The report states that vague public statements contributed to the failure to adequately share information. The phrase 'using personal information against you' appears to be a catch-all phrase used by players to capture conduct by Dames that was perceived as being mean toward players on a personal level." Another player recalled Holly unexpectedly screaming at a teammate that her poor performance during a practice drill would "prevent [her] from being on the national team, and later in the season asking her to do one-on-one film sessions with him, saying, "I can help you get onto the national team." Rather, the allegations and findings against Riley were frequently downplayed, including by discussing only certain aspects of certain of the allegations against Riley and, as noted, by using the determination of no unlawful harassment to summarize the investigative findings. 94, wrote that the staff were "not good" and generally stated there was "sexism and manipulation," and that "the combination of poor coaching and a destructive leader summ[ed] up [their] season." One player explained that these were not always instances of "overt discrimination, but they add up over time and it makes you question your performance and your role in the team." During this meeting, Starr shared Simon's name. In describing that meeting, Estes said that "the ultimate corroboration came from Christy Holly." Another Spirit player recalled Burke "screaming" at a player, "You don't ever fucking call a coach before a game, after the player asked for feedback on her performance two days before a game. At first he told her he admired her fitness and her "soccer body," but then shifted to making other comments about her body, including calling her "sexy." Gotham's policy contained a provision stating that [e]mployees who witness offensive behavior in the workplace-whether directed at them or another employee-are encouraged, though not required, to immediately address it with the employee whose behavior they found offensive." Based on the findings of the external review, Whisler told Dames that he should offer his resignation or he would be terminated that day. The coaches both denied any retaliatory intent and instead claimed the reasons for their negative treatment of certain players and the proposed player waivers or trades were based on either performance or the players' negative attitudes. However, he could not recall any request by Holly or Holly's attorney that the provision bind the club. While the League itself cannot dictate changes to settings outside its purview, such as youth soccer or other leagues, it can implement reforms to the policies and practices within its control, which will in turn allow the League to serve as a standard-bearer and blueprint for other institutions. . Third, Dames made personal insults, and the summary stated, these comments in a professional environment are concerning." For example, the report summary stated, "The players broadly described how Dames did not maintain professional boundaries, was too close to certain players, and tried to gather information to get close to others. For example, in 2018, Horan wrote an op-ed about her time at PSG and stated what she "went through was almost like abuse emotionally and mentally," and "extremely intense." How a trailblazing female general manager transformed the worst Leadership training and coaching could provide coaches with skills to better communicate with players and other staff, motivate players, collaborate with other staff, and resolve conflicts within the team. 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 . Require Coaches to Adhere to Club Medical Staff's Decisions Regarding Player Health and Ability to Train and Play Inquiry Finds Widespread Misconduct In Women's Pro Soccer Simon felt like she owed him, because she believed he played a role in getting her a spot at the camp. The Week in Women's Football: NWSL 2021 regular season review Under the leadership of Commissioner Jessica Berman, the NWSL released an updated Anti-Harassment Policy, increased dedicated resources for receiving and handling reports of misconduct, and acted on the findings of the Joint Investigative Team by removing individuals who engaged in misconduct from their roles at clubs. In his interview with the Joint Investigative Team, Clarkson exhibited a lack of candor. 91, The perceived absence of HR at the NWSL and its clubs meant that many players felt that they had no clear path to report misconduct they experienced. ..13 She told Clarkson during a water break shortly after entering that she had to come off the field due to her injury. She recalled reading texts that said, "You're nothing without me. Malik texted Gulati that he "appreciate[d]" the "confidential advice to Anson." She recalled trying to leave Holly's house, but as she rounded a corner to go downstairs to leave, Holly grabbed her arm. In a follow-up interview, the lawyer said the alterations were not made by Ms. LaHue, and did not provide any further details. Levine's explanation for her response to these emails was that she was focused on language in the emails regarding how the NWSL would respond to Shim's initial 2015 complaint-despite indicia in the emails that Shim and Farrelly were dissatisfied with the NWSL's response to Shim's 2015 complaint and despite Farrelly having provided additional pertinent information in her email. The NWSL Players Association ("NWSLPA") also demanded an independent investigation into abusive conduct. Ex-Canada assistant to coach NWSL Thorns, succeeding fellow Canadian 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. The NWSL should consider avenues to create a