The Joint Investigative Team found no evidence that Wahlke took any steps to transition management of the investigation to a successor when she left U.S. Soccer in 2020, and she does not appear to have notified anyone that she still considered the investigation open. Some coaches would also explicitly wield their power over players' career success, including consideration for the USWNT, to manipulate players or bring them in line. The team tried to fit into a rented van to return to their hotel, and team members sat on each other's laps. Washington Spirit When Stanton started "bawling [her] eyes out," Dames told her, "Your response is making me feel better about the accusation." Johnson recalled Flynn describing the incident as "a moment of poor judgment. Johnson said he did not understand from the conversation with Flynn that the incident had played a role in Riley's departure from the Thorns; rather, Johnson understood from Riley and from media reports that Riley's departure was related to a team performance issue. In her email, the player said that she wanted to "report[] her owner" for "neglecting issues he is aware of" and alleged that Dames was engaging in inappropriate relationships with players.' In 2020 and 2021, James Clarkson emailed club staff, including the club president, in an effort to develop a mental health program to support players. Additionally, the policy requires each club to designate two individuals to receive reports of potential misconduct, at least one of whom must not be the club's Board of Governors representative or head coach. "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 Instead of addressing players' concerns, Whisler repeatedly downplayed them and protected Dames throughout his tenure. Whisler recalled that the club worked to get the severance agreement "done by midnight" on November 21, and he signed the agreement that night. 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. 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. The erratic, emotional behaviors exhibited by these three coaches were repeatedly described by players as "cycles" of abuse. The location of Shim's and Farrelly's interviews-the Thorns's stadium-was not an appropriate setting for such a sensitive conversation and contributed to Shim feeling uncomfortable and concerned that staff would see her being interviewed. These factors do not constitute a bright-line test; Rory Dames (Chicago Red Stars, Head Coach, 2012-2021) One player identified by Cromwell and Greene as having been involved in the March 2022 investigation was informed that the club was either waiving her or buying out her contract. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy requires clubs to promptly report all reports of misconduct to the League. We discussed them at length in his interview." On the Monday night before the game, four Dash players had dinner at a Pumas player's apartment and returned to their hotel around midnight. Multiple players and club staff reported that in 2017, while Holly was head coach of Sky Blue, he began dating Pearce Rampone. Players expressed concerns that Whisler was loyal to Dames and justified Dames's behavior even when players brought concerns directly to Whisler. It established that Riley, Shim, Farrelly, and Thorp drank at a bar one night and ended up at Riley's apartment, where alcohol was made available. ii Summary of Inappropriate Conduct.. A. According to Novo, after his conversation with ownership, he met with Holly and told him it was "time to move on." Gotham fired her on July 9, 2021, and said in a statement seven days later that the dismissal was based on the results of a league investigation into a complaint of a violation of league policy.. The Joint Investigative Team requested an interview with Holly, and he initially agreed to be interviewed. 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." 82, September 30, 2021, assistant coaches and any other club staff who would "regularly interact with the players" also became subject to NWSL vetting. Riley made sexual comments towards Kurtz, including giving her detailed accounts of his sex life on a number of occasions in what appeared to be an attempt to invite her to do the same in return; that conduct waned only when Kurtz was in a serious relationship. Farrelly's email. Post author: Post published: junho 10, 2022 Post category: the gridlessness family Post comments: eyal lalo net worth eyal lalo net worth In addition, romantic relationships between players and staff, even when consensual, blur the lines between appropriate and inappropriate behavior, increasing the risk of misconduct. One player said it felt "like the lid came off" when the pressures of being head coach combined with Holly's personal life. However, interviewees reported that Clarkson on occasion failed to recognize or appreciate his effect on players. If a player shares information about misconduct in an exit interview, the club staff conducting the exit interview should alert the NWSL HR Office or the NWSL General Counsel so that interim protective measures can be taken as needed and the NWSL can investigate the allegation promptly and thoroughly. At the time of LaHues firing, limited information was provided to the public. In the 2014 player survey, several players for the Thorns shared negative comments about the coaching staff, including Riley. The response from League leadership to 2015 survey results regarding Aaran Lines stood in stark contrast to the response to the survey results regarding either Riley or Dames. A third Courage player recalled that she "had a lot of really hard coaches growing up, including her college coach, and wondered, "Do I even know if I've been abused?" Those discussions should be focused on how to improve the player's performance and should not include any jokes, insults, or other unconstructive comments about players' weight, appearance, or eating habits. Levine, who was General Counsel of U.S. Soccer at the time, told the Joint Investigative Team that she recalled the comments about Lines were "very unfavorable." Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that the Thorns phrased the announcement this way based on the 98, Multiple players also voiced concerns that coaches found to have committed misconduct were not terminated but were instead allowed to resign from their positions. 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. 78, reasons for the waiver/contract buyout and other proposed waivers, several additional considerations supported the conclusion that retaliation was a motivating factor. Riley stepped away to use the restroom, and Farrelly and Shim discussed leaving. However, the Joint Investigative Team found no evidence that the letters were written or sent. In Ep. On a third team, a player described her coach threatening players with waiver after the coach heard that those players had questioned decisions he made during training. Additionally, the explanation put forth by U.S. Soccer did not account for the risk that players who remained on the team and under Dames's management did not report contemporaneous conduct for fear of retaliation. When Shim arrived, Riley opened the hotel door so that he was behind it, requiring Shim to step all the way inside. The club fired Harrington on November 9, 2020. The article also noted Horan's observation that Benstiti's insistence on weight loss was "more [about] how you were seen and not how it was helping you play. An April 2019 Adidas commercial focused on Horan overcoming her negative experience with Benstiti. The League should also consider whether these groups can play a role in developing and implementing League-wide initiatives related to DEI. When the player asked if Holly was referring to a nude photo, she recalled that Holly replied that if that was what it took to get a nude photo from that player, he would stand her up "any day." Plush stated that he never told Malik that Riley was "cleared" or in "good standing." Levine told the Joint Investigative Team that from what she could recall, Lines was removed "directly in response" to the survey results. At an end-of-season meeting in 2019, she asked Riley for a trade. It's a vicious cycle." Having opportunities to hang with others or time for self-care is important to maintain a healthy relationship. One of the players perceived this as an attempt to convince them to go out drinking. Nearly three weeks after my original reporting, during which Gotham ignored more than a half dozen requests for comment via various platforms, the club announced the end of the line with LaHue in a tersely worded statement that did not even acknowledge her by her full name, and which mostly passed the buck to the league office. 26, c) According to one player, Holly sometimes sent another player heart eyes" emojis through Instagram. Levine claimed that their failure to do so "contributed to [Riley's] remaining in the League until Farrelly and Shim went public in September 2021. As a result, the Joint Investigative Team was not able to fully question LaHue about her interactions with the player. Instead, according to the conclusion, Dames [had] made great strides in the last few years and improved tremendously as a coach," and "Whisler [had] taken demonstrable steps toward eliminating the stressors that may have contributed to Dames's bad behaviors." . Lydia Wahlke (U.S. Soccer, Chief Legal Officer, 2017-2020) Both Dames and Whisler said that after leaving, the two players had "expressed a desire . On the evening of June 14, 2018, two days after the NWSL received the complaint about Dames, Levine and Duffy paused their investigation at Wahlke's request and informed the players they had contacted that they were "handing the matter off to an independent third party." . O'Connor responded, Confidentiality in our culture suggests it is an issue which is either illegal or immoral," and the players responded that it did not fall into those categories. Additionally, the investigation seemed focused on limiting the club's liability rather than These measures may help increase diversity in the NWSL coaching ranks. In a follow-up interview, the lawyer said the alterations were not made by Ms. LaHue, and did not provide any further details. We don't have HR. As another example of a coach targeting a player's personal attributes, according to a staff member, Holly criticized a player by wondering aloud why he had "wasted a draft pick" on her after a stress test revealed she had a medical condition. Alyse is the General Manager for Sky Blue FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Holly also told Simon on more than one occasion that he wanted to have a threesome with her and another former player, and he would refer to it as "the most epic threesome. Holly also sent Simon inappropriate messages on Snapchat, including a photo of him lying on his bed in boxers Despite learning this information, investigators and individuals kept apprised of the investigation, including the Thorns and Levine, did not probe further by interviewing other witnesses, requesting additional text messages or emails, or asking Riley about his relationship with Farrelly, among other things. He told the Joint Investigative Team, "We're all adults. When asked if he recalled coaches and players ever going to strip clubs together, Harrington recalled one instance after a game where staff and players went to a strip club together. 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. 3, violations of those policies-to identify and reform deficiencies. 