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. This player added that as a result of this division, players feared telling their own teammates about their experiences with Dames, worrying that their teammates might report their comments to him. The Current's employee handbook states that employees "should not be employed in positions with supervisory responsibilities over the work of any family member or other person with whom the employee has a romantic or similarly close relationship," but it does not clarify if this applies only to relationships between club employees, or whether it also applies to relationships between club employees and players, who are NWSL employees. In 2019, when Riley was under consideration for the USWNT head coach position, Wahlke received a copy of the Thorns's 2015 investigative report regarding Riley, and she participated in discussions regarding his suitability for the position. Finally, players and club staff recalled that Riley made caustic remarks to Thorns players, calling players idiots and motherfuckers, harshly criticizing their weight, and commenting about players' sexual orientations (including stating that a player loves a strapon"). The next day, on June 13, 2018, Levine informed Whisler that a player had raised a complaint. a) Dames's Misconduct at the Chicago Red Stars Interviewees reported that the performance staff told Clarkson that the player was dealing with altitude sickness (Mexico City is over 7300 feet above sea level). Estes was involved in negotiating the severance agreement and explained that the club pursued the agreement after Simon expressed concern for her safety and confidentiality. 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. Anonymous results from an annual NWSL player survey conducted in 2014, and described in greater detail below, also indicated similar misconduct by Riley. He told the player that the club had provided Benstiti the opportunity to resign as "the most immediate and least risky path" to removing him from the club. e) Shim said that particularly after that night, she was scared and feared Riley could physically try to restrain her or try to have sex with her. What follows is a high-level summary of the Joint Investigative Team's findings related to these key individuals and entities. Shim also forwarded the complaint to then-NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush. Hammond recalled telling Kurtz in a phone call that the Courage were not able to find a trade for her. "The continuation of ongoing investigations initiated under the NWSL's current antiharassment policy, and the recommendation of sanctions where appropriate." Sometime after that incident, Shim asked Riley to maintain a strictly professional relationship with her. 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. 50, The Joint Investigative Team encountered significant delays in its attempts to collect relevant documents from the Red Stars. Maybe. Another player told Courage leadership that Riley had been verbally abusive and created a culture of fear" in which players could not express opinions, and that other coaches had allowed Riley to engage in this behavior. If a club staff member who has been found to have engaged in misconduct seeks a position at another club in the NWSL, the NWSL should promptly alert that club of the prior misconduct. A player who participated in the USSF Dames Investigation told the investigator about an instance in which Dames kept her from visiting her parents. Mental Health First Aid training tailored toward sport professionals could help players and staff develop the skills to recognize and respond to players navigating mental health challenges. 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. Shim had joined the Thorns during the NWSL's inaugural 2013 season, prior to Riley's hiring. At the same time, certain behaviors that have been normalized as "tough" coaching, such as screaming in players' faces, are slowly but increasingly recognized as inappropriate and abusive. The Joint Investigative Team found that the underlying culture of the NWSL created fertile ground for misconduct to go unreported. . Documents Collected and Reviewed The NWSL should continue to update and revise the Anti-Harassment Policy to strengthen its protections against misconduct and retaliation toward NWSL players and club staff. Wilkins, Estes, O'Connor, and outside legal counsel met with Holly later that day and terminated his employment. The training for coaches and other club staff should encourage athlete-centered coaching (focusing on the holistic development of players), effective partnerships between coaches and players, and soccer-specific constructive criticism. Multiple players described the fear and uncertainty that accompanied the constant threat of being traded to another team or waived. ii After she told Holly not to touch her, Simon felt Holly was harsher to her on the field: yelling at her frequently, taking her out of games regardless of her performance, and refusing to shake her hand when she came off the field, but shaking other players' hands. As discussed above, after U.S. Soccer directed the League to hand over its investigation into Dames, the League was not briefed on the findings. Players explained that this dynamic can be exacerbated for bench players or newer players who might not feel empowered to speak up, or who might feel that their position on the team is not sufficiently secure. 103, Benstiti did not respond to the Joint Investigative Team's request to speak with him. The findings included information on what led to the firing of former Sky Blue/Gotham FC General Manager Alyse LaHue in July 2021. 11 Out of concern for Simon's anonymity, the NWSLPA and Racing Louisville players released a statement acknowledging the media and public's interest in transparency, while underscoring that "player safety will always be at the forefront and affirming that they stand behind Racing Louisville in the handling of the Club's recent matter and ask everyone to please trust and stand with us at this time." After Dames tendered his resignation, Whisler entered into a separation agreement with Dameseven though Dames was terminable at will. a) Club Anti-Harassment Policies Emphasized Unlawful Harassment The NWSL engaged Covington & Burling LLP ("Covington") to conduct an independent investigation, and the NWSLPA engaged counsel at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP ("Weil"). Hendrix said she believed that Holly may have retaliated by taking her off the starting roster. Although Novo said he shared these concerns with others at the club, key decision-makers within the club did not recall Novo telling them about Holly's mistreatment of players. 1. Farrelly reported to the Joint Investigative Team that she did not go into the interview with Garcia planning to disclose that history and instead planned to respond to the specific questions asked. One player told the Joint Investigative Team that when Black players raised the issue of race, they were "pushed to the side" or made to feel "crazy." Levine forwarded this email to Plush in September 2015. 72, her a new one," about a player and within earshot of the player after she asked about practicing set pieces during training. The League should issue a public statement reiterating its commitment to creating a safe working environment for players, announcing specific actions that the NWSL will take to demonstrate this commitment, and setting a timeline for implementation in consultation with the NWSLPA. The report, however, did not conclude that Dames's conduct "amounted to verbal and emotional abuse" or that his behavior would constitute a violation of the SafeSport Code of Conduct, if the Code applied. The failure to take intermediary action left players in an unsafe environment for well over a year while the investigation was ongoing. Over time, players' lack of trust in Holly led to a divide between Holly, Pearce Rampone, and the majority of the team. 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. The Equalizer is partnering with The Next to bring more womens sports stories toyourinbox. Discussing the National Women's Soccer League and all things women's soccer in the US OL Reign 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 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. 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."" There are some interesting suggestions in the report, too, including a call for the NWSL to establish and enforce a policy discouraging the use of nondisclosure and non-disparagement agreements "in circumstances involving alleged or substantiated misconduct under the Anti-Harassment Policy." Starr recalled that the NWSL volunteer chaplain coordinator "didn't know what to do," and had never navigated a similar report of abuse. The League and Clubs Failed to Take Adequate Steps to Protect Players in Hiring and Filling Positions Dames also texted certain players "all the time, including late at night. Meetings between players and club staff, particularly one-on-one meetings, should take place at club facilities or in appropriate public spaces or offices. The NWSL's Founding, Initial Success, and Challenges 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. The policy provides multiple options for players to report concerns, including via an anonymous text hotline, or by emailing, calling, or writing to the NWSL HR office. According to multiple interviewees, Clarkson did not allow the players to address the accusation that they had been drinking and told them, Cameras don't lie." The Joint Investigative Team engaged with 15 current and former League staff to invite them to be interviewed by the Joint Investigative Team or to collect documents.
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