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The NWSL should confirm that each club has designated such individuals and that those individuals are aware of their obligation to report any complaints or reports of violations of the Anti-Harassment Policy to the NWSL HR Office or the NWSL General Counsel within 24 hours of receiving the report. When the Joint Investigative Team interviewed her, Wahlke said that she did not believe the investigation was ever closed during her tenure at U.S. Soccer. Emotional Misconduct Johnson said Flynn told him an allegation was made that Riley asked "a player to kiss another female," and that Riley had denied this occurred. 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." Novo explained that before this happened, players approached him and requested a meeting to share concerns about Holly. Alyse LaHue was appointed as General Manager of NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in April 2019 (then known as Sky Blue FC) and has been leading the club's dramatic turnaround since. 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. . 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. Likewise, a current general manager expressed that background checks "only catch[] so much" and explained that for this reason, her club also relied on input from players when hiring. The comments stated: "The head coach was disrespectful to players and created a hostile work environment. She added that it was possible her performance had in fact decreased because she was not comfortable with the situation. Many players and staff admitted that they struggled to identify the line between emotional misconduct and tough coaching." Bailey also noted to Whisler that the player survey results were shared with Flynn and Gulati, and Whisler emailed both Flynn and Gulati regarding the survey results. if you don't want it, get a regular job. In one case, a member of club leadership, while following up on younger players' complaints of staff mistreatment, was told by more seasoned players that the younger players were "entitled" and did not appreciate, for example, that the club provided them meals at the training facility. Days later, the assistant coaches told her that they had never complained about her attitude. One player described Holly screaming at a player during a game, only to bring her into a meeting after the game in which he cried and told her that she was his favorite player. Simon was afraid to tell anyone of Holly's abuse because she was scared for her physical safety if Holly found out she had reported him. Nonetheless, the Courage were aware when they executed an employment contract with Riley of an allegation that Riley had suggested two players kiss while at his apartment after a night of drinking, and that an investigation into Riley showed he exhibited poor judgment. One of these players said that the dual head coachgeneral manager role was "a nightmare." For example, the Courage re-signed Jaelene Daniels in 2021, after her brief retirement. Anti-harassment training offered by the NWSL should clearly instruct staff that electronic communications, including text messages, WhatsApp messages, and emails, must comply with, and are subject to, the Anti-Harassment Policy. Markgraf also told the Joint Investigative Team that a player subsequently warned Markgraf not to hire Riley and left Markgraf with the impression that Riley was a "bad guy. 2. After Holly learned that a different starting player had complained about his behavior to club leadership, he demoted her to training with reserve players. The Joint Investigative Team created an email address and phone number for individuals to confidentially provide information. The statement said LaHue was first contacted by this investigation in August, and did not get an interview until only after she made several requests for one. 3. Based on his conduct, she assumed he was leaving the Red Stars and was surprised when he returned the next season. On a different occasion, Dames called Stanton into his office and told her she was playing poorly. Clarkson's comment left the player crying and visibly upset. Another owner described himself as a "volunteer." The Spirit's handbook stated that "all employees and contractors are required to receive and acknowledge receipt of the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy for a Safe Work Environment. Gulati also stated that U.S. Soccer relied on the League and the clubs to develop their own policies regarding misconduct, but he did not recall ever conveying to the clubs that they were responsible for setting up these policies. a) Definition of Retaliation One night in May 2015, members of the Thorns went to a bar in Portland following a home game. Inappropriate Intimate and Sexual Interactions with Players Naming Criteria.. New Jersey Alyse LaHue has brought real change to Sky Blue FC. According to a player at the first club, the staff member used [their] power to help th[e] player" they were dating. Both Gulati and U.S. Soccer CEO Dan Flynn received the NWSL player survey results from 2014, which included information about potential misconduct by both Riley and Dames. As discussed in further detail below, players have reported misconduct throughout the League's history. In addition, despite recent messages of empowerment from the League and clubs, gender norms and biases led many players to believe that their needs and concerns were not worthy of attention. Notably, investigators for the NWSL and NWSLPA also cite U.S. Soccer as an entity that delayed the investigation. E. Farrelly also emailed Baird and the NWSL HR Office email address in April 2021 setting forth serious allegations against Riley, including that she had experienced inappropriate conduct by Riley in addition to what she reported during the Thorns's 2015 investigation. Riley declined to respond to requests to participate in this investigation. 