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The training should be engaging and interactive. Inconsistencies Between Club Anti-Harassment Policies and the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy On both occasions, Holly began touching Simon as they were watching film. 53, indicating he wanted to go to Simon's apartment and describing "inappropriate things he would do." . While many clubs properly submitted candidates for the required vetting once these processes were in place, on at least two occasions, clubs hired player-facing staff and allowed them to begin working before they were cleared by the NWSL. 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)." One player on the Red Stars described witnessing Dames go after her teammates even after it was "pretty obvious" that they were "mentally destroyed." Sky Blue FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has named Alyse LaHue as General Manager. Players from other clubs shared similar sentiments: for example, players from one club said they feared a coach would retaliate if they reported concerns about him because they had seen him lash out" at players during meetings and because he had once removed a player from the roster after an on-field disagreement. The agreement also expressly permitted Holly to provide an honest assessment of players' performances-including Simon-notwithstanding the risk that he would retaliate against Simon or others by sharing negative feedback with scouts or coaches. Temares and former Sky Blue Chief Financial Officer Mary Smoot did not recall being consulted about, or in any way involved in, the press release. Wilkinson did not follow up with Riley, staff, or players to confirm that his instruction had been followed. 118, coaches and staff to better understand their interactions with players. 97 e) This prohibition extended to disclosures that would not identify Simon or that Simon approved. Some players expressed that they sometimes let these microaggressions go because they felt that speaking out about their experiences would make others uncomfortable or because they felt they would not be believed. Pulling off the feat of moving to Red Bull Arena has been a longtime goal for LaHue. In September 2021, The Athletic publicly reported on the existence of a prior, more extensive history between Riley and Farrelly, which was suggested by Shim to the Thorns investigator in 2015, but not explored in that investigation. The individual incidents and recurrent practices detailed in this Report reflect the experiences of players, not only in isolated moments but also more broadly, as women playing soccer in a league historically owned and run by men. In multiple instances, coaches and staff accused of misconduct were able to find employment at other clubs despite losing their previous employment due to misconduct. Holly declined requests to be interviewed in this investigation. Portland Thorns Plush said he subsequently spoke to Joe Sahlen over the phone in December 2015 reiterating that the club should not hire Riley. This one is the result of a joint investigation by the league, the union, and law firms each entity hired that started October of last year, after The Athletic published detailed allegations against former Philadelphia Independence, Portland Thorns, and North Carolina Courage manager Paul Riley. The attitude that women's sports are not professional, or not as valued as men's sports, gave players the impression that they were less valued and that their concerns would not be addressed. 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. In order to ensure the integrity of reporting channels, and to mitigate concerns regarding potential retaliation, the NWSL should require that separate individuals hold key leadership and management roles within clubs. The publication of this Report marks the conclusion of the Joint Investigative Team's mandate to investigate ongoing concerns of misconduct in the NWSL. According to one player, Holly sometimes sent another player heart eyes" emojis through Instagram. This Report does not identify individuals if doing so would create an unjustifiable risk of revealing a player's or reporter's identity when that player or reporter did not give the Joint Investigative Team consent to be named in this Report, or if the Joint Investigative Team was unable to corroborate the conduct at issue. When Stanton started "bawling [her] eyes out," Dames told her, "Your response is making me feel better about the accusation." For instance, a member of the NWSL office expressed concern in February 2022-over two months after the temporary protocols were implementedthat there was still "confusion" over whether certain members of club staff 71, their faces, and gesturing in a threatening manner in their faces. No information about the investigation or Riley's termination was made public until the release of the Athletic article on September 30, 2021. Dames's boundary-blurring behavior is described in more detail below. A witness recalled that when introducing a staff member to the front office, a general manager announced that the staff member was "engaged to one of [the] players." Despite these recurrent issues, Whisler told the investigator that he believed that Dames had improved in his demeanor, mindset, and patience during his years as head coach and that Dames would not "be hard on someone unless he [thought] they [had] it within them to rise up." that he had created a "sexualized team environment" at a Chicago youth club that "crossed the line to sexual relationships in multiple cases, though those relationships may . 