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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. Players also told the Joint Investigative Team that Riley [made] a face when players lifted their shirts to wipe their faces, commented that players had refrigerator[s] on their ass[es]," and stated that a player was eating too many hamburgers." Gotham's policy contained a provision stating that [e]mployees who witness offensive behavior in the workplace-whether directed at them or another employee-are encouraged, though not required, to immediately address it with the employee whose behavior they found offensive." The NWSL then informed the club that it was not in compliance with the policy. For example, the report summary stated, "The players broadly described how Dames did not maintain professional boundaries, was too close to certain players, and tried to gather information to get close to others. Due in part to the perceived close relationship between Burke and club ownership and management, players did not feel comfortable expressing concerns about Burke. Whether that is through shrewd maneuvering, or the luck of incompetence, is an open debate. 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. Kurtz recalled Hammond responding, You're a professional athlete; I hope you know you're not chubby. According to Kurtz, Hammond did not ask follow-up questions about why she felt uncomfortable around Riley. In addition to the lack of information at Sky Blue, NWSL personnel did not have a clear understanding of why Holly left Sky Blue. Riley also would tell players that he wanted "to see two women kiss," and made other statements that one player described as "homophobic." Kurtz said that Riley's conduct led her to develop an eating disorder for which she later sought professional help. LaHue denies the allegations made against her and will make no further comment.. Clarkson asked a staff member to request security footage from the hotel, but the staff member was not able to obtain the footage. She told investigators she recognized Riley "had been 'grooming' her for sexual abuse" after reading The Athletic's initial story on his abuse. The publication of this Report marks the conclusion of the Joint Investigative Team's mandate to investigate ongoing concerns of misconduct in the NWSL. 4. Gulati told the Joint Investigative Team that he believed he read the player survey results, but he did not recall being aware of 2014 player comments that indicated Riley was verbally abusive. The club fired Harrington on November 9, 2020. Malik recalled that after his conversation with Paulson, he asked Plush for the report but Plush declined, telling Malik that the issue was an HR matter and that Riley had been cleared. 26, c) The agreement increased minimum player salaries; created free agency; and provided severance pay, mental health, and parental leave. Players Lacked Clear Guidance Regarding What Constituted Misconduct U.S. Soccer took no steps to protect players during the 16 months it spent on the investigation. 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., In addressing root causes of those problems, the report says: Like many institutions, the League has been influenced by sexism, racism, homophobia, and other biases. The Courage learned nothing of the allegation that Riley had said players could avoid the suicide mile by kissing, or of the other clearly established IV. Anonymous results from an annual NWSL player survey conducted in 2014, and described in greater detail below, also indicated similar misconduct by Riley. These thematic findings form the basis for the recommendations set forth at the end of this Report. The close timing between the investigation and the proposed player transactions, efforts by the coaches to discourage reporting and reward apologies for participation in the investigation, exclusion of the players suspected of supporting allegations against the coaches from a team-building activity, and comments the coaches made about these players being "negative" and not "bought in" together indicate that the coaches' actions against the players at issue were motivated, at least in part, by retaliatory reasons. D. I have no idea." In fact, for much of the NWSLs existence, background checks on coaches and player-facing staff were not required. 2. The current policy states that prohibited retaliation could include adversely affecting working conditions, and the revised policy should expand upon what it means to adversely affect working conditions and provide specific examples, such as ostracizing or ignoring players, denying players training opportunities or playing time, or showing favoritism toward players. Two other players said they felt that Dames gathered information about their personal and romantic relationships and used the information he learned about their personal lives as a tool for manipulation. You're eating too much." This player sensed that Riley "wanted to keep [her] feeling like [she] owed him and would do favors for him. The NWSL should require clubs to provide separate housing accommodations to establish clearer boundaries between players and club staff. Only two clubs' employee handbooks-the Spirit's and Gotham's-referenced the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy. 7. 