Temares did not recall Novo coming to him with this question and rather remembered being surprised because he heard about Holly's departure after the fact. 32, and that for this reason, Riley would be disqualified from consideration. On October 26, 2015, the Thorns announced that they were trading Farrelly to the Breakers, a now-defunct NWSL club. At the time, Levine told U.S. Soccer and NWSL leadership that she would send letters to Riley and to Joe Sahlen warning that coaches must remain professional and reminding Sahlen to report any inappropriate conduct by staff to the NWSL. If it's big enough to take it to the League . Moreover, investigations into allegations of misconduct should not be limited to assessing whether "unlawful harassment" occurred. Former NWSL Executive Director Cheryl Bailey said that in the League's early years, there was an expectation that clubs would each develop their own HR capability. 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. 4. Red Stars co-owner and ESPN personality Sarah Spain and Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue were both reportedly fined Wednesday for tweeting about the investigation. One owner similarly expressed confusion over the extent to which clubs could perform HR functions for players, given that clubs are "not [players'] employers." It was mean." Amanda Duffy (NWSL, Managing Director of Operations, 2017-2019 and President, 2019-2020) 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. Where clubs had existing HR functions, those functions were frequently under-staffed, under-resourced, or ill-equipped to handle misconduct complaints. However, she did not name Simon. In September 2015, Sky Blue, an NWSL club now known as NJ/NY Gotham FC, expressed an interest to the NWSL and the Thorns in speaking with Riley regarding a coaching position. 15, "manipulative" and noted that Holly stopped building her up and "became a monster" after she began a relationship with someone. Given the scope of the Joint Investigative Team's work, the Team considered it appropriate to evaluate historical misconduct under the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy, which reflects the NWSL's current approach to these issues. By the time U.S. Soccer's investigator contacted the complainant to interview her, the Red Stars had already traded her. Ahead of the first game of the trip, Clarkson questioned whether a player was hungover from an outing the previous night, despite his medical staff informing him that they thought she was experiencing altitude sickness (Mexico City is 7,300 feet above sea level). With the new details from the joint investigation along with the previous report released in October, it has become apparent that significant policy changes must be made to the league to ensure this behavior is discouraged and, if it does occur, reported and handled properly. And thorough vetting, including a reputational check, is time-intensive and expensive. The club fired Harrington on November 9, 2020. . 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. Levine learned in February 2016 that the Flash would announce their hiring of Riley, and she learned information from Plush to suggest that the Thorns had perhaps not been candid with the Flash regarding the 2015 allegations or findings against Riley. b) Retaliation by Amanda Cromwell and Sam Greene Riley grew bolder in making sexual advances over time, and Farrelly reported to The Athletic and to the Joint Investigative Team that they had sexual intercourse after Riley went out drinking with the team following a loss at an away game. In February 2016, Gulati and Flynn engaged in communications with individuals at the NWSL and U.S. Soccer regarding the Flash's decision to hire Riley that reflected their understanding that the club's hiring of Riley was cause for concern. These recommendations are organized thematically and not in order of priority. NWSL and NWSLPA Joint Investigative Team Simon said she told Holly that now that he was her boss, he would have to stop the inappropriate behavior, and he replied that he had until January 1, because that was when her contract started. The NWSL did not distribute these player surveys consistently: player surveys were distributed yearly from 2013 to 2017, and again in 2020. 7. Historically, clubs have not always conducted background checks on coaches and other club staff before hiring them. One player said she felt that she could not breathe or think when Clarkson yelled at her as she was playing; another said she felt under the microscope based on the position she played and feared she would be cut from the team. The Joint Investigative Team also reached out to approximately 150 current and former players individually by email, telephone, and/or text and invited them to share their, experiences with the Joint Investigative Team. After this exchange, the player reported having a panic attack in the locker room, and multiple interviewees described her as crying and visibly upset when walking onto the field for the game. Simon first met Holly in 2016. As Equalizer has reported, the highly-anticipated report contained detailed findings of an investigation into numerous allegations of misconduct across the league. During its investigation, the Joint Investigative Team identified discrepancies in versions of an email exchange involving LaHue that was part of the file from the 2021 League investigation. Communicate Reporting Channels Regularly Another player said Harrington made other comments about players' appearances