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. . At the time of LaHues firing, limited information was provided to the public. Whisler was confronted with players' concerns repeatedly beginning in at least 2014, in the form of player survey feedback, direct conversations with players, and Whisler's own participation in the USSF Dames Investigation. "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 Levine explained that, at that time, her role in investigations was unclear and that her only instruction was to ensure the League was informed of investigation results by clubs because of its direct employment relationship with players. Photo courtesy of Gotham FC. Clarkson denied making this comment, but witnesses corroborated that Clarkson was visibly upset and frustrated at the player, and that the player was upset. The club encouraged Simon to consider The NWSL should consider providing leadership training to coaches. One player reported that Dames had one-on-one dinners with players where he made comments about their appearances and dating lives. Recommendations.. However, even with that knowledge and after reviewing the findingswhich included that 70% of players "reported concerning behaviors that are consistent with the generally accepted definition of emotional abuse in sport and felt Dames creat[ed] an environment of fear [and] retaliation"Whisler contemplated keeping Dames involved with the Red Stars in a non-player-facing role, such as a sporting director or draft consultant. During this investigation, Racing Louisville initially refused to allow witnesses to discuss substantial aspects of Holly's employment and termination, citing the severance agreement's mutual non-disparagement and non-disclosure provisions. Alyse LaHue (Sky Blue and Gotham, Vice President, 20182019, General Manager, 2019-2021) Riley told Shim to delete his text messages because Shim was living with her then-partner, and Shim complied. These thematic findings form the basis for the recommendations set forth at the end of this Report. Players also expressed concerns that Williams, whom they believed had engaged in retaliation towards players who complained about him, was moved into a position where he was involved in decisions on player trades and other transactions; Williams acknowledged being involved in player transaction decisions during this time, but said the general manager finalized such decisions. Another player recalled either O'Connor or Estes stating that what Holly did was disgusting" and "unacceptable," and that the club would ensure this never happens again." The revised policy should state that waiving players, trading players, or buying out players' contracts could be retaliatory and a violation of the policy if a motivating factor for the player transaction is the player's engagement in a Protected Activity. . Hammond recalled telling Kurtz in a phone call that the Courage were not able to find a trade for her. Players were confused about where to report misconduct, and the absence of clear guidance about reporting channels or designated personnel to receive reports compounded the problem. The preceding sections of this Report summarized, thematically, the Joint Investigative Team's factual findings. Some club policies also were less protective of players than the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy. According to multiple interviewees, Clarkson did not allow the players to address the accusation that they had been drinking and told them, Cameras don't lie." Riley declined to respond to requests to participate in this investigation. On today's episode of the Dynamic Leaders Podcast, Colin is joined by Alyse LaHue. . The Joint Investigative Team requested interviews of 11 current and former U.S. Soccer staff. 5. Gulati recalled this email and stated, "I don't know what else we can do when [Whisler] doesn't accept the coach's resignation." Mental Health First Aid training teaches participants how to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or who may be experiencing a mental health crisis. A volunteer who interacted with players at Racing Louisville, when asked whether she considered reporting Christy Holly's misconduct to SafeSport, said, No, and that's a great point. If there are allegations of misconduct against the staff member that are under investigation, the NWSL should work expeditiously to investigate before the staff member is hired by another club and should promptly notify that club of any finding of misconduct. Leaders from U.S. Soccer and the League also argued that decision-making authority lay with the club owners, through the Board of Governors. After re-signing her in 2021, the club issued a public apology "to all those we have hurt, especially those within the LGBTQIA+ community, but stood by its decision, keeping Daniels on the team for the remainder of the season. After his hire, OL Reign CEO Bill Predmore told Benstiti he was not allowed to discuss diet or weight with players. Hendrix informed the Joint Investigative Team that she had subtly tried to prevent Holly from being alone with Simon. In a written statement, Flynn stated that he did not recall personally reviewing the results or being made aware of concerns regarding the quality of coaching or abusive coaching tactics. 