In crafting this policy, the NWSL should be mindful that non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements have been used to restrict clubs from criticizing or sharing information about a departing staff member. Stanton reported that Holly texted her all the time" while he was an assistant coach at Sky Blue, sometimes communicating in a way that felt like it was "teetering on the line" of 30, requests from the Joint Investigative Team, making it likely that Paulson understood that there would be limitations on the NWSL's ability to share it. Separately, during a large group meeting with Baird and Levine, she told them about some of her experiences with Riley. An initial complaint against Clarkson was filed in December 2021, and the joint investigators leading Wednesday's report spoke with seven current and former players who described the coach as "volatile, verbally abusive, and not showing appropriate regard for players' wellbeing." The NWSL should share with U.S. Soccer when a club employee is removed from a club due to a finding of misconduct under the Anti-Harassment Policy to allow U.S. Soccer to take necessary measures to prevent that employee from engaging in further misconduct in youth soccer or in other leagues, including the removal of coaching licenses where necessary. Enhance Reporting and Investigation Procedures. Players reported that Riley often inquired about and commented on players' romantic and dating relationships. The investigation did not focus on player-on-player misconduct or misconduct directed at League or club staff. 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. and Players Union Report on Womens Soccer. Two players, in separate interviews, described feeling like a tax write-off" to their clubs' owners. At Sky Blue, a former chief financial officer handled the club's budgeting, sponsorships, payroll, and merchandising in addition to the club's HR. Courage owner Steve Malik said when he learned of a complaint that Riley made inappropriate weightrelated comments, he did not follow up with the player; instead, he presumed the League would respond to [the] complaint" because he was told the complaint went to the League. While the NWSL did not specify the reason for the fines, multiple reports indicated that they were the result of Red Stars co-owner Sarah Spain and then-Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue expressing their support for Gorden publicly on Twitter after the league had asked team staff members to refrain commenting on the incident. 2. 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. Upon reading the article regarding Riley in The Athletic, Kurtz recognized many of her own experiences with Riley in the accounts of Shim and Farrelly, identified his conduct towards her as abusive, and realized that he had been grooming her for sexual abuse. 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. Other individuals disputed this characterization. The lead investigator told the Joint Investigative Team that she believed Dames's "excessive yelling, unpredictable behavior, and singling out players for constant criticism . In most cases, witnesses were interviewed one at a time, although some interviews were conducted in small groups-for example, interviews of NWSLPA player representatives from certain clubs and of representatives from the Black Women's Player Collective, an organization founded by Black NWSL players to "advance opportunities for Black girls in sport and beyond." This may require removing some questions that were included in prior player surveys that could be used to identify responding players, including questions about previous teams, pay, and nationality. Finally, in certain instances where players reported concerns publicly, including on social media or in statements to the press, or have otherwise authorized the Joint Investigative Team to use their names, this Report identifies those players where appropriate. When asked about his comment, Burke claimed that he was not making light of the incident, but rather that he was upset about it. In August 2019, a Thorns staff member emailed a draft public statement (which was never publicly released) to Paulson and Golub for review. This may encompass disputes between players, or disputes between players and club staff. They used derogatory and insulting language towards players, displayed insensitivity towards players' mental health, and engaged in retaliation against players who attempted to report or did report concerns. Following the receipt of evidence that Cromwell and Greene were retaliating against players and considering removing from the team players they believed had participated in the March Investigation, the Joint Investigative Team recommended in June 2022 that Cromwell and Greene be placed on Wilkinson told the Joint Investigative Team that he discussed Riley's termination with Lines, though he was uncertain whether Lines had already known Riley was terminated, rather than simply not retained. One night in May 2015, members of the Thorns went to a bar in Portland following a home game. Another player echoed these concerns, saying that Dames "sometimes ma[de] statements suggesting he found players attractive, but she felt these comments had "cooled off" after Dames's daughter was born. Gulati, who said he had never received the 2015 