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. Players and staff at the Red Stars said that the close relationship between Head Coach Rory Dames and club owner Arnim Whisler made them feel that raising complaints to ownership would be pointless. Subsequently, on more than one occasion, Holly held doors open for Simon and grabbed her buttocks as she passed by him. Reports of Retaliation for Complaints of Misconduct Riley invited her to share details about her romantic life, and in the following weeks and months, persistently asked her about her love life and how her relationship was going. 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. The Courage never received a copy of the report or learned the full findings, which also discussed Riley's other serious misconduct. The process through which coaches and other club staff are hired has varied, and some coaches hired by clubs have faced previous allegations of misconduct that were not discovered or explored as part of a background or reputational check. However, player confidentiality and safety were not the motivating factors in the Thorns's decision to withhold information about Riley's misconduct from the Flash and the Courage. Investigative Methodology. Given the pervasive fear of retaliation in the NWSL, the absence of an anti-retaliation provision is particularly problematic. When Racing Louisville learned of Holly's sexual misconduct toward Erin Simon, the club acted quickly, firing him within hours of speaking to Simon, and in spite of a request from the NWSL that they pause to let the League investigate. One of the players interviewed by Garcia by telephone told the Joint Investigative Team that her conversation with Garcia involved general questions, and she was given no indication that the conversation was part of an investigation. The lead investigator told the Joint Investigative Team that she believed Dames's "excessive yelling, unpredictable behavior, and singling out players for constant criticism . According to an outline prepared by players before the meeting, their concerns included comments made during training, like I'm going to ream her ass," and "you are a pain in my ass," demeaning players' abilities, and telling players, "I do this [drill] with my 12 year-olds" and "I do this with my U14s," which players felt did not afford them respect as professionals. Following that email, Riley's behavior towards Shim changed: he barely acknowledged Shim, and her playing time noticeably dropped. Another player similarly reported that Holly stopped playing her after she raised concerns about his behavior to an assistant coach. 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." The player spoke to Levine and Duffy later that day to explain her concerns. The surveys also asked some open-ended questions and provided space for players to enter comments. 19, not respond appropriately to Shim's concerns for six years, until after Shim and Farrelly went public. That January, the Courage made Riley their first head coach. Club HR staff also were not adequately trained or provided guidance on how to respond to allegations of misconduct or how to conduct sensitive investigations in a trauma-informed manner. When the club held a call with players and staff to share the results of the investigation, however, the message left players and staff with the incorrect understanding that none of the reports against Cromwell and Greene were substantiated, that no remedial actions were taken to address their behavior, and that the club was standing by the coaches. Multiple players described outsized, angry reactions to innocuous questions or requests. Unwanted Sexual Advances Toward Players The 2020 survey also asked several questions about NWSL tournaments and schedules. 7. Another player wrote that Lines was emotionally abusive, "belittle[d]" people, and should be terminated. . In addition to background checks, the NWSL should conduct reference checks for all prospective owners, coachesincluding volunteer coachesand club staff who may interact with players. 54, substantiated, and the club had fired Holly. At the same time, the Thorns claimed legal privilege over the very information that would be responsive to such inquiries, creating barriers for the NWSL and U.S. Soccer to disclose what the investigation revealed about Riley's misconduct. Instead, it should require clubs to notify and provide relevant factual information to the NWSL when a club terminates the employment of any staff member, regardless of job title, or takes other disciplinary action due to misconduct. Only two clubs' employee handbooks-the Spirit's and Gotham's-referenced the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy. When reflecting on his jokes related to Jewish people, Burke said that he did not know there had been Jewish people on the team. WUSA, the first women's professional soccer league in the United States, began play in April 2001. Prior to 2021, the NWSL did not have a formal policy prohibiting harassment, which includes sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Players told the Joint Investigative Team that this environment dissuaded them from reporting misconduct. 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 report identifies several instances in which basic criminal records checks would come back clean, but where reference checks would have revealed character issues regarding potential hires. The report, however, acknowledges that "a majority of players expressed the view that Clarkson's treatment of players did not rise to the level of abuse or misconduct. e) Fear of Retaliation Based on the findings, the Thorns terminated Riley. Even when provided with anonymous reporting channels during the course of this independent joint investigation, including through the NWSLPA, some players expressed skepticism that reports would be appropriately handled due to historical distrust in the League. This scope included both sexual misconduct and other forms of misconduct. Lack of Confidence in League Responses to Misconduct Complaints Wilkinson informed the Joint Investigative Team that he did not recall staff raising concerns about misconduct by Riley. Players Some players of color reported they did not feel they could report racially insensitive and offensive conduct. 