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This scope included both sexual misconduct and other forms of misconduct. 7. This normalization of player-coach relationships has continued from predecessor leagues to the NWSL. Consider Requiring Clubs to Report Planned Player Transactions or Staff Terminations to the NWSL Following Allegations of Misconduct Wilkinson told the Joint Investigative Team he learned of at least one occasion in mid-2015 in which Riley had been drinking socially with players. She explained that her job responsibilities were limited to coaching the national team, and she did not have a role in oversight of NWSL coaches. Club policies should also inform individuals of the reporting channels listed in the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy and should remind club staff of their obligation to report potential policy violations to the NWSL HR Office or NWSL General Counsel. Another player said she did not know who at her club she would report to if she heard a staff member say something racist, and she was not sure it would be the same person she would go to if she heard a staff member engage in other forms of emotional abuse. Clarkson denied making this comment to a player. One player recalled that Riley held film sessions in a Burke called players insulting names, like moron, fucking asshole," and "cheat," and explicitly threatened to waive players who challenged his conduct or otherwise disagreed with him. 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. Another owner described himself as a "volunteer." Shim recalled being uncomfortable" that someone she knew might see her being interviewed. As a result, several players felt that they needed to apologize for participating in or failing to stop the March Investigation. An individual affiliated with the USWNTPA described former U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati as a puppeteer overseeing the League and recalled Gulati exerting authority over proposed player trades. The Joint Investigative Team created an email address and phone number for individuals to confidentially provide information. But the story had been percolating since June 28, when I reported via Twitter that Alyse LaHue was away from the team. Subscribers toThe Equalizer now receive 50% offtheirsubscription toThe Nextfor 24/7 coverage of womens basketball. U.S. Soccer took no steps to protect players during the 16 months it spent on the investigation. Following the survey responses, Whisler wrote in an email, I can tell you that Rory offered his resignation to me last night because of the embarrassment he thought it caused the organization. It also states that "[e]xceptions to this policy may be granted by ownership or the Chief Operating Officer if, in their sole discretion, it is determined that the close relationship is not likely to cause actual or perceived conflict or favoritism, which is inconsistent with the NWSL policy. 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." The Joint Investigative Team sought evidence from U.S. Soccer in the form of relevant documents and interviews of current and former U.S. Soccer employees. In written responses to questions posed by U.S. Soccer and provided to the Joint Investigative Team, Flynn All NWSL staff, players, and club staff, including coaching staff, are required to take a 90-minute SafeSport Trained Core Course, which includes training on sexual misconduct awareness and education, mandatory reporting, and physical and emotional misconduct. The player recalled that Pauw "knocked on [her] door at night and invited herself in just to check how [her] apartment setup was." The NWSLPA, in collaboration with a group of players, then drafted an anti-harassment policy and advocated for its adoption. "A reopening of the 2015 investigation regarding former NWSL coach Paul Riley, including a review of the circumstances surrounding his departure from the Portland Thorns FC, and his subsequent hiring by Western New York Flash and the North Carolina Courage." In spite of this, the evidence shows that neither club that subsequently hired Riley was given a full understanding of the extent of Shim's allegations and the full investigative findings against Riley. One player stated that, "Dishonesty and manipulation from your coach creates a toxic environment." A majority of interviewees believed that Clarkson's mood could be unpredictablethat he could be hot or cold, or they would not know what to expect in terms of his attitude on any given day. One assistant coach recalled another coach making comments about players' weight and once telling a player at a restaurant, You can't eat this. One of the players recalled that Benstiti said, I don't care if you go to the newspapers no more fast food. When contacting former employers, the NWSL should not just verify employment, but should inquire into any past incidents of misconduct. Hendrix also attended the meeting. At some point that night, only Riley, Shim, Farrelly, and Thorns Assistant Coach William "Skip" Thorp remained in the bar, and the four left together when the bar closed. The report also details Clarkson's handling of an incident in Houston back in April 2021, when stadium security questioned the boyfriend of then Chicago Red Stars defender Sarah Gorden. On July 2, 2021, OL Reign announced, Farid Benstiti has resigned his position as head coach of the club with immediate effect. One player told the Joint Investigative Team that they felt Benstiti should have been fired and there should have been a private apology from the club to the players and a commitment to do right by the players. The Joint Investigative Team found no support for this conclusion, and the Thorns continue to assert attorney-client privilege over the advice they claim they received on this point. 