42, Wahlke. This same player stated Riley called players "dumb, stupid, slow, idiotic, retarded" and "worthless," and remarked that the players had "no balls" and would never be better than the average 16 year old boy." Levine told the Joint Investigative Team that from what she could recall, Lines was removed "directly in response" to the survey results. d) Failure to Investigate While the NWSL did not specify the reason for the fines, multiple reports indicated that they were the result of Red Stars co-owner Sarah Spain and then-Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue expressing their support for Gorden publicly on Twitter after the league had asked team staff members to refrain commenting on the incident. One player reported that Riley, Wilkinson, and Thorns owner Merritt Paulson had a close relationship, leading to a perception that players could be traded for raising complaints against any one of the three. Players and club staff also reported that they questioned Holly's decision-making because of this romantic relationship. Clubs and Owners The NWSL should also ensure that its HR staff responsible for receiving player reports are accessible, visible, and familiar to players, and that players are aware that they can report concerns to the League office. Paul Riley joined the NWSL in December 2013, when the Thorns hired him as head coach for the club's 2014 season. First, the 2015 investigation conducted by the Thorns had several shortcomings. A player from another club recalled players feeling like they would not be protected if they spoke up about a coach's misconduct, and the player also expressed fear that she would be traded or cut if she raised concerns about her coach. Many players across the NWSL said they did not know how to elevate concerns about club staff, including coaches, within their clubs or to the NWSL. Some clubs, including Sky Blue, the Current, the Courage, the Spirit, and the Red Stars, had staff who were nominally in charge of HR overall, but who in practice focused only on handling payroll and other logistics issues. 3, violations of those policies-to identify and reform deficiencies. The investigations into allegations of misconduct-and the NWSL's awareness of and involvement in such investigations have been inconsistent and have not always followed best practices. Following the 2015 Thorns Investigation, Farrelly saw one of her fears coming true; within less than a month after Paulson and Wilkinson received the report detailing Farrelly's account to the Thorns's investigator, Wilkinson informed Farrelly she was being traded. For example, and as discussed in detail above, when Riley was separated from employment with the Thorns and subsequently hired by the Flash, neither the Thorns nor the League informed the Flash of the precise issues or investigative findings against Riley. 78, reasons for the waiver/contract buyout and other proposed waivers, several additional considerations supported the conclusion that retaliation was a motivating factor. The NWSL should consider working with the NWSLPA to establish additional affinity groups, and develop similar partnerships with those affinity groups to improve the NWSL experience for all players. On September 15, 2014, legal counsel for the USWNTPA emailed Gulati a memorandum of that meeting, which included a summary of Press's comments that Dames "created a hostile work environment." Lisa Baird (NWSL, Commissioner, 2020-2021) The Thorns selected a lead investigator who was relatively inexperienced in conducting sensitive investigations. The lead investigator selected by the Thorns was inexperienced in conducting sensitive investigations, and player interviews-particularly Farrelly's-were not of the duration and scope appropriate for an investigation into serious allegations of sexual misconduct. 26, c) Set a "Tone From the Top" That Promotes Player Safety and Well-Being The NWSL should take steps to ensure that leaders of every club in the Leagueincluding owners, presidents, general managers, and other executives-are committed to creating a culture in which player safety is a priority and players are expected and encouraged to report concerns about misconduct. Players credibly reported that Harrington drank with players at bars, and two players reported that on one occasion, after drinking to apparent intoxication, Harrington, accompanied by another player and two staff members, attempted to enter two players' hotel room. Farrelly's email. During this meeting, Simon recalled Wilkins and her supervisor asked Simon to share as much detail as she was comfortable sharing about Holly's treatment of her, and they asked her to go from "start to finish." North Carolina Courage The caveat, "if they were made," ignores the undisputed fact that Dames admitted to calling a Black player a "thug." 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 One person who works with players in the League mentioned that she had seen text messages to other players from coaches that engaged in such emotional manipulation. But it takes us all: folks at the top, every staffer, even every fan. 