Even in Vancouver, Riley pushed Shim to stay the night with him. She recalled feeling like she was being punished by them for her mental health struggles and for choosing to be home with her family during that time. The Joint Investigative Team also contacted all 12 active clubs in the NWSL in writing at the outset of the investigation. In fact, concerns about Dames's behavior were well known by that point. 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. As noted, several current and former U.S. Soccer employees told the Joint Investigative Team that Riley was never seriously considered for the USWNT coaching position. Further, he told the investigator that Dames "ha[d] a hard side, that he had heard players describe Dames "as a bully," and that he had "no doubt" Dames would "ride a player during practice." Farrelly asked what steps the NWSL intended to take in connection with inappropriate conduct that was initially reported" and offered to make herself available for an interview. Simon said she thought the film sessions were in preparation for playing at Racing Louisville. During the 2017 season, Simon recalled players learning that Holly had been dating another player, Christie Pearce Rampone. 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. Racing Louisville b) Instead, Wilkinson said he told Lines that U.S. Soccer had the report, and Paulson said Wilkinson was advised to direct to the NWSL questions the Flash had about Riley. The NWSL should also periodically assess the effectiveness of its training programs by reviewing participant evaluations and ensuring that the training materials reflect the latest guidance or norms on workplace conduct. Former NY/NJ Gotham FC general manager Alyse. There were also multiple process failures during the USSF Dames Investigation, which left notable gaps in its fact-finding. Two overlapping trends factor into why there are two major reports on systemic abuse in the NWSL: a lack of trust in reporting systems, and a lack of accountability among those in positions of power. Following that email, Riley's behavior towards Shim changed: he barely acknowledged Shim, and her playing time noticeably dropped. 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. This phenomenon is not unique to this investigation or the NWSL: interpersonal misconduct, and particularly sexual misconduct, is generally underreported. In the wake of that public disclosure, Spirit CEO and managing partner Steve Baldwin resigned, but players called for him to sell his share of the team to minority owner Michele Kang. LaHue's inappropriate messages continued even after the player told LaHue that it felt like LaHue was acting like a jealous girlfriend," and asked LaHue to "accept that we are working together and nothing more. The player explained that although she repeatedly pushed back against LaHue's inappropriate At the same time, 74, At the time of Benstiti's hiring, Bill Predmore was the club's majority owner and CEO, and he conducted the head coach search process. E. Standards for Assessing Reports of Misconduct.. 12 Elements of Healthy Relationships - Johns Hopkins University Student These player survey results had already been shared with Dan Flynn and Sunil Gulati at U.S. Soccer. Can Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga's hottest team, topple Bayern for the title? Club staff must be held to higher standards. Malik told the Joint Investigative Team that he communicated with Plush at the NWSL, who suggested Malik speak with Paulson about hiring Riley, and with Gulati at U.S. Soccer, who told Malik to reach out to Riley's previous employers. This report, along with text message and email exhibits, was shared with individuals at U.S. Soccer and the NWSL. Simon explained that after she confronted Holly for sexually abusing her, as discussed in greater detail above, Holly began verbally abusing her, including in front of other players. In 2014, while U.S. Soccer was managing the NWSL, then-NWSL Executive Director Cheryl Bailey sent USWNT player survey results to Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler. A player similarly described Riley policing details, like players' off-field wardrobes, and described his behavior as creating a constant state of being on edge." One player opined that in the past, players had an innate instinct to put up with" problematic behavior and to protect a nascent, unstable league. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that he had recalled that Golub received a call from Lines during which they discussed the allegations against Riley, but Paulson no longer believes that call occurred because Golub and others have told him it did not. This former player said a few players were kind of being weirded out" by Dames's invitations, because they felt he was "always asking" them "to go get food" or to "hang out" with him. The cover email was not marked as privileged, or confidential, or as subject to any legal protection. In another example, Paulson recounted that when he spoke to Wahlke about the 2015 Thorns Investigation when U.S. Soccer was considering hiring Riley as a coach in 2019, Wahlke focused on the fact that the investigation had found no unlawful harassment. The conclusion mentioned none of these concerns. However, Gulati told the Joint Investigative Team that he did not tell Dorrance anything about the 2015 allegations or investigation of Riley. In the player survey, Thorns players anonymously commented that Riley "ripped/yelled at players in a hurtful, non-productive way," was "verbally abussive [sic]," and would "call [players] dumb, stupid, slow, idiotic, retarded, we have no balls, we will never be better than the average 16 year old boy, worthless." 