2. Another Racing Louisville staff member did not recall any conversations at the club about reporting Holly to SafeSport. The Joint Investigative Team learned of a relationship between a staff member and a player, although due to player confidentiality concerns this Report provides limited identifying details. On Monday, the 43-year-old was elevated to head coach of the defending National Women's Soccer League champion Thorns, filling the void left when Wilkinson, a former Canadian international,. Holly declined requests to be interviewed in this investigation. Simon felt like she owed him, because she believed he played a role in getting her a spot at the camp. . Gotham subsequently terminated the GMs employment. As discussed further below, Holly's relationship with Pearce Rampone created problems at Sky Blue and led, in part, to his departure from the club. He would switch seats on the plane during team travel to sit next to her. 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. Riley went on to be named head coach for two other NWSL clubs, the Western New York Flash and the Courage, in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Kurtz earned playing time while a more senior member of the Courage was competing with the USWNT, and she recalled Riley encouraging her with the news that Jill Ellis, then-Head Coach of the USWNT, was considering her for a spot on the team. 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. At Sky Blue, a former chief financial officer handled the club's budgeting, sponsorships, payroll, and merchandising in addition to the club's HR. 5. 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. 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. A different player explained that "a lot of coaches . With regards to the League's legal and HR functions, from 2012-2017, then-U.S. Soccer General Counsel Levine handled the NWSL's legal and HR responsibilities in the absence of an NWSL general counsel. Individual bias can contribute to discrete acts of misconduct. However, it is far from the only misconduct experienced by players. Craig Harrington: The former Utah Royals coach is reported to have. 1. Sky Blue FC's Alyse LaHue And for every role model out there, and every new one made, there's another awakening. The report included: (i) descriptions of those interviewed; (ii) details about players' concerns, as well as Dames's and Whisler's responses to those concerns; (iii) a summary of the law firm's factual findings; and (iv) a conclusion. . After experiencing weight-shaming by Pauw and Riley, witnesses reported that players developed eating disorders and sought mental health treatment. Instead, it stated only that [e]mployees, without fear of retaliation, have the responsibility to bring any form of intimidation, threats, and sexual or other harassment to the attention of any member of management." While much of the sexual misconduct she described took place when Simon and Holly were alone, Simon confided in her friend and teammate, Brooke Hendrix, who spoke to the Joint Investigative Team and shared what Simon told her about some of Holly's abuse as it was occurring. Multiple players recognized the frequency of these invitations and communications as "not normal and inappropriate." On Incorporate Anti-Retaliation Training Into Other Mandatory Trainings Anti-retaliation training should define retaliation and emphasize that retaliation can take many forms-not just termination of employment or formal discipline. Together with favorable comments Paulson and Wilkinson made about Riley, this reinforced the impression formed by the Flash and the Courage that Riley had not engaged in misconduct when employed by the Thorns. Another player noted the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training, and specifically, anti-Black racism" training. Former NY/NJ Gotham FC general manager Alyse. Background checks, reputational checks, and other forms of vetting are not an infallible defense against coaches or staff who engage in misconduct. But at the same time, Wahlke was having internal discussions about Riley's prior misconduct. In addition, she agreed that Dames's conduct would violate the SafeSport Code of Conduct, if it had applied. 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 . According to Malik, Paulson told him in 2019 that the Thorns did not terminate Riley, but that Riley's contract was not renewed. 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. Burke also used racial slurs, made racially insensitive and offensive jokes, and undermined and discouraged activism on issues of race. 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. And thorough vetting, including a reputational check, is time-intensive and expensive. It, therefore, prevented the club from being able to confirm Simon's account if she chose to share her experience publicly, and it put other players at risk by preventing the club from disclosing Holly's conduct to any clubs and organizations considering hiring Holly. A former OL Reign staff member who worked closely with Predmore was adamant that Benstiti had not yet been hired when Predmore was made aware of the issue. a) Unconstructive, Personal, or Threatening Verbal Misconduct Any individual who receives a report of potential misconduct must immediately submit the report to the NWSL HR Office. On August 15, 2019, Levine forwarded to Duffy the 2015 email in which the attorney retained by the Thorns in connection with the 2015 Thorns Investigation into Riley made the unexplained statement that the investigation revealed no "unlawful harassment" and to which the attorney had attached the Thorns's 2015 investigative report regarding Riley as well as supporting texts and emails.

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