9. Continue Efforts to Improve and Increase Access to Reporting Channels Across All Clubs Club owners, coaches, and general managers from Utah Royals FC, OL Reign, NJ/NY Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, Racing Louisville FC, and later, the Chicago Red Stars departed their clubs following reports of misconduct towards players, including overtly racist conduct, verbal and emotional abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. I don't want her anywhere around the team." Another player remembered that Riley would "buy rounds and rounds of shots," which she thought was "awesome" as a 21-year-old but later found "weird." Lack of Uniform Training In the report's summary, which preceded the conclusion, the investigator flagged as problematic three additional issues beyond Dames's three undisputed behaviors." 100 Another player said Dames was "hostile and sarcastic" and would "shame" her, but would not pick on the top players" or "anyone with leverage." II. As discussed above, this player was subsequently traded in circumstances suggesting that the trade was retaliatory. . She added that it was possible her performance had in fact decreased because she was not comfortable with the situation. One player said that she considered quitting rather than reporting harassment because she was skeptical that the League would handle her complaint properly. After Press made her 2018 complaint regarding Dames's behavior, U.S. Soccer hired an outside law firm to conduct an investigation (the USSF Dames Investigation). One player said the team reached its "breaking point" when Benstiti gave a speech about diet during a losing streak in the summer of 2021. It did not ask the League to withhold or keep confidential any information about the investigation. 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. The Joint Investigative Team also collected and reviewed relevant emails, texts, and WhatsApp messages from interviewees and the club. Paul Riley joined the NWSL in December 2013, when the Thorns hired him as head coach for the club's 2014 season. Despite having this information, Duffy did not express any concerns about Riley to the Courage, Riley's employer at the time. Out of respect for player privacy, this Report does not provide a detailed account of the evidence or findings in this and other instances where the Joint Investigative Team determined no misconduct occurred. 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 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. Riley admitted in 2015 that he deleted Shim's email without showing it to anyone in a higher position of authority at the Thorns or the NWSL. . Burke screamed and cursed at players, even when those players were crying and visibly emotional. Inconsistencies Between Club Anti-Harassment Policies and the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy He made a comment along the lines of, "I don't know if it's because your girlfriend is world famous and you can't handle her fame." "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. She recalled reading texts that said, "You're nothing without me. 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. 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." The Joint Investigative Team interviewed Simon twice, and her description of Holly's sexual misconduct was consistent during both interviews. 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. Numerous individuals reported that Cromwell and Greene stopped speaking to players who they believed had supported the allegations under investigation and who did not apologize to Cromwell and Greene for their participation in the March 2022 investigation. These aren't criminal issues, they're behavior issues." One veteran player, recounting her years of experience in the NWSL, explained, You didn't have HR in place or anyone running the show [at the NWSL] there was no structure in place, there was nothing that said what the line was or when lines were crossed, or if something happened, where you would go to report things." All of the interviews, except the interviews of Shim and Farrelly, occurred by phone. Players reported the coaching staff physically turned their backs on the player while she was experiencing a panic attack and did not follow up with this player afterward to ask how she was doing. 97 On a different occasion, Dames called Stanton into his office and told her she was playing poorly. 27, Lines discussed Riley with Wilkinson, the decision to hire Riley had already "effectively been made." The Courage fired Riley hours after the Athletic article was published. D. Players and Thorns staff described the assistants as Riley's "yes-men" and recalled that they would not speak against Riley. The Report concludes with systemic recommendations for the NWSL and its member clubs. 