and bodies, including their breasts. The history of women's professional soccer in the United States, and the looming possibility that the NWSL would fold as its predecessors had done, was never far from players' minds, in part because clubs explicitly relied on that history to stifle criticism. The training for players should address appropriate communication between coaches and players, including soccer-specific constructive criticism, and should provide examples of conduct or scenarios that professional players could potentially encounter. After Riley joined the Thorns, he targeted Thorns player Mana Shim. While Richie Burke was head coach of the Spirit, club management created an environment where players felt it was futile to raise concerns about Burke to anyone at the club. Simon also confided in Racing Louisville's team chaplain Taylor Starr, whom the Joint Investigative Team also interviewed. Players recalled coaches monitoring the snacks and meals that players ate, forbidding players from eating things like fruit, peanut butter pretzels, and baked chips, and hiding food from players to prevent them from eating, even when the food was provided by the team. Those findings will remain confidential and the league will not comment further on individual club personnel matters., Now, further details have come to light. 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,. Some players and club staff explained that the apology was requested because players had violated COVID-19 protocols in the stands. Farrelly tried to pretend these sexual encounters never occurred, but Riley would try to talk about them with her. Clarkson denied ever raising his voice at players or losing control of his emotions, notwithstanding credible evidence to the contrary. As noted above, the Thorns asserted privilege over the report in responding to To that point, during this investigation, the Joint Investigative Team received reports of ongoing misconduct at more than half the League's clubs. Additionally, club HR staff were not provided guidance from the NWSL on appropriate coaching behavior in a professional sports setting. On one occasion, Holly took her upstairs and began showing her film and discussing soccer, but then he searched for and showed her pornography. Two prior leagues have." Williams was moved to a front office role at the end of that season. 124, VII. On another occasion, after the detention of WNBA player Brittney Griner and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Clarkson approved conveying to a player's agent a contract offer from a Russian club, without acknowledging or showing sensitivity to the risks that would accompany playing in Russia. 9, instead, the Joint Investigative Team conducted a holistic assessment in determining which individuals to name in this Report. 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. Levine told the Joint Investigative Team she sent the report because Duffy was concerned at the time about a potential story regarding the Riley allegations, though Levine could not recall specifics. Multiple players also said that Dames commented on players' attractiveness. This Report notes where certain individuals agreed to be interviewed, provided a written response, declined the Joint Investigative Team's invitation, or did not respond. After players spoke to club management about these concerns, management scheduled a joint meeting with both players and coaching staff, including Holly. In another example, Dames told the investigator that he revoked the media credentials of a player's boyfriend because he concluded that the boyfriend's presence was "not positive" based on a conversation with a USWNT coach. The Joint Investigative Team found no evidence that any of the 2020 player survey responses were elevated to Levine or anyone working in HR at the League. 5, Investigative Methodology 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.. When the investigation concluded, Levine received and reviewed a copy of the 2015 investigative report and supporting documents, along with the Thorns's counsel's determination that the 2015 investigation revealed no unlawful harassment." Other club policies did not address supervisor or manager obligations to elevate complaints to anyone. 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. D. The report states, Multiple individuals emphasized the critical insight that can be gained by speaking with persons knowledgeable about the candidate.. Interviews Conducted Players Lacked Clear Guidance Regarding What Constituted Misconduct .. For example, players reported that Dames would make comments about players' personal appearances. In deciding whom to name, the Joint Investigative Team considered both the need for public accountability as well as the potential impact on player confidentiality. Overall, even the employee handbooks that generally acknowledged that club employees must comply Another player recalled hearing about and witnessing the same behavior. 