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." Create a Diversity Advisory Committee Dedicated to Implementing DEI Initiatives The NWSL should consider engaging with the Black Women's Player Collective and players from other historically marginalized groups to understand how microaggressions or racist, antisemitic, homophobic, and other derogatory language may manifest in the NWSL environment and how the policy may be updated to address such issues. The NWSL should not rely on clubs to voluntarily share this information with other clubs. Shim later stated, I'm just so grateful for this opportunity to get these bad people out of the League and really shine a light on this issue because it's so prevalent. The message internalized by these players was that the institutions of which they were a part were at constant risk of failure and that by rocking the boat, they could single-handedly cause that failure. He noted, for instance, that if Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler quit the League, the League would fail. VI. I don't think it's common in the sports world to have an MBA. The Equalizer is partnering with The Next to bring more womens sports stories toyourinbox. As noted above, Riley called Mana Shim "hot" and "sexy." This included withholding documents and other information, for the better part of a year, related to an investigation U.S. Soccer conducted into reports of misconduct by Rory Dames. You should be so thankful I'm part of your life. WPS's problems compounded in 2011, when Dan Borislow, the owner of the WPS club magicJack, became embroiled in a series of conflicts over his violations of WPS procedures. Following Clarkson's suspension, the Joint Investigative Team interviewed 19 additional current and former Dash players and staff, including Clarkson. It was not until August 2022, after seven months of requests, that U.S. Soccer provided the Joint Investigative Team with a copy of the USSF Dames Report. C. Players, including Kaiya McCullough, recounted in that article that Burke berated, screamed at, and targeted players, and that he had used racially insensitive language. The NWSL's 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy attempts to clarify the roles of the clubs and League in investigating misconduct. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that he believed the NWSL could and would convey information about Riley's misconduct to the Flash. On October 26, 2015, the Thorns announced that they were trading Farrelly to the Breakers, a now-defunct NWSL club. Shim recalled being uncomfortable" that someone she knew might see her being interviewed. Nevertheless, she decided to dress for the game because she did not think she would get any playing time. Second, the investigation found that players and club staff did not trust reporting processes or the league at large, so much so that it affected participation even in this investigation, which had the oversight of the players' union, the NWSLPA. Since the announcement of the NWSL and NWSLPA Joint Investigation, the NWSL has undertaken significant efforts to correct the systemic failures that allowed misconduct to proliferate. These dynamics have been apparent in the League and beyond. Simon described feeling helpless and like she could not escape. Another player wrote that Lines was emotionally abusive, "belittle[d]" people, and should be terminated. 8. Simon recalled Holly often telling her when he tried to cross boundaries that if she would "loosen up" and "have more fun" off the field, it could "help her on the field." Even when these meetings were strictly professional, players expressed discomfort with meeting coaches in their hotel rooms. A player at a different club recounted that she was berated by coaching staff for her conduct during training, and staff would not let her get a word in to explain that a different player with the same skin tone had actually engaged in that conduct. A majority of the players who participated in the investigation raised the concern that "Dames would get close to players, learn personal information about them, and then use the information he gained . In November 2021, the league established an additional temporary protocol mandating all coaches, general managers, and president hires be approved by the league and complete a New Hire Certification, including background checks. 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. Sunil Gulati (U.S. Soccer, President, 2006-2018) and Dan Flynn (U.S. Soccer, CEO and Secretary General, 2000-2019) The NWSL should engage with players and staff of color and LGBTQIA+ players and staff to understand and develop channels for reporting misconduct that are safe and comfortable for individuals in these groups to use. (2) The failure to take intermediary action left players in an unsafe environment for well over a year while the investigation was ongoing. 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. He also reportedly told a male player on an opposing Major League Soccer team that Hansen could lynch the player, supposedly in an effort to ask the player to play for Hansen's team. B. 