joint Investigative Team requested interviews of 11 current and former U.S. Soccer staff. Hendrix said she believed that Holly may have retaliated by taking her off the starting roster. Though Levine cautioned Whisler against retaliation, Levine confirmed to Whisler the identity of the complaining player. Levine explained to the Joint Investigative Team that she made the report "the day [she] learned of [the] sexual relationship between [Riley] and a player," referring to Farrelly. Also that same day, Levine reported Riley to the U.S. Center for SafeSport (an organization that investigates reports of abuse and misconduct in athletics) based on information that was then publicly available. LaHue expressed an emotional reliance on the player, repeatedly questioned the player's interactions with another individual, and pressed the player for more attention. One player recalled that the men's team was allowed to train on better practice fields, and the women were asked to train on inferior fields despite the availability of better fields near where the men practiced, apparently because the men's team found it distracting to practice near the women. The latter is presumably for each club and, perhaps in some cases, NWSL commissioner Berman to decide. For example, when Racing Louisville hired Holly as its new head coach in August 2020, it conducted a narrow criminal background check, in addition to speaking with former employers. The Joint Investigative Team asked Harrington for his cell phone records, with call and text details, for the month in question.
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