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The club also agreed to pay Dames through the end of the year. 73, Players also described coaches who publicly shamed players for their weight, rather than addressing the issue privately. These examples are illustrative and non-exhaustive; the policy makes clear that harassment can also include physical, visual, and written conduct, such as circulating or posting written materials that show hostility toward an individual because of their protected status, including derogatory cartoons, drawings, websites, emails, text messages, gifs, or memes. After players continued to push for a response, including through an HR manager, the club fired the assistant coach. 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. When Olympique Lyonnais became the club's majority owner in January 2020, Predmore retained his position as CEO and was primarily responsible for day-to-day club decisions. On both occasions, Holly began touching Simon as they were watching film. O'Connor reported that Holly could not explain when asked about sending inappropriate text messages to Simon. . This information sharing between the staff member and the player led other players to express concerns to team management that the staff member was sharing players' private medical information with the player they were dating. For example, the NWSL engaged a third-party investigator specializing in workplace investigations to conduct investigations into former Royals owner Dell Loy Hansen in 2020, Dash stadium security in 2021, and LaHue in 2021. Shim attached to this email her 2015 complaint. For instance, Duffy told the Joint Investigative Team she received "maybe one or two" updates while the investigation was ongoing. Ratings: Fofana 8/10 as Chelsea pick up first league win in six, Ten Hag must learn from Mourinho to ensure Man United's Carabao Cup win is just the start, Raul and Valverde are keeping Madrid prodigy Alvaro's feet on the ground, Man United must make every penny count to beat FFP and continue recovery, LIVE Transfer Talk: Bayern still keen on Kane despite new Choupo-Moting contract. 100 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 Joint Investigative Team reported to an Oversight Committee comprised of two representatives selected by the NWSLPA, Meghann Burke (Executive Director, NWSLPA) and Terri Jackson (Executive Director, Women's National Basketball Players Association); two representatives selected by the NWSL, Jessica Berman (Commissioner, NWSL) and Djenaba Parker (General Counsel and Chief People Officer, Goop, Inc., and former General Counsel, New York Red Bulls); and one independent member, former United States District Judge Barbara S. Jones (Partner, Bracewell LLP). In January 2017, NCWFC, LLC, owned by Steve Malik, bought the Flash and moved the team to North Carolina, renaming it the North Carolina Courage. 80, d) Concerns of Retaliation at the Kansas City Current Around 2020, the NWSLPA took on a more active and public role in advocating for player safety and well-being. A. In 2020 and 2021, the League saw a series of high-profile departures following reports of interpersonal misconduct. The NWSL should consider providing leadership training to coaches. Both Williams and Angie Long recalled the club trying to find a trade within the NWSL for one player, but being unable to find a trade partner. We may eventually find out what happened to LaHue and we may not. Several players and staff described Clarkson's mood as unpredictable or hot or cold, leading players to feel like they were walking on eggshells around him or would not know what to expect in terms of his attitude on any given day. In one instance, the report dismissed concerns about Dames's racist comments as "not supported by recent examples," finding that "the three examples of alleged inappropriate remarks, if they were made, were insensitive and perhaps thoughtless, but not made with any apparent intent." . Although Racing Louisville spoke to both Temares and Smoot about Holly, both Temares and Smoot only recalled discussing that Holly's departure related to his alleged relationship with Pearce Rampone. The player heard that during the meeting, Wilkinson asked about Shim's March 2021 email to the NWSL and stated he could not believe Riley had been hired by To encourage participation and transparency with responses, the NWSL should take steps to ensure the surveys are anonymous. But some players and club staff described that Clarkson seemed to defend stadium security, and players and club staff expressed disappointment at Clarkson's and the club's failure to attempt to understand the Black players' perspective. Over the course of this investigation, the Joint Investigative Team conducted approximately 100 interviews of current and former NWSL players, 6 interviews of current and former leadership of the NWSLPA and the USWNTPA, approximately 90 interviews of current and former club staff, 15 interviews of current and former League leadership and staff, and 8 interviews of current and former U.S. Soccer personnel. These factors do not constitute a bright-line test; The NWSL announced that Cromwell's and Greene's employment contracts were terminated effective immediately and that they were ineligible for future employment in the NWSL unless approved by the Commissioner. 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. 