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. Additionally, 15 current and former NWSL staff members engaged in interviews or provided documents, as did 11 current and former U.S. Soccer staffers. Share Findings of Misconduct with U.S. Soccer and Other Stakeholders "The continuation of ongoing investigations initiated under the NWSL's current antiharassment policy, and the recommendation of sanctions where appropriate." In the early stages of the investigation, the Joint Investigative Team interviewed seven current and former players who described Clarkson as volatile, verbally abusive, and as not showing appropriate regard for players' wellbeing. Ensure the Channels for Reporting Misconduct Are Responsive to the Needs of Players and Staff of Color and LGBTQIA+ Players and Staff 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. Decisions regarding the disclosure of sexual misconduct are complex and involve numerous considerations, including player confidentiality and safety. Farrelly felt coerced into having sexual intercourse with Riley based on the dynamic between them and his control over her soccer career. . He also made other inappropriate comments, including calling one player trailer trash" and insinuating he found players attractive. The player reported that when her teammate had approached the owner about mistreatment by Burke, Baldwin "did nothing about it." 86, attempt to address the issue themselves by confronting the employee engaged in misconduct, which could prevent the NWSL from investigating the offensive behavior and taking necessary corrective action. Offensive and Insensitive Behavior Related to Sexual Orientation 123, F. That player requested that The Washington Post not name her in the article due to fears of retaliation. Wilkins similarly recalled O'Connor or Estes stating that Holly had a potentially inappropriate relationship with a player. At more than one club, one individual served as both head coach and general manager. NWSL staff, players, and club staff are required to then take three 30-minute annual refresher courses. In March 2016, Paulson emailed Alex Sahlen congratulating the Flash on hiring Riley and stating that he had a lot of affection" for Riley. Simon told Holly she was uncomfortable and did her best to get out of the house, but she did not want to anger Holly because she was scared. The League should require that any non-disclosure or non-disparagement provisions allow the League and clubs to share information consistent with disclosure requirements set forth in the AntiHarassment Policy and any other requirements that may be implemented to promote transparency and player safety. When LaHues termination was announced in June 2021, an NWSL spokesperson put out a statement via Meg Linehan on Twitter stating: Following a complaint, the league conducted an investigation and shared the findings of that investigation with Gotham FC. READ MORE: Ex-Philadelphia Independence coach Paul Riley fired from NWSL team amid allegations of sexual misconduct. On September 1, 2021, Holly texted Simon and told her he was fired for "an inappropriate relationship" with her. Later that day, NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird resigned. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team he thought it would be important to Malik that, from Paulson's perspective, the Thorns accurately announced that Riley's contract would expire at the end of the 2015 season. 49, that he did not have "near enough support" to keep him at the club and they would "need to find the right wording." Inappropriate Sexual and Objectifying Remarks to Players However, the allegations once again were not responded to appropriately by the NWSL, including by Levine, who had read Shim's 2015 allegations against Riley as well as the 2015 investigative report. Like any league or business in its infant stages, we learn from experience and mistakes. Leading up to this meeting, Simon had been nervous, because she had been able to avoid one-on-one meetings with Holly until then. The NWSL has plans to engage a law firm to provide anti-harassment training to all NWSL and club staff, volunteers, and players. However, there is substantial work to be done. He has denied all allegations against him. The Joint Investigative Team requested documents from every club through the appropriate club official or club counsel. 79, In some cases, players reported that club leadership failed to protect them from retaliation. The world of professional soccer, and professional sports more broadly, presents unique questions about what constitutes inappropriate conduct by coaches and other staff. . 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. 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. 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. Rutgers has been a great partner to us . Another player said, "There's a time and a place for a good yell." Even where clubs did conduct background checks, the checks were in many cases narrow and limited to reviewing only a candidate's criminal history. He asked her what she was eating, told her she looked chubby, and told her she would need to lose 14 pounds before the game to keep her starting role, telling her, "I hope you know I'm doing this because I love you."
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