52, Simon recalled that Holly once brought her into a suite in the Racing Louisville stadium for a film session, even though she had tried to hold it in a public place. During this meeting, Simon recalled Wilkins and her supervisor asked Simon to share as much detail as she was comfortable sharing about Holly's treatment of her, and they asked her to go from "start to finish." When the Joint Investigative Team interviewed her, Wahlke said that she did not believe the investigation was ever closed during her tenure at U.S. Soccer. Multiple clubs expected the League to take a more active role in addressing misconduct. OL Reign
. Gotham subsequently terminated the GMs employment.
Subscribers toThe Equalizer now receive 50% offtheirsubscription toThe Nextfor 24/7 coverage of womens basketball. Provide Written Guidance to Coaches and Other Club Staff Stating That It Is Inappropriate to Make Degrading Comments or Jokes About a Player's Weight
6. They also feel the non-fraternization policy, first implemented in January 2018, must be more explicit, extend to staff beyond the head coach and "clarify that any sexual or romantic relationship between players and those in supervisory roles over players is strictly prohibited, even if the relationship is consensual. These measures may help increase diversity in the NWSL coaching ranks. For example, Thorns owner Merritt Paulson said the Thorns shared everything with the League" and believed the League would further investigate and suspend former Head Coach Paul Riley from working in the League following the 2015 allegations against him. Not resign."" Witnesses to body-shaming by both Pauw and Riley reported that "players developed eating disorders and sought mental health treatment." The League office cooperated fully with this investigation, provided all necessary resources, and granted the Joint Investigative Team full autonomy to follow the facts and evidence wherever they led. Simon explained that she would request to train or meet with both of them, but sometimes when she would arrive at their house, Pearce Rampone would not be there, and Holly would "always give a reason she wasn't there." The club issued a public apology stating that it had "wrongly focused on signage policy and procedures, instead of allowing the important meaning of the message." The player in question denied calling Harrington to ask for his help and noted Harrington "was never the one called to come assist." 40, longest-tenured coach in the League. The Joint Investigative Team also took into account whether conduct complied with professional coaching standards. Standards of acceptable coaching behavior are evolving. She recalled that her interview for the role was conducted at U.S. Soccer, by U.S. Soccer employees. In addition, Whisler acknowledged that Dames's ownership of Eclipse Select, a local youth club, created a mutually beneficial relationship between the Red Stars and Eclipse. Racing Louisville only provided more meaningful cooperation after the USSF Report criticized the club for its "limited" cooperation with U.S. Soccer's investigation. Clarkson's comment left the player crying and visibly upset. Sky Blue FC announced on Tuesday evening that Tony Novo had officially resigned as club president and general manager. 2. The union is referenced by players in the report as a default place to voice concerns, for lack of historical human resources departments in the league and at clubs, but concerns remain over how reported complaints are handled. Although the Thorns conducted an investigation in 2015 that led to Riley's termination, the Thorns publicly announced only that Riley was not being retained, with no explanation as to why. Formation of a Players' Union
Misconduct against players has occurred at the vast majority of NWSL clubs at various times, from the earliest years of the League to the present. Burke told the Joint Investigative Team that he was a demanding" coach and acknowledged that he could be "profane" at times, but he adamantly denied that his behavior was abusive toward players. 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. 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. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that Riley denied the allegations against him in 2015 and never apologized, though Paulson recalled that Riley had made a comment that he had been isolated from his wife and should not have gotten drunk. Kurtz further detailed to investigators incidents of weight-shaming by Riley, noting that she developed an eating disorder. If not, you can sign up below. Hendrix recalled Holly texted Simon requesting pictures of Simon. At first, she thought the offers were "nice" because she did not "know what the boundaries [were]." As the report states, there is a clear lack of guidance provided to players regarding what constitutes misconduct. (Golub told the Joint Investigative Team he did not know the Flash's then-general manager and said he did not know Plush sent his number to anyone at the Flash.) Cromwell and Greene also expressed a desire to remove these players from the team. reliably disseminated to relevant stakeholders. 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. Shim had told a teammate, Alex Morgan, about some of Riley's conduct and had consulted Morgan regarding reporting. She described the NWSL office as a "very disempowered place to be given the power and authority of U.S. Background checks, reputational checks, and other forms of vetting are not an infallible defense against coaches or staff who engage in misconduct. While the investigation was ongoing, Dames was not suspended and there was no intermediary action to prevent further misconduct that could harm current players on the Red Stars. That January, the Courage made Riley their first head coach. At the conclusion of the March Investigation, the Pride's counsel substantiated that Cromwell engaged in favoritism, inappropriately communicated with and "verbally attack[ed]" players, made sexualized comments about players' appearances, disregarded the advice of the sports medicine staff, and discouraged players from utilizing reporting channels. At the club level, U.S. Soccer's failure to share its findings allowed Whisler to take the position that U.S. Soccer essentially had cleared Dames of wrongdoing and that no action was required by the Red Stars. Players on NWSL clubs are NWSL employees, while coaches and other team personnel are club employees. A player on another team remembered her coach saying to a teammate, in front of others, "I could take away your contract like that." Sports article mentioned Benstiti by name, stating that the club's technical staff, led by Benstiti, didn't care about communicating fitness goals respectfully." One person who works with players in the League mentioned that she had seen text messages to other players from coaches that engaged in such emotional manipulation. Malik told the Joint Investigative Team that he thought at the time that Riley's drinking with players in 2015 was unacceptable" for a coach of the USWNT
NWSL Draft: Sky Blue FC makes trades, returns Jennifer Cudjoe By this time, Whisler knew that The Washington Post was planning to publish an expos about Dames. Holly also verbally abused players and retaliated against those who raised complaints about him. One player provided multiple examples of instances in which she felt Dames had used personal information against players.