formal partnership with the Black Women's Player Collective to hear and address the Collective's concerns and improve the NWSL experience for Black players. Harrington denied making these comments, and he stated that he never made comments about players' physical attractiveness and never "sexualized" players. . Provide Mandatory Annual Anti-Bullying Training Simon said she moved away from Holly when he touched her and told him he was "insane." A staff member at the club said that Baldwin "[got] protective and [dug] his claws in about people. Interviews Conducted e) The USSF Dames Investigation's Conclusions In crafting this policy, the NWSL should be mindful that non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements have been used to restrict clubs from criticizing or sharing information about a departing staff member. Kurtz added that after reading last year about Riley's past sexual misconduct, she realized that the coach was "grooming" her with similar patterns of behavior. . In explaining the transactions the club made before the next season, Williams said, "We needed to make a lot of changes-we were last [in the League]. It defines harassment as "unwelcome conduct, whether verbal, physical or visual, that is based upon a person's race or any other protected status." She described the NWSL office as a "very disempowered place to be given the power and authority of U.S. 1, systemic issues that contributed to, and were perpetuated by, those instances of misconduct. The Joint Investigative Team spoke to other players on the Red Stars who reported similar concerns of retaliation. As one player explained, an emotionally or verbally abusive coach would "yell to hurt [players'] feelings, not make them better." "Misconduct against players has occurred at the vast majority of NWSL clubs at various times from the earliest years of the league to the present," the report states, referencing instances of inappropriate sexual remarks to players by staff in positions of power, blurred professional boundaries, and manipulation. Two people, former Gotham FC General Manager Alyse LaHue and former Utah Royals FC head coach Craig Harrington, were handed two-year suspensions from the league. . D. She recalled thinking that now that he was the head coach for her team-and therefore her boss-the inappropriate behavior might stop. Holly grabbed Simon's wrist and forced her to touch his penis. Notable policies that will be established or revised include: a Non-Fraternization Policy that will create clear rules regarding romantic and/or sexual relationships and/or encounters between players and staff, and an Alcohol Policy to establish standards around alcohol-use in social settings where players and club staff are present., The league also promised that it would implement league and club minimum standards and staffing / reporting requirements with an emphasis on having clubs dedicate full-time employees to the Human Resources and General Manager positions, ensuring autonomy of the medical staff, and requiring clubs to designate their own Player Safety Officers to provide in-market support to the NWSL Player Safety Officer., In all, the report has specific allegations against eight NWSL teams, 12 former NWSL coaches or front-office leaders, three former top U.S. Soccer Federation employees including former president Sunil Gulati and three former NWSL commissioners or their equivalent. Until now, the only reported detail was that LaHue was the subject of a complaint filed under the league's anti-harassment policy. 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. The group, including Thorp, went to Riley's apartment, though Thorp left shortly thereafter. Guidelines may help The NWSL should establish guidelines requiring that meetings between club staff and players take place in appropriate professional settings, including while traveling. 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. B. Dames's boundary-blurring behavior is described in more detail below. Starr said it would have been helpful to have received more clarity and guidance about how to handle the situation in her role, and that she received no training from the NWSL. Players recounted instances in which Harrington made sexual comments to and about players. 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. Cromwell and Greene also expressed a desire to remove these players from the team. She also won a. Rory Dames (Chicago Red Stars, Head Coach, 2012-2021) Former NWSL commissioner Jeff Plush responded to the joint investigators after refusing to speak with Yates & Co., though the report indicates that Plush only provided written responses. Consistent with the CBA, the NWSL should require coaches to adhere to medical staff's decisions for a player to train, play, or return to play. And Levine, in spite of having been kept apprised of the Thorns's investigation in 2015 and having read the investigative report, did not take Shim's and Farrelly's 2021 complaints to the NWSL regarding Riley seriously; in fact, Levine drafted responses on which Baird-who had no prior familiarity with the 2015 investigation-relied to respond to Shim and Farrelly and essentially decline to inquire into Riley further. What follows is a high-level summary of the Joint Investigative Team's findings related to these key individuals and entities. Players also drew a connection between coaches who engaged in abusive behavior and coaches who, in the players' view, relished the feeling of having power over their players. Based on the evidence obtained during this investigation, the Joint Investigative Team makes the following observations and findings. In text messages to Dames, Whisler spoke negatively of Press and expressed suspicion about players' motives for raising concerns. That committee included: NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman; NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke; WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson (selected by the NWSLPA); Goop, Inc. general counsel and chief people officer Djenaba Parker (selected by the NWSL) and former United States District Judge Barbara S. Jones, who was deemed an independent member. The investigator made no effort to verify the accuracy of Dames's explanation, yet the report stated that Dames had offered [a] credible explanation[]" as to the reason for his treatment of the player. 