120 The League and clubs should post easily-identifiable links to online reporting channels on websites where current and former players are likely to see them. 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. Hammond acknowledged that he did not follow up with Kurtz after the call to share any steps that were being taken or to see if there had been any improvement in Riley's behavior. Whisler did not recall knowing who raised the complaint and said that he did not think Levine instructed him to refrain from speaking to players during this initial conversation, but she did tell him not to speak to players in a subsequent call to inform him of U.S. Soccer's investigation. Benstiti did not respond to the Joint Investigative Team's request to speak with him. LaHue was appointed as general manager of NJ/NY Gotham FC (formerly Sky Blue FC) in September 2019, and has been credited with playing a major role in turning the club around, both on and off the . 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." Develop and Implement Trainings That Reflect and Address Player and Staff Experiences One night in May 2015, members of the Thorns went to a bar in Portland following a home game. If it's big enough to take it to the League . On October 26, 2015, the Thorns announced that they were trading Farrelly to the Breakers, a now-defunct NWSL club. Estes and O'Connor later joined the meeting. Player-staff relationships, even when consensual, can create problems within a team environment and, in some instances, contribute to the mistreatment of players. Prior to 2021, the NWSL did not have a formal policy prohibiting harassment, which includes sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Riley also would tell players that he wanted "to see two women kiss," and made other statements that one player described as "homophobic." In 2020, the NWSL investigated Dell Loy Hansen, then-owner of the Royals, for making racially offensive comments. The report found that Riley had (i) violated instructions by Wilkinson not to socialize with players "when alcohol was involved; (ii) engaged in inappropriate and unprofessional behavior and exercised poor judgment by sending inappropriate text messages, not establishing and maintaining appropriate professional boundaries, inviting players to his apartment, serving alcohol to players, dancing with a player and touching her while doing so, inviting a player to his hotel room, having one-on-one dinners (and involving alcohol), having one-on-one game film sessions in his apartment, and failing to notify his supervisor of the July 5 email; and (iii) likely violated his employment contract by doing so. A staff member for another club noted that "the whole team" lived in the same apartment building with some coaching staff. 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. They also feel the non-fraternization policy, first implemented in January 2018, must be more explicit, extend to staff beyond the head coach and "clarify that any sexual or romantic relationship between players and those in supervisory roles over players is strictly prohibited, even if the relationship is consensual. Whisler received a copy of the organizational climate review on November 21, 2021, and recalled that he was "repulsed" by the findings. F. In addition to the specific incidents and individuals discussed above, players and staff members across a variety of teams described a general fear of retaliation for reporting concerns or otherwise taking action protected by the Anti-Harassment Policy. These behaviors undisputedly occurred and are still occurring." Cromwell and Greene may apply to the Commissioner for consideration only after they have successfully completed the mandatory training and coaching, acknowledged wrongdoing, and demonstrated a sincere commitment to modifying their behavior. 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." a) Dames's Misconduct at the Chicago Red Stars Kurtz said her biggest fear was being considered a "troublemaker" for reporting misconduct, but she feels now that "players who come forward will be protected." In 2019, several media outlets, including Yahoo! Trauma-Informed, Survivor-Centered Approach However, Gulati told the Joint Investigative Team that he did not tell Dorrance anything about the 2015 allegations or investigation of Riley. 84, stepping down from his position as the Spirit's head coach, the club first announced he would be reassigned to the club's front office. Pauw lived in the same apartment complex as players -- an issue the report flags as a too-common problem around the league -- and allegedly attempted to control their diets and prevent them from weight training for fear they would be too "bulky.". The injured player recalled that Clarkson angrily asked her, How the fuck are you so unprofessional?" 69, that would allow us to travel home." The lack of uniform NWSL-wide anti-harassment training contributed to players and club staff being unsure what conduct is appropriate and what behavior constitutes misconduct under the policy.