Development of an Anti-Harassment Policy. These players' clear descriptions of particular experiences with Dames call into question the report's conclusion that players "struggled to articulate what they meant." At OL Reign, CEO (and for much of the club's history, the principal owner) Bill Predmore also managed HR. The Courage understood Riley had denied this allegation. 6
49, that he did not have "near enough support" to keep him at the club and they would "need to find the right wording." Conduct Background Checks on All Prospective Club Owners, Staff, and Volunteers Who May Interact With Players
When he spoke to the investigator, Whisler indicated that he was aware of players' concerns even before Press's complaint. 31, [U.S. Soccer] are aware of the issues because they were raised when he was at the Thorns." Publicly, however, the club merely announced that it would not retain Riley for a third season, and then-Thorns General Manager and President of Soccer Gavin Wilkinson said, on behalf of the club, "I would like to thank Paul for his services to the club these past two seasons." Multiple players emphasized that coaches who weight-shamed players often were concerned with appearance, irrespective of players' on-field performance.
The NWSL began the roll-out of training by the U.S. Center for SafeSport in January 2021. 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.
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The Thorns reversed their position in February 2022 after protracted discussions with the Joint Investigative Team about the validity of the privilege claim as to the report.
Second, the Joint Investigative Team found no support for the Thorns's independent assertion that the 2015 investigation did not reveal any "unlawful harassment by Riley, an assertion which seemed to have emerged just after the 2015 Thorns Investigation. One player reported that Dames extended frequent social invitations, inviting players to get lunch or ice cream with him. Clubs should be advised not to request that players and other witnesses in investigations sign non-disclosure agreements for the purpose of preventing the transmission of information about the allegations to the NWSL or other clubs. However, Shim preferred to stay in Portland, where she already had a lease and was working as a private coach, so she asked Riley if the team would try to keep her. In one instance, a clubwhich had properly followed the protocols with respect to its new head coach-hired two assistant coaches without informing the NWSL or completing the NWSL's vetting process. This may include engaging with the NWSLPA or third-party experts regarding reforms, including the measures the Joint Investigative Team recommends below, to ensure that they are implemented in a way that meets players' needs. Holly also crossed boundaries with other players by making unwanted sexual advances and overt sexual remarks to them. However, looking back, this player observed, "People realized, 'There are different ways to do this. Hammond told the Joint Investigative Team that he remembered a call with Kurtz about her interest in a trade after the 2019 season, when Kurtz was in the process of negotiating a new contract. 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. After Simon signed with Racing Louisville, Holly and Pearce Rampone came over to Simon's parents' home for dinner. 4. 43, Players also told U.S. Soccer's investigator that Dames used his power as head coach to exercise control over them. a
While some players expressed doubt that the SafeSport trainings were helpful, one player recalled that the SafeSport training made her realize she was experiencing sexual harassment; however, the player also noted that the training did not provide any NWSL-specific resources to help players experiencing misconduct.
Conduct Reference Checks for All Prospective Owners, Coaches, and other Club Staff Who May Interact With Players
In his interview with the Joint Investigative Team, Whisler said it was "clear that it was mutually beneficial," especially given that the Red Stars were "probably the poorest team in the League." For a number of players and fans, the spark behind this new era is interim general manager Alyse LaHue, whose can-do, laser-focused attitude towards implementing positive changes has led to Sky Blue setting and reaching new goals. One player said that the observed closeness between Holly and the staff member created a crazy, weird power dynamic," where the staff member was given improper decision-making authority over issues like nutrition. 70, Multiple players described an incident in which Clarkson was "out of line" and created a culture of fear and anxiety. Ms. LaHue has sat for approximately seventeen (17) hours of interviews and continually requested access to materials related to her case..
Many players, team and league staff, and team owners were not given the completed report before it was made public. It really wasn't an investment so much as it was philanthropy." While the investigation into Clarkson was ongoing, players submitted an additional formal complaint and again reached out to the Joint Investigative Team to raise both related and additional concerns about Clarkson's treatment of players, expressing fear that Clarkson would retaliate against them if he learned they had raised complaints. Players described their coaches' continual policing of food intake not as informed decisions based on nutritional needs, but rather as an example of these coaches' compulsion for control. Where necessary to gather additional facts, the NWSLPA further followed up with some players directly, requesting they share their experiences with the Joint Investigative Team.
