In particular, the NWSL's "temporary protocols do not require the use of a reputational check. Oversight Committee Composition and Operation 96, player commenting in the 2020 player survey that Burke used demeaning language. But it takes us all: folks at the top, every staffer, even every fan. Six years later, at the age of 31, LaHue is the general manager of the Red Stars, a team whose roster includes Olympians from Mexico, Canada, and last summer's gold medal-winning US team. Though the club did not announce a reason for his termination, sources told The Salt Lake Tribune that Harrington "was placed on leave after players complained he was being 'verbally abusive."" Conduct Background Checks on All Prospective Club Owners, Staff, and Volunteers Who May Interact With Players In August 2019, with the U.S. Soccer investigation ongoing, Dames texted Whisler that he had to "toe[] the proper line to not set off nonsense, and he felt this approach had made players "complacent." Why not talk to me?" One former player recalled that her college goalkeeper coach and assistant coach were both married to former players. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy clarifies that it applies to all "NWSL Personnel," which includes "certain individuals and entities not employed by NWSL," including team owners, team personnel, and team medical staff. e) Fear of Retaliation Rory Dames engaged in both verbal and emotional abuse and made racially insensitive and sexist comments to players. The NWSLPA and the League began collective bargaining in late 2020, and Meghann Burke was hired to a full-time position as the Executive Director of the NWSLPA in early 2021. While he sometimes yelled at her during practice, she described the yelling as a one and done; others he [would] stick with for a whole practice. Another player who felt positively about Dames similarly said that Dames would "pick on" certain players, "constantly criticizing their on-field performance." Shim described Riley as obsessed" with players' romantic and dating relationships. She told Clarkson during a water break shortly after entering that she had to come off the field due to her injury. For example, players reported that Dames would make comments about players' personal appearances. Two others explained why they felt Dames had used information about them to manipulate them. For example, the interviews of Shim and Farrelly were conducted at the Thorns's stadium-rather than a neutral locationwhere Shim and Farrelly may have been seen by club personnel or other players. Even retired players expressed fears that former coaches could affect their careers. Players and club staff also reported that Dames exercised control over players' social lives. In one instance, players reported that Pride Head Coach Amanda Cromwell and Assistant Coach Sam Greene ignored a player who was having a panic attack. 7. the Joint Investigative Team sent each club a document collection questionnaire to gather information about its organization, structure, and mechanisms for reporting complaints. Ensure the Channels for Reporting Misconduct Are Responsive to the Needs of Players and Staff of Color and LGBTQIA+ Players and Staff In March 2021, a group of 240 NWSL players signed a letter to Commissioner Lisa Baird urging the NWSL to adopt an anti-harassment policy. The announcement did not specify that the cause was sexual misconduct. Days later, Shim emailed Baird to ask if the NWSL would take further steps in connection with her 2015 complaint, considering the apparent failure of the NWSL to take any action to protect players" in response to that complaint. (There have already been consequences since the Yates report, including Merritt Paulson and Arnim Whisler agreeing to sell the Portland Thorns and Chicago Red Stars, respectively.). 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." She said he told her, "Let's meet and talk," and, "If you're up really late, you can come talk to me." Players and staff also reported that staff members engaged in a wide variety of unprofessional behavior that blurred professional boundaries, including staff: (i) drinking alcohol to excess with players; (ii) living in player apartment complexes; (iii) holding meetings with players in hotel rooms; (iv) organizing frequent social interactions with players; and (v) communicating in an unprofessional manner. 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. 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." Two players recalled former Red Stars Assistant Coach and Utah Royals Head Coach Craig Harrington, while intoxicated, making comments about cheating on his wife and comments about players' appearances. Interview with Alyse LaHue, General Manager at NJ/NY Gotham FC The fact that certain coaching behaviors may have been tolerated previously does not establish, or in itself suggest, that the behavior is, or was at that time, appropriate. One witness expressed disbelief after Predmore told him that he did not know about Benstiti's treatment of Horan: "I was like, are you living under a rock?" Gotham FC cooperated in all respects with the NWSL investigation. C. It also appears Shim's and Farrelly's interviews were not conducted in a trauma-informed manner. 28, Investigative Team that he surmised that U.S. Soccer and the NWSL received legal advice from Levine that there was nothing they could formally do to stop Riley from coaching elsewhere in the NWSL. Mishandling of Paul Riley's Misconduct by U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and the Portland Thorns One player recalled that Holly "suddenly exploded" during the meeting. Holly stepped down as coach of Sky Blue during the 2017 season, and Simon was waived by Sky Blue in 2018. Another player recalled this teammate remarking that she would not be surprised if she was traded after the meeting. He stated that the club sought to address Simon's concerns through the severance agreement, including by securing Holly's removal from his apartment in a complex shared by Simon and requiring that Holly not disparage players or the club. .125, Introduction Based on his conduct, she assumed he was leaving the Red Stars and was surprised when he returned the next season. 88, U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro characterized U.S. Soccer's relationship with the League as a "regulator and sanctioning body." III. "The continuation of ongoing investigations initiated under the NWSL's current antiharassment policy, and the recommendation of sanctions where appropriate." Even before the Athletic article detailing Riley's misconduct was published, two Courage players had made complaints-one directly to the NWSL and one to the Courage (which was later reported to the NWSL)-that Riley had made inappropriate comments about players' weight and that he had required a player to report her weight to him daily for more than two months. Players also described a patronizing culture that many saw as inextricably tied to gender bias. I don't think it's common in the sports world to have an MBA. Predmore confirmed that during the 2020 Challenge Cup, he was informed by a staff member that Benstiti made comments to a player about the quantity and type of food the player was eating during a team meal. Harrington said the coaches got drinks from the bar, finished their drinks, and then "got out of there." Paulson said the Thorns's counsel who directed the 2015 investigation was concerned about a lawsuit against the Thorns and told the Thorns that it was the NWSL's responsibility to convey information related to the investigation to other NWSL clubs. 7. 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." To keep costs under control, U.S. Soccer would provide funding for the League front office, pay the salaries of USWNT players, and pursuant to the Management Agreement, administer management, governance, operational, administrative and advisory services. Under the Management Agreement, the League was subject to U.S. Soccer's decision-making in operational areas such as sponsorships and marketing, operations, player affairs, communications, and legal. The Joint Investigative Team also reviewed emails, text messages, and other documents, including materials that were not reviewed during the 2015 Thorns Investigation. Starr went to Simon's apartment that evening to let her know she had reported Holly's abuse but had not given Simon's name. Kurtz also reported in this meeting that Riley made "sexual comments to her and criticized her weight, including by calling her "chubby." 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. Holly was an assistant coach at the U-23 camp, which Simon did not know until a couple of days prior to the start of the camp. Although these measures are a significant improvement from prior years, the joint report noted significant gaps in the vetting protocols, including a lack of a reputational check. Such a check would require additional research including reference interviews from former players at the youth and professional levels as well as other contacts. He noted, for instance, that if Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler quit the League, the League would fail. Those findings will remain confidential and the league will not comment further on individual club personnel matters., Now, further details have come to light. However, Wahlke did not take steps to engage with the League or the Courage about why Riley was still coaching in the NWSL. While the NWSL has recently improved its hiring practices and background check processes, background and reputational checks should be enhanced, and the NWSL should establish formal procedures to facilitate information-sharing among clubs. As with former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates recent investigation for the U.S. Soccer Federation, this report did not hold back in its allegations. In 2018, when players filed formal complaints, Whisler appeased Dames by telling him that players were "desperate to get starts." 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. Historically, clubs have not always conducted background checks on coaches and other club staff before hiring them.
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