investigative report, said that although he could not remember clearly, he surmised that he was given legal advice by Levine not to disclose or discuss information regarding the allegations and investigation by the Thorns. The report indicates that LaHues counsel described the allegations as false claims., The report explains that the Joint Investigative Team found discrepancies in versions of an email exchange involving LaHue that was part of the file from the initial investigation done by the league in 2021. The NWSL should consider creating an Alternative Complaint Resolution program as an additional resource to address conduct that is not covered by the Anti-Harassment Policy. Some of these remarks were not necessarily targeted toward specific players but were made openly in the presence of other club staff and/or players and created an unwelcome working environment, especially for players of color. Founded in 2012, the National Women's Soccer League (the "NWSL" or the "League) has enjoyed success as the longest-running professional women's soccer league in U.S. history. The staff member's account contradicts Predmore's claim that he was unaware of any issues with Benstiti until after Benstiti signed his contract on January 11, 2020. 61, Another player recalled that Harrington went to a strip club with players after a seasonending loss when he was an assistant coach with the Red Stars. At some point, the notion of Shim and Farrelly kissing was raised, though no one could recall in 2015 who raised the idea; Farrelly told the Joint Investigative Team that Riley pushed the notion of intimacy between the players-both that night and persistently even before that nightand Shim and Farrelly have since recalled that Riley likely came up with the idea for them to kiss. 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. Players from other clubs shared similar sentiments: for example, players from one club said they feared a coach would retaliate if they reported concerns about him because they had seen him lash out" at players during meetings and because he had once removed a player from the roster after an on-field disagreement. Shim later stated, I'm just so grateful for this opportunity to get these bad people out of the League and really shine a light on this issue because it's so prevalent. The NWSL should consider adopting Mental Health First Aid training. Burke also discouraged player activism for racial equity. When confronted by the team's captains about his response, Clarkson said that the players "should be scared.". When interviewed by the Joint Investigative Team, Burke admitted making these comments but did not acknowledge their offensiveness. 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. U.S. Soccer's 2019 Consideration of Riley for U.S. Women's National Team Coach e) The USWNT has won medalsincluding four gold medalsin every Olympic Games except one since women's soccer was added as an event in 1996. The same player noted that when players considered raising concerns, they wondered, "Are we going to ruin something? In response to Shim's email, Riley texted Shim asking to meet, and the two corresponded about meeting but ultimately did not meet. He went on to describe players as "desperate to get starts" and said he knew that the team would become fragile "if th[e] poison continue[d]." Furthermore, in at least one instance, players received potentially misleading information about the outcome of an investigation. A spokesperson for Gotham FC provided Equalizer with the following statement regarding the handling of the complaint made against LaHue: NJ/NY Gotham FC ownership acted immediately upon learning of a confidential player complaint against former General Manager Alyse LaHue. 120, An explanation of the reporting channels should also be a key component to antiharassment training, anti-bullying training, anti-retaliation training, and any other trainings the NWSL or clubs provide. Sauerbrunn: NWSL players horrified and heartbroken, Morgan shames former NWSL commissioner Baird for inaction over Riley abuse, Morgan: Mana Shim was failed by the system, NWSL report explainer: What's new, what's recommended and what's next, Foden's return to form helps mask De Bruyne's troubles, Nelson sends Arsenal into euphoria with last-gasp winner over Bournemouth, Arsenal rally, net late winner in 5-goal thriller, Garber: MLS would be flexible for Messi move, City beat Newcastle to keep pressure on Arsenal, Arteta: Arsenal win my 'most emotional moment', Ancelotti defends Benzema after Clasico loss, Klopp, Ten Hag tell fans to 'lose the poison', Xavi on Clasico critics: Barca world's hardest club, Guardiola: Next three games define City's season. North Carolina Courage Despite receiving players' reports of verbal and emotional abuse by Dames, she took no action to suspend Dames or otherwise prevent further misconduct during the investigation. "Inattentiveness, neglect, and concealment allow misconduct to fester," the report's conclusion reads. The club policies also failed to address NWSL reporting requirements. Two players had in fact described the same example of Dames sharing personal information, but one of the two players also provided a different example of when Dames's had shared information in a way that made her uncomfortable.
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