55 names revealed for FIFA FIFPro Women's World11 2019 . b) 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 Joint Investigative Team also reviewed emails, text messages, and other documents, including materials that were not reviewed during the 2015 Thorns Investigation. 105, Soccer and the NWSL that the 2015 investigation did not reveal "unlawful harassment" but merely "poor judgment, and provided no explanation for this characterization, including how it squared with the contents of the report or the decision to fire Riley because his conduct violated multiple provisions of his employment agreement. The NWSL should also develop standards for evaluating an applicant's fitness for the position based on the results of reputational checks. We must make the necessary changes based on the unprofessionalism and carelessness in the past in order to pave [the way for] a more mature and harmless future.. One club's player representatives expressed frustration that those investing in 83, required NWSL vetting, and this person raised concerns that clubs may not have been submitting all hires for screening. 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. Such policies can create veils of secrecy around the dismissal of some coaches and allow them to be rehired elsewhere despite their misconduct. In spite of this, there is no evidence that Levine provided the Flash with additional details about Riley's past conduct. Club Statement on NWSL/NWSLPA Report pic.twitter.com/ATZPBk1pxc, The Philadelphia Inquirer published a statement they received from LaHues lawyer, Kelly Hoffman following the release of the Joint Investigative Report on Wednesday. During the lengthy investigation, players were given insufficient opportunity to speak to the investigator, and the investigator did not speak to any club staff members other than Dames. Awesome! In a news conference after the reports release, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said that neither she nor NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke had prior approval of the report before it was published. While it appears Gotham and the NWSL handled the complaint made regarding LaHue in a timely and appropriate manner once it was reported, there must be steps taken to prevent misconduct from occurring in the first place, and ensure that players feel comfortable reporting it if and when it does occur. 4. The announcement did not specify that the "cause" was sexual misconduct. Here are the larger questions and contents of the report. E. Standards for Assessing Reports of Misconduct Holly told Simon that he may have talked to people behind the scenes to get her signed to the Dash. Another player recalled Holly unexpectedly screaming at a teammate that her poor performance during a practice drill would "prevent [her] from being on the national team, and later in the season asking her to do one-on-one film sessions with him, saying, "I can help you get onto the national team." In January 2020, Simon left West Ham and signed with the Dash. Rather, working closely with U.S. Soccer, she proceeded "stepwise" until she felt she had collected enough information to speak to Dames and Whisler. The Joint Investigative Team found that there were multiple process failures during the USSF Dames Investigation, which left notable gaps in the fact-finding. This player who observed the incident from the bench said she discussed the incident with Clarkson and he agreed that he did not handle it correctly. Johnson reported The club also wrote to the Joint Investigative Team that Johnson and Malik spoke with Plush from the NWSL, with Gulati and Flynn from U.S. Soccer, and with Paulson from the Thorns. Multiple players also said that Dames commented on players' attractiveness. In fact, an attorney from the law firm retained by the Thorns informed Levine that there were suggestions in [Shims] interview [with Garcia] that Paul Riley's relationship [with Farrelly] was more extensive than [Shim's]/Riley's." Neither the club nor U.S. Soccer followed up on indications from the investigation that suggested Riley may have had a more extensive relationship with Farrelly. On today's episode of the Dynamic Leaders Podcast, Colin is joined by Alyse LaHue. She also won a. The NWSLPA encouraged and facilitated participation by a significant number of players, past and present. In addition, According to Malik, Paulson told him in 2019 that the Thorns did not terminate Riley, but that Riley's contract was not renewed. While traveling for an away game in June, Riley pressured Shim over text message to have a drink with him in his hotel room. The Joint Investigative Team looked to a variety of sources, including the League's 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy and professional coaching standards, when making these assessments. The Joint Investigative Team spoke to other players on the Red Stars who reported similar concerns of retaliation. 7. 