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. In the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy, the NWSL made several efforts to increase the number of reporting channels across all clubs: First, the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy lists several channels that facilitate the reporting of misconduct directly to the NWSL, including contacting the NWSL HR Office and texting or calling an anonymous RealResponse hotline. This report, along with text message and email exhibits, was shared with individuals at U.S. Soccer and the NWSL. . Until 2022, the League also had no free agency for any players, meaning a single club retained the rights to the player even if the player was not under contract. The 2015 Thorns Investigation into Riley was mishandled, and the Thorns, U.S. Soccer and the NWSL consistently failed to treat the allegations and findings against Riley seriously and to be transparent about them. Club staff should be advised to elevate to the NWSL not only formal complaints and reports of misconduct they receive, but also any observed misconduct or alleged misconduct of which they otherwise become aware. What follows is a high-level summary of the Joint Investigative Team's findings related to these key individuals and entities. Horan spoke publicly about weight-shaming behaviors at PSG on multiple occasions before Benstiti's hiring at OL Reign. The annual training should be interactive, with opportunities for participants to ask questions and receive feedback. One player referred to Riley as verbally abusive. The Joint Investigative Team collected documents and other materials from a variety of sources, including the NWSL, its member clubs, the NWSLPA, U.S. Soccer, and various individuals. 12 When interviewed by the Joint Investigative Team, Whisler acknowledged that he received the survey comments in 2014, but said that these comments reflected only the USWNT players' views on Dames and he was aware that at least one USWNT Red Stars player-Christen Press-did not want to be on the team. Holly declined requests to be interviewed in this investigation. A player and a former Sky Blue staff member both said that the environment at Sky Blue unraveled" when the team learned that Holly was dating Pearce Rampone. 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." This disclosure should be made in a manner that protects the confidentiality or anonymity of anyone who has experienced or has reported misconduct. At one point during the 2017 season, players held a meeting with coaching staff to address their concerns that Holly was dating Pearce Rampone. One Courage player reported feeling that the club was moving in the right direction in 2021 after the firing of Riley, but that the club's signing of Daniels was a decision that "says a lot" and did not "align with the direction we thought we were heading in. Lack of Confidence in League Responses to Misconduct Complaints Vera Pauw (Houston Dash, Head Coach, 2018) Additionally, players reported instances in which behavior by coaches, staff, or club leadership created a culture in which players feared retaliation. The U.S. Soccer investigator also took at face value Whisler's claims that he was "very accessible" and that players could come to [him]" with their concerns. Investigators determined that LaHue's interactions with the player constituted misconduct. Many players bravely recounted painful and personal experiences before and during this investigation in service of truth, accountability, and reform. 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. Subscribers toThe Equalizer now receive 50% offtheirsubscription toThe Nextfor 24/7 coverage of womens basketball. After the 2015 Thorns Investigation commenced, Plush followed up with Shim by email, notifying her that the League was monitoring the investigation and stating, [If] there is any additional information that you wish to provide me, separate from what you have discussed with Portland's human resources manager, or if you have concerns about the investigation, please feel free to reach out to me directly." The overlap of the two reports also proved problematic in some cases. 124 Players reported to the Joint Investigative Team multiple instances in which club staff, coaches, or club leadership retaliated against players for reporting misconduct or for participating in an investigation into misconduct. Because the Joint Investigative Team was not tasked with imposing discipline on individuals accused of misconduct, it expresses no opinion on whether it would be appropriate to impose discipline for conduct that would have violated a policy that did not exist when that conduct occurred. "Some types of misconduct against players, including certain instances of sexual abuse and manipulation, have already been widely reported. It also could dissuade employees from reporting misconduct to club or NWSL HR because employees may instead 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. When Racing Louisville sought feedback on Holly from references at Sky Blue, Novo was no longer there and the individuals at Sky Blue that Racing Louisville spoke with did not know about and therefore did not convey the full universe of concerns originally raised by players against Holly, instead citing only Holly's relationship with a player. 69, that would allow us to travel home." * Farrelly emailed Wilkinson expressing discontent and concern that she was being traded so soon after the investigation into Riley's conduct. This may encompass disputes between players, or disputes between players and club staff. I think most people that get an MBA then try to go on and get a nice . The player wondered, "How the hell am I going to lose 10 to 15 pounds without starving myself? For the player, the offer "was weird" and not appropriate." NWSL staff, players, and club staff are required to then take three 30-minute annual refresher courses. Other misconduct, which this Report discusses in detail below, has not received as much, if any, public attention.

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