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. The report's conclusion stated, Dames has unpredictable behavior, singles out certain players for constant criticism, and yells excessively. Because background checks were not required for player-facing staff until late 2021, several of the coaches, staff, and other individuals discussed in this Report were not subject to those checks. A text message conversation between Whisler and Dames on June 13, 2018, indicates that Whisler informed Dames of the complaint shortly after speaking to Levine. When asked to describe negative aspects of the team, one player responded, "[T]he head coach," and another responded [C]oaching staff. The same player recalled that Dames would discuss another player's boyfriend frequently in the locker room and would make it known that he hated the boyfriend. This policy provides additional instructions regarding the reporting of complaints." The Joint Investigative Team found strong evidence to corroborate players' concerns about Whisler. 72, her a new one," about a player and within earshot of the player after she asked about practicing set pieces during training. Women's Soccer Bans Ex-Coaches and Fines Teams After Misconduct Report Women's Soccer Bans Ex-Coaches and Fines Teams After Misconduct Report * In a follow-up interview, the lawyer said the alterations were not made by Ms. LaHue, and did not provide any further details. Background checks and reputational vetting of player-facing club employees were not mandatory for much of the NWSL's existence. 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." After the HR employee sent this response, Levine informed the employee that Baird would respond directly to Farrelly, which the employee communicated to Farrelly. . While Whisler acknowledged receiving each of these complaints, he said he felt there was no "pattern" of complaints and wished he had received more information in order to take action earlier. Player Reports of Misconduct During the USSF Dames Investigation Gorden's boyfriend was prevented from entering an area where he could speak with her, and she said publicly that her white teammates were visiting family in the same area, but were not scrutinized. When asked why she did not inquire further in response to Shim's and Farrelly's 2021 complaints, she responded by focusing on language from Shim's and Farrelly's 2021 complaints in which they asked how the NWSL would respond to Shim's initial or underlying 2015 complaint, which Levine said had already been investigated by outside lawyers and which she did not believe there was a basis for re-opening. Following public reporting about Hansen's statements, the NWSL conducted an investigation and pushed Hansen to sell the club. A staff member reported that he and another staff member told Clarkson that they did not believe it was a hangover. The non The summary also stated that the allegation was "credibly denied by Whisler," but he in fact did not explicitly deny the allegation. One assistant coach described how Holly would "ream out two Black players on the team and how he described them as lazy. The assistant coach noted Holly's description was both inaccurate and racially insensitive. NWSL staff responsible for reviewing player survey results were not trained on how to handle player survey responses suggesting misconduct against players. She further explained that national team players had a direct line" to Gulati, and he was the person who was in charge of the national team in terms of direct contact with players." Players and staff also described coaches creating emotionally toxic workplace environments by subjecting players to volatility or manipulation. The trainings should remind supervisors of their obligations under the AntiHarassment Policy to report alleged misconduct to the NWSL HR Office or the NWSL General Counsel. Courage President Curt Johnson explained that during this vetting period, Flynn told Johnson some of the details of Riley's 2015 misconduct towards Shim and Farrelly, but described the incident as "a moment of poor judgment." Provide Mandatory Anti-Racism and Unconscious Bias Training For example, the Courage re-signed Jaelene Daniels in 2021, after her brief retirement. On September 20, 2020, the Royals placed Head Coach Craig Harrington on a leave of absence, which public reporting stated was related to "inappropriate comments of a sexual nature with staff." She also recalled that when the club left the player unprotected in an expansion draft, the staff member "went berserk" and "th[rew] other players under the bus." The policy provided that "while harassing conduct is generally unlawful only if it affects tangible job benefits and/or is sufficiently severe or pervasive so as to interfere unreasonably with work performance and creates an abusive or hostile work environment, this policy prohibits harassing conduct regardless of whether it rises to the level of a legal violation." While the NWSL investigation was ongoing, Dash Head Coach James Clarkson-during a team meeting prior to completion of the investigation-wrote phone numbers for stadium security on a board and asked players to call and apologize for their conduct. Development of an Anti-Harassment Policy. Cromwell's and Greene's conduct fostered a fear of retaliation among certain players and staff at the Pride. Clubs have also at times failed to share critical information about certain applicants with other clubs, which resulted in clubs hiring coaches accused of misconduct without sufficient information about the allegations. 