4, The scope of the investigation included a review of all reports of inappropriate conduct directed towards players in the NWSL and its member clubs from 2012 through the present, as well as a review of workplace misconduct and anti-discrimination policies and practices in the League and its clubs. Eight different ownership groups and 15 individuals -- including some from the NWSL and U.S. Soccer -- come under detailed scrutiny in the latest report. During the limbo period, the National Womens Soccer League media relations department was mildly more helpful, finally acknowledging the situation by saying they were not going to comment on a club matter. The phrase 'using personal information against you' appears to be a catch-all phrase used by players to capture conduct by Dames that was perceived as being mean toward players on a personal level." Since the announcement of the NWSL and NWSLPA Joint Investigation, the NWSL has undertaken significant efforts to correct the systemic failures that allowed misconduct to proliferate. She felt that he had been grooming her and identified his conduct as abusive. Notable policies that will be established or revised include: a Non-Fraternization Policy that will create clear rules regarding romantic and/or sexual relationships and/or encounters between players and staff, and an Alcohol Policy to establish standards around alcohol-use in social settings where players and club staff are present., The league also promised that it would implement league and club minimum standards and staffing / reporting requirements with an emphasis on having clubs dedicate full-time employees to the Human Resources and General Manager positions, ensuring autonomy of the medical staff, and requiring clubs to designate their own Player Safety Officers to provide in-market support to the NWSL Player Safety Officer., In all, the report has specific allegations against eight NWSL teams, 12 former NWSL coaches or front-office leaders, three former top U.S. Soccer Federation employees including former president Sunil Gulati and three former NWSL commissioners or their equivalent. 34, another club following the 2015 investigation. According to Wilkinson, he told Lines that U.S. Soccer had the investigative report regarding Riley. Going forward, the NWSL will, in accordance with its policies and procedures, investigate and address any allegations of misconduct that are reported through its established reporting channels. Multiple players and staff shared that they have witnessed behavior from coaches that confirmed in their minds that coaches, staff, or club leadership would retaliate if they raised complaints. Clarkson was described by many players in the report as unpredictable and temperamental, which "created a culture of anxiety." It was previously reported, although never officially communicated by the league or club, that LaHue was fired for violation of the league's anti-harassment policy. 121, 6. For instance, two players told the investigator they had left the Red Stars in part because of Dames's abuse. Women's soccer in the United States has a long history of relationships between players and staff. One player referred to Riley as verbally abusive. a) Dames's Misconduct at the Chicago Red Stars LaHue expressed an emotional reliance on the player, repeatedly questioned the player's interactions with another individual, and pressed the player for more attention. The Thorns's counsel's unexplained conclusion was consistent with what was communicated to Shim and Riley. It was not an official or recognized union; it had no full-time staff, and it was run by active players. For example, players noted that Pauw wanted to exert control over "every aspect of [their] lives," including everything you were putting in your body, every exercise you were doing." When the investigation concluded in September 2019, Wahlke failed to share relevant information about the investigative findings with the NWSL or the Red Stars, citing U.S. Soccer's privilege as the rationale for not sharing this information. Already a member? However, he could not recall any request by Holly or Holly's attorney that the provision bind the club. Multiple players reported that there was an overlap between these players and those who had been vocal at the meeting. The Thorns terminated Riley in September 2015, though his contract was set to end in December of that year. 3. . Simon said she moved away from Holly when he touched her and told him he was "insane." Holly also told Simon on more than one occasion that he wanted to have a threesome with her and another former player, and he would refer to it as "the most epic threesome. Holly also sent Simon inappropriate messages on Snapchat, including a photo of him lying on his bed in boxers Paulson thought Malik was "making a decision about the likelihood that Mana's complaint would go public," and that the Courage would be less inclined to allow Riley to continue as a coach if another team had terminated him. On October 29, 2021, following extensive negotiations, the NWSL and NWSLPA announced that in lieu of separate, standalone investigations, the two entities would conduct a joint investigation into workplace misconduct toward NWSL players and systemic issues in the League that impact the detection, handling, and prevention of misconduct. Investigators determined that LaHue's interactions with the player constituted misconduct. When U.S. Soccer did respond to the Joint Investigative Team's requests, it produced limited documentation and refused the Joint Investigative Team's request to identify the documents withheld.". 8. The Joint Investigative Team further found that Goalkeeper Coach Aline Reis did not fully cooperate with the investigation, in violation of NWSL policy, including by pressuring players to share favorable information with investigators. In late June 2015, Riley encouraged players to attend a Women's World Cup match in Vancouver. The NWSL should enforce appropriate discipline against NWSL and club staff and players who do not timely The conclusion of the report similarly minimized players' concerns in favor of Dames's and Whisler's self-serving explanations. You're eating too much." The NWSL should encourage clubs to involve players in interview and hiring processes where feasible and to seek feedback from a range of players who are familiar with prospective Given this conduct, players feared retaliation from Burke and held back from criticizing him out of fear they would be waived. 