62, "massive" suite in his hotel room. Burke told the Joint Investigative Team that he was a demanding" coach and acknowledged that he could be "profane" at times, but he adamantly denied that his behavior was abusive toward players. LaHues behavior in connection with [the player] was improper and inappropriate, and a violation of league policies . At the second club, the relationship between the staff member and the player allowed rumors to pass between management, staff, and players. 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. Farrelly tried to pretend these sexual encounters never occurred, but Riley would try to talk about them with her. a) Unconstructive, Personal, or Threatening Verbal Misconduct 4. 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. 81, After the end of the 2021 season, when the Current finished in last place in the League, Williams was relieved of his coaching duties, and he moved to a scouting role at the Current. While the temporary protocols mentioned only coaches, general managers, and team presidents, in practice, the NWSL directed clubs to submit for background checks all employees who work closely with players. * Dames declined requests to be interviewed in this investigation. The Flash announced Riley as their head coach in February 2016. Of the ten clubs that were in operation in October 2021, seven did not have dedicated HR staff tasked with receiving complaints or reports of misconduct and with investigating misconduct. During the Pride's investigation, players corroborated these reports, although the investigation did not support some of the reported conduct, and Cromwell and Greene were given written warnings. More than one individual used the phrase "Jekyll and Hyde" to describe Holly, who exhibited patterns of hot and cold behavior that caused anxiety and uncertainty for players. In May 2018, U.S. Soccer's investigator spoke to Press regarding her complaint that Dames "verbally and emotionally abuse[d] . The anti-retaliation trainings should explain that ostracizing players or staff or ignoring them, denying players certain training opportunities or playing time, or showing favoritism toward certain other players or staff could be retaliatory if a motivating factor for engaging in the conduct relates to those individuals participating in a Protected Activity under the AntiHarassment Policy. Craig Harrington blurred professional boundaries with players. 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 erratic, emotional behaviors exhibited by these three coaches were repeatedly described by players as "cycles" of abuse. 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. In 2017 and 2019, the NWSL hired a law firm to conduct an inperson anti-harassment training for all players and a separate anti-harassment training for all club staff, though according to former NWSL General Counsel Lisa Levine, one club declined to participate in 2019. The club did not take steps to determine if Riley's conduct extended beyond an isolated comment or to other players. The NWSL should establish guidelines requiring that meetings between club staff and players take place in appropriate professional settings, including while traveling. 118, coaches and staff to better understand their interactions with players. Although Plush asserted that he tried to dissuade the Flash from pursuing Riley, he did not give the Flash any information about why they should not pursue Riley. The NWSL announced that Cromwell's and Greene's employment contracts were terminated effective immediately and that they were ineligible for future employment in the NWSL unless approved by the Commissioner. In spite of this, there is no evidence that Levine provided the Flash with additional details about Riley's past conduct. In the USSF Dames Report, one player described Dames's emotional abuse as having a boyfriend that beats you, says sorry, and you go back to him."" Two players expressed the concern that speaking out about issues of race could jeopardize a player's It explicitly requires club employees to elevate all reports of misconduct to the League and clearly states that the League will investigate such reports. I don't want her anywhere around the team." Alyse LaHue, a former team executive, also received a two-year penalty, while ex-coaches Farid Benstiti, James Clarkson and Vera Pauw could return only by meeting specified conditions, such as . She recalled hearing Riley make negative "comments about players who [had] made the national team and then stopped doing favors for him. The retreat involved drinking, with alcohol provided by Riley, and some players recalled that they felt the retreat was mandatory and that they could not leave. 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. Jeff Plush (NWSL, Commissioner, 2014-2017) Start your FREE, 7-day trial of The Equalizer Extra for industry-leading reporting and insight on the USWNT, NWSL and beyond. Reflecting on the prevalence of player-staff relationships, one player asked, "Has the policy changed? B. .17 Mishandling of Rory Dames's Misconduct by U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and the Chicago Red Stars Years after both Shim and Farrelly left the Thorns, the former teammates spoke about their experiences with Riley, and Farrelly shared with Shim her own experiences with Riley's misconduct. Throughout Dames's tenure as head coach of the Red Stars, owner Arnim Whisler minimized and dismissed players' concerns that Dames was verbally and emotionally abusive.