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. Players, fans, and the public expressed anger that the NWSL and its member clubs had failed to protect players while shielding perpetrators from public humiliation or the loss of job opportunities. Many players who spoke with the Joint Investigative Team were not aware that they could report concerns about misconduct to SafeSport. Portland Thorns 10 A majority of players expressed the view that Clarkson's treatment of players did not rise to the level of abuse or misconduct, though some of them took issue with some of Clarkson's conduct or aspects of his coaching style. Another player recalled being hesitant to participate in prior investigations out of fear that her participation could be traced back to her and shared with club owners, the coach, or others. Pauw appeared for an interview with the Joint Investigative Team, but refused to cooperate. The Joint Investigative Team identified and examined facts relevant to potential abuse or misconduct against players by those in positions of power in the NWSL and its member clubs. Flynn noted that U.S. Soccer personnel only "periodically" attended NWSL board meetings as a show of support." The League and Clubs Failed to Take Adequate Steps to Protect Players in Hiring and Filling Positions The entire article is accessible only to members of The Equalizer Extra. 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. Historically, there was no established process for sharing information about misconduct complaints or investigation findings among U.S. Soccer, the League, and clubs. Riley was only one of several NWSL club personnel accused of misconduct in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. When the team arrived in Chicago, Dames "gave the team the entire weekend off." Texts between the player and Burke indicate Burke spoke to her supportively at one point in or around June 2020 about her If misconduct under the Anti-Harassment Policy is revealed as part of the Alternative Complaint Resolution program process, the misconduct should be reported promptly to the NWSL HR Office and/or the NWSL General Counsel. Standards of acceptable coaching behavior are evolving. Finally, NWSLPA Executive Director Meghann Burke said she warned Baird in July 2021 that Baird would receive a complaint against Riley and that Baird should take the complaint seriously. The agreement provided that if Holly or the club breached the non-disparagement clause, the other party would be entitled to a payment of $5,000. Multiple players told the Joint Investigative Team that they felt disconnected from the NWSL or did not know who at the NWSL to contact if they experienced misconduct. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that he described to Wahlke the incident involving the coerced kiss between Farrelly and Shim, and they discussed the investigative findings and the fact that Riley had been terminated. Olympique Lyonnais LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the OL Groupe ("OL), was set to buy the Reign ahead of the 2020 season, so Predmore updated OL throughout the hiring process. Such volatility was a common thread among many coaches in the League who engaged in other forms of emotional, verbal, or sexual misconduct. On other occasions, Riley texted Kurtz about being at bars. However, the Joint Investigative Team found no evidence that they, or others at U.S. Soccer, shared information or ensured information was shared with the Flash regarding the 2015 allegations or investigative findings against Riley. In November 2012, U.S. Soccer announced that it would manage a new women's professional soccer league, to begin play in 2013. A player also recounted hearing that around this time, Wilkinson asked Shim's agent at the time to meet in Portland. It [did not] matter what kind of abuse and toxicity they [were] creating. In particular, the Joint Investigative Team did not receive a copy of Dames's separation agreement from the Red Stars until the end of this investigation, after the publication of the USSF Report. One evening, he persuaded her to have dinner at an Italian restaurant in Portland. It provides a successful (albeit anonymous) example of this working in late 2021. As one former player described, "It was almost like [the coach] was trying to break down [my teammate's] confidence so that she would not even be playing for the team. A Spirit player stated that rather than engaging in constructive criticism, Burke would "[go] at [her teammate] just to get her to cry." This lack of transparency enabled Riley to continue to coach NWSL players for another six years after he was fired from the Thorns. A. Players also recalled that Dames would threaten to shred a player's contract or kick them off the team or out of practice if they made a mistake. Two others explained why they felt Dames had used information about them to manipulate them. The Joint Investigative Team reviewed the USSF Dames Report, spoke to the lawyer who led the investigation and the lawyers at U.S. Soccer who directed it, and independently reviewed Dames's conduct as head coach. Another player recalled hearing about and witnessing the same behavior. U.S. Soccer Chief Legal Officer Lydia Wahlke directed the USSF Dames Investigation, asking the NWSL to stand down even though she believed U.S. Soccer did not have the authority to take action against Dames. and Players Union Report on Womens Soccer. In her interview with the Joint Investigative Team, Ellis did not recall players bringing to her attention verbal abuse or racist or sexist comments by NWSL coaches during her tenure with the USWNT.
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