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. According to Starr, Simon "begged her" not to say anything to anyone. One player for the Dash noted that the HR representative primarily worked for the MLS team and was unfamiliar with the reporting channels for the women's team. Second, U.S. Soccer and certain NWSL clubs asserted the attorney-client privilege and work product doctrine over information relevant to this investigation, or delayed providing key evidence on privilege grounds or due to confidentiality or non-disparagement provisions in agreements with coaches fired for misconduct. The background checks should continue to be conducted by professional employment services companies in a manner consistent with any applicable legal restrictions and guidelines. The investigator did not ask the players about this assertion or take other steps to determine the accuracy of the claim that the players wanted to return. NJ/NY Gotham FC, having put in the past the ghosts of their former Sky Blue FC selves and all the baggage that came with it, have been thrust back into a state of uncertainty. 63, 6. 38, that Riley denied "weight-shaming" Kurtz, and Johnson told Riley that he should speak to players about "fitness, not "weight." One player described feeling anxious and upset after a coach was "almost screaming on top of [her], pointing his finger." The NWSL should share with U.S. Soccer when a club employee is removed from a club due to a finding of misconduct under the Anti-Harassment Policy to allow U.S. Soccer to take necessary measures to prevent that employee from engaging in further misconduct in youth soccer or in other leagues, including the removal of coaching licenses where necessary. At the start of 2022, with the termination of U.S. Soccer's allocation system, the NWSLPA expanded its representation to include USWNT players competing in the NWSL. The day after one player raised a complaint about Dames, he texted Arnim Whisler that he was planning on waiving the player because of her complaint. An additional reputational check-which would involve additional research into the candidate, including interviews with references and other contacts-is not required, but can be conducted at the club's election. She recalled Riley's behavior oscillating between positive comments about her performance and tearing her down-she had positive experiences with Riley in 2018, but recalled Riley spiraling [everything] back to [her]" and leaving meetings with him in tears" in 2019. Some players of color reported they did not feel they could report racially insensitive and offensive conduct. The NWSLPA stated that it expected the League to cooperate with the NWSLPA's independent investigation. Instead of addressing players' concerns, Whisler repeatedly downplayed them and protected Dames throughout his tenure. C. One player said that she considered quitting rather than reporting harassment because she was skeptical that the League would handle her complaint properly. Even if it were appropriate to only assess Riley's conduct under the legal standard for sexual harassment, no standard was set forth in the report and no explanation was given for the assertion that Riley's conduct was not "unlawful harassment." Sky Blue FC: Ed Nalbandian new minority owner, Tammy Murphy named The Joint Investigative Team considered the following factors when deciding whether to identify an individual who engaged in misconduct: whether (i) the misconduct was widely reported in major news outlets; (ii) the misconduct was severe; (iii) the misconduct was repeated; and (iv) there is a risk of substantial harm to NWSL players, youth players, or others if the individual is not identified. The NWSL began requiring background checks of prospective coaches and other club staff, and it has begun efforts to offer an anti-harassment training for players, coaches, and League and club staff. When Olympique Lyonnais became the club's majority owner in January 2020, Predmore retained his position as CEO and was primarily responsible for day-to-day club decisions. Simon described her fear that reporting Holly's misconduct could destroy her career after he insinuated to her that he had orchestrated her youth national team call-up; she recalled thinking, He could ruin me." The same article reported that Horan said Benstiti and his staff were just terrible about discussing fitness goals and told players, You need to lose weight, you need to get thinner, you need to run more." During the USSF Dames Investigation, players reported multiple instances of Dames using racist language, including calling a Black player a thug and describing her as "acting like a gang member." Club Statement on NWSL/NWSLPA Report pic.twitter.com/ATZPBk1pxc, The Philadelphia Inquirer published a statement they received from LaHues lawyer, Kelly Hoffman following the release of the Joint Investigative Report on Wednesday.
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