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. . As U.S. Soccer General Counsel, Lisa Levine received Shim's September 2015 email containing allegations against Riley on the same day Shim sent the complaint, and Levine received updates about the Thorns's 2015 investigation regarding Riley from the outside counsel hired by the Thorns. The NWSL's Founding, Initial Success, and Challenges Kurtz said that she found the text to be "weird" and was confused as to whether Riley was trying to invite her to the bar. Plush's email summarized Lines's report of a conversation with Wilkinson, in which Wilkinson brought up what he referred to as the human resource issue, said Wilkinson felt Riley "was put in a bad position by the player," and said Wilkinson would hire [Riley] in a heartbeat. According to Plush's email, Lines had spoken with Riley, who told Lines, "I shouldn't have put myself in that situation." A source familiar with the situation at Gotham explained to The Equalizer that in early 2022 the team brought in an HR consultant and has recently brought in an HR Executive as an additional resource for the team. By June 26, 2018, Levine had transferred her records of the short NWSL investigation to Her resignation followed screenshots posted on Twitter by Alex Morgan, a member of the USWNT and former Thorns player, which showed Baird had denied an April 2021 request from Sinead Farrelly to reopen the investigation into Riley. The policy contains a broad prohibition on harassment, discrimination, bullying, and retaliation, and explicitly applies to "any and all" forms of each type of misconduct. 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. The USSF Dames Investigation surfaced several concerns about Dames, but those concerns were not appropriately investigated or addressed. This week has felt a bit like an unloading or a purging of all of these stories that have been collected over time, Burke said. The NWSL began planning for a 2021 anti-harassment training, but the training did not happen before the crises that emerged in the fall of 2021. After appearing to have turned Gotham in the right direction, LaHue was fired on July 9, though the termination wasn't. It provides a successful (albeit anonymous) example of this working in late 2021. 1. Farrelly emailed Wilkinson expressing discontent and concern that she was being traded so soon after the investigation into Riley's conduct. The latest investigation ("the joint investigation") acknowledges and reiterates the Yates report's detailing of misconduct by former Portland Thorns, Western New York Flash and North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley; former Washington Spirit coach Richie Burke; and former Sky Blue FC and Racing Louisville coach Christy Holly. 115, C. Gorden said that she and her boyfriend were racially profiled, prompting a league investigation at the time. In addition to background checks, the NWSL should conduct reference checks for all prospective owners, coachesincluding volunteer coachesand club staff who may interact with players. To learn more about player experiences in the NWSL, the NWSL should consider administering annual player surveys that include questions addressing misconduct, awareness of and accessibility of reporting channels, and team culture. coach, and Alyse LaHue, the former general manager of Gotham F.C., each received two-year suspensions from the league. 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. Reis was placed on unpaid administrative leave and is required to participate in mandatory training regarding retaliation, discrimination, harassment and bullying, and must participate in mandatory executive coaching. 5. "Inattentiveness, neglect, and concealment allow misconduct to fester," the report's conclusion reads. On November 4, 2022, these findings were conveyed to the NWSL, NWSLPA, Thorns, Wilkinson, and the player involved. Why not talk to me?" . Garcia, who conducted all of the interviews and collected and reviewed documents and text messages from individuals she interviewed, is not a lawyer and lacked experience in conducting sensitive investigations. The investigation was conducted in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered manner, respecting the empowerment, autonomy, and physical and mental wellbeing of any individual impacted by inappropriate conduct. Two others explained why they felt Dames had used information about them to manipulate them. In addition to the USSF Dames Report's internal contradictions, the report summary inappropriately minimized the severity of players' concerns. After Riley joined the Thorns, he targeted Thorns player Mana Shim. The clause prevented Dames from making any negative, critical, or disparaging remarks about Whisler or the Red Stars, but did not restrict Dames's remarks about players. In the early stages of the investigation, the Joint Investigative Team interviewed seven current and former players who described Clarkson as volatile, verbally abusive, and as not showing appropriate regard for players' wellbeing. Novo explained that before this