Sky Blue FC's game at Red Bull was a success, but only the first step He shared personal information with her, talking about his ex-wife, his relationship status, and his sex life, including describing his preferred sexual positions.
6. Towards the end of the interview, she told Garcia that she was afraid of what Riley could do to her career, noting Riley "ha[d] contacts, help[ed] players play overseas, [and had] big ties." Players also reported concerns with how clubs responded to incidents involving reported discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and which gave them the impression that sexual orientation discrimination was not important. Numerous individuals relayed that as a result, Cromwell and Greene stopped speaking to players who they believed had participated in the March Investigation and who did not show contrition in the aftermath. Volunteer chaplain Taylor Starr shared her impression that Simon "kept it in for so long because she thought her career was on the line." 1. A player at Racing Louisville reported feeling that complaints about Christy Holly were not appropriately addressed due to the close relationship he had with club management. 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 agreement also provided that Racing Louisville would take over the future payment obligations of Holly's apartment lease if Holly vacated the apartment. Simon described feeling helpless and like she could not escape. Most prominently, on September 30, 2021, The Athletic reported that then-North Carolina Courage Head Coach Paul Riley had engaged in sexual misconduct during his tenure as head coach of Portland Thorns FC. 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.
Alyse LaHue: Women's pro soccer is ready to ride the wave of a big The publication of this Report marks the conclusion of the Joint Investigative Team's mandate to investigate ongoing concerns of misconduct in the NWSL. More specificity is needed, investigators concluded, to provide examples of how ostracizing players or denying playing opportunities could fall under the definition of prohibited behavior. In evaluating professional coaching standards, the Joint Investigative Team reviewed and considered professional and academic literature on verbal and emotional abuse in sport. One former player differentiated between raised voices in different locations: the player opined, "If you're working in an office cubicle, no one will scream at you for your terrible touch, but that might be needed on the field." One player remembered that there was "casual drinking throughout the day while players stayed at his home, and it felt like the alcohol was a gateway" for Riley to "wiggle his way in" with players.
Players told the Joint Investigative Team that this environment dissuaded them from reporting misconduct. There's no one. Second, U.S. Soccer and certain NWSL clubs asserted the attorney-client privilege and work product doctrine over information relevant to this investigation, or delayed providing key evidence on privilege grounds or due to confidentiality or non-disparagement provisions in agreements with coaches fired for misconduct. In spite of this, there is no evidence that Levine provided the Flash with additional details about Riley's past conduct. Rutgers has been a great partner to us . Despite this instruction, multiple people observed Benstiti commenting on players' food consumption at the 2020 Challenge Cup, where Benstiti also hid food from players.
alyse lahue relationship - yampariverbotanicpark.org "We've seen other teams continue to up their professional standards, and Sky Blue has to follow suit," LaHue said.
For example, Angel City's policy as of 2021 stated that it was "committed to providing a workplace free of sexual or any form of unlawful harassment, discrimination, or retaliation based on protected characteristics."
Wilkins similarly recalled O'Connor or Estes stating that Holly had a potentially inappropriate relationship with a player. 65, Some witnesses also expressed concern that the experiences of players of color were discounted or not taken seriously. Black Women's Player Collective representatives told the Joint Investigative Team that they experienced racial microaggressions on their teams. 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. 58, imbalance between supervisors and their reports; (ii) the threat of favoritism; and
During her tenure as NWSL president, Amanda Duffy was made aware of, but failed to act on, Shim's 2015 complaint against Riley and the subsequent investigation conducted by the Thorns. LaHues behavior in connection with [the player] was improper and inappropriate, and a violation of league policies . The Joint Investigative Team requested documents from every club through the appropriate club official or club counsel.
The same day, U.S. Soccer announced that it was launching an independent investigation into reports of abusive behavior and sexual misconduct in women's professional soccer, to be conducted by former Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates of King & Spalding LLP (the USSF Investigation"). One player said that she considered quitting rather than reporting harassment because she was skeptical that the League would handle her complaint properly. 4. to return to the club. 45, In multiple instances, the USSF Dames Report's factual summary was directly contradicted by facts provided elsewhere in the report. 47, The stated purpose of the USSF Dames Investigation was "to understand the experience of the players and provide U.S. Soccer legal advice with respect to whether the alleged misconduct by Dames, to the extent that it occurred, is acceptable from the head coach of a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team from the perspective of U.S. Williams was moved to a front office role at the end of that season. The relationship between the League and playersas employer and employees contributed to the confusion between clubs and the League about their responsibilities in addressing misconduct. The staff member stated that Clarkson believed that the player was 100%" fit to play because she had dressed for the game, although the player reported that Clarkson was aware she had been dealing with the injury. For instance, Farrelly began dating one of her teammates on the Thorns during the 2014 NWSL season.