happened, players approached him and requested a meeting to share concerns about Holly. In some cases, even where clubs did have HR personnel, the clubs did not adequately inform players about the reporting channels available to them, leaving players under the impression that there were no HR personnel to whom they could report issues at the club. Furthermore, he instructed Benstiti to bring any dietary or weight-related concerns to another staff member, who could have conversations about diet and fitness with players. According to this player, Wilkinson told the agent that before their meeting, he had met with Paulson and Baird to discuss the situation. Background. The NWSL's Non-Fraternization Policy, adopted in 2018, states: "No person in management or a supervisory position with a Team or the League shall have a romantic or dating relationship with a League or team employee whom he or she directly supervises or whose terms or conditions of employment he or she may influence." Players should be advised that the information they share during exit interviews may be shared with other clubs, but in a fashion that does not identify the player who provided the feedback. Based on the considerable efforts made to identify and collect all reasonably available sources of information, the Joint Investigative Team is confident in the soundness of its findings and the factual basis for the matters discussed in this Report. These players reported that Dames engaged in consistent patterns of behavior over his tenure as head coach, including frequent yelling, targeting certain players for harsher treatment, lodging personal insults, and blurring personal and professional boundaries. Even retired players expressed fears that former coaches could affect their careers. Over time, she felt that Dames was learning details of her personal life" from these players and felt the need to "distance herself" from them. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy prohibits harassment, including harassment on the basis of race. In discussing the player surveys, Flynn also noted he could "not remember any concerns that were ever brought to [his] attention by USSF personnel that specifically related to the quality of coaching or any abusive coaching tactics." NWSL. These documents included organizational and policy documents related to the clubs, as well as documents related to specific reports of misconduct and subsequent investigations. Rather, the allegations and findings against Riley were frequently downplayed, including by discussing only certain aspects of certain of the allegations against Riley and, as noted, by using the determination of no unlawful harassment to summarize the investigative findings. The reasons for Alyse LaHue's termination as NJ/NY Gotham FC general manager in July 2021 are also now clear following 1 years of silence from the club on the issue. Moreover, even if there were support for this assertion, clubs investigating allegations of misconduct should not limit their assessment to whether "unlawful harassment" occurred. The NWSL and NWSLPA ultimately directed Covington and Weil to jointly conduct an independent, thorough, and objective investigation, to be led by Covington, under the direction of a newlyformed Oversight Committee. Shim declined, and she traveled to Vancouver with her then-partner instead, along with Farrelly and her then-partner. D. For example, and as discussed in detail above, when Riley was separated from employment with the Thorns and subsequently hired by the Flash, neither the Thorns nor the League informed the Flash of the precise issues or investigative findings against Riley. A player on another team recalled that after her coach physically "stormed" after a player to make an example of her mistake to the rest of the team, that player "shut down . According to Starr, Simon "begged her" not to say anything to anyone. Coaches would berate players about their weight in front of their teammates or speak disparagingly about a player's weight to people other than the player. 18 episodes. The documents should be kept confidential and shared only with individuals who need them to investigate and make determinations regarding investigation outcomes and discipline. Zerboni is hopeful for the building process currently underway within the league, and looks forward to seeing positive improvements implemented at the league and club levels.The recommendations set forth by the report were extensive, and can be found in the final pages of the report. During the course of the investigation, an attorney from the law firm engaged by the Thorns provided Levine-who in addition to her duties at the time as general counsel of U.S. Soccer would advise the NWSL-with updates regarding the progress of the investigation. As discussed above, in early 2022, counsel for the Pride conducted an investigation into reports of inappropriate conduct by Head Coach Amanda Cromwell and Assistant Coach Sam Greene. The process through which coaches and other club staff are hired has varied, and some coaches hired by clubs have faced previous allegations of misconduct that were not discovered or explored as part of a background or reputational check. Anti-harassment training offered by the NWSL should clearly instruct staff that electronic communications, including text messages, WhatsApp messages, and emails, must comply with, and are subject to, the Anti-Harassment Policy.

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