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. Things actually can be spoken up about, be brought to light." Inappropriate Sexual and Objectifying Remarks to Players The Courage's policy stated that [d]isciplinary action, up to and including discharge, will be taken against any employee engaging in sexual or other unlawful harassment." Holly also sent Simon videos of himself masturbating on Snapchat. This misconduct included sending the player inappropriate text messages that continued even after the player told LaHue to accept that they were working together and nothing more. The Joint Investigative Team also reviewed the practices and policies in the NWSL and its member clubs related to identifying, investigating, and addressing such misconduct. 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. Rutgers has been a great partner to us . "Some types of misconduct against players, including certain instances of sexual abuse and manipulation, have already been widely reported. In this email exchange, Bailey did not mention the player survey responses stating that Dames created a hostile work environment and that he made sexist, racist, abusive, and other prejudicial remarks directed at players. This policy provides additional instructions regarding the reporting of complaints." 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. One player reported that Riley ripped" a player for being too fat during a halftime speech. Washington Spirit During the 2022 preseason, the Dash traveled to Mexico City for preseason games against the Mexican club Pumas. Johnson told the Joint Investigative Team that he spoke to Flynn on the phone as part of vetting Riley and that Flynn shared that Riley drank with players at a bar and that players "ended up" at Riley's apartment. Flynn, on the other hand, in written responses to questions posed by U.S. Soccer, stated that he never reviewed the Thorns's final investigative report and did not have a complete understanding of the findings of the investigation. Nonetheless, substantial work remains to be done to ensure the safety of players in the NWSL, and effective change will need to last beyond one commissioner. The policy prohibits harassing conduct, regardless of whether it rises to the level of a legal violation. After the incident at the stadium, Simon avoided Holly for a few weeks, but he eventually pulled her into the same suite in the stadium where the previous incident occurred and confronted her. You should be so thankful I'm part of your life. In keeping with the Joint Investigative Team's commitment to take a trauma-informed, survivorcentered approach, the Joint Investigative Team did not pressure any current or former player to participate in the investigation. Alyse LaHue (@alahue) September 23, 2019 So as much as LaHue has enjoyed coming into Manhattan for the AdWeek panel and then hanging around to talk about the upcoming game (and maybe. Coaches' behavior may cross the line into emotional misconduct when their criticisms are divorced from performance-related or corrective language, including by using insults or derogatory language to criticize players, attacking characteristics of players that are unrelated to their professional performance, or threatening players' careers. 4. A volunteer who interacted with players at Racing Louisville, when asked whether she considered reporting Christy Holly's misconduct to SafeSport, said, No, and that's a great point. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy requires clubs to promptly report all reports of misconduct to the League. On September 30, 2021, The Athletic published the article regarding Riley, and the Courage publicly announced Riley's termination that same day. Maybe. The Joint Investigative Team interviewed Simon twice, and her description of Holly's sexual misconduct was consistent during both interviews. The email included, without any explanation, a conclusion that the investigation did not reveal any "unlawful harassment." 5. It also states that "[e]xceptions to this policy may be granted by ownership or the Chief Operating Officer if, in their sole discretion, it is determined that the close relationship is not likely to cause actual or perceived conflict or favoritism, which is inconsistent with the NWSL policy. It is hard to overstate how much the conversation has changed around Sky Blue FC in less than a year, with Tammy Murphy taking on a lead role on behalf of ownership, and Alyse LaHue serving as. In evaluating potential misconduct towards players by those in positions of power, the Joint Investigative Team gathered relevant evidence, made factual findings, and analyzed whether those findings met established definitions of misconduct. One assistant coach recalled another coach making comments about players' weight and once telling a player at a restaurant, You can't eat this. In written responses to the Joint Investigative Team, Plush stated that he told then-Sky Blue President and General Manager Tony Novo there were allegations of inappropriate conduct against Riley, encouraged Novo to reach out to the Thorns, and discouraged him from hiring Riley. 109, result of the failure to share information, the NWSL, the Red Stars, and players were left with the impression that Dames's behavior was deemed acceptable by U.S. Soccer. Those findings will remain confidential and the league will not comment further on individual club personnel matters.. Under the leadership of Commissioner Jessica Berman, the NWSL released an updated Anti-Harassment Policy, increased dedicated resources for receiving and handling reports of misconduct, and acted on the findings of the Joint Investigative Team by removing individuals who engaged in misconduct from their roles at clubs. One player said it felt "like the lid came off" when the pressures of being head coach combined with Holly's personal life. The erratic, emotional behaviors exhibited by these three coaches were repeatedly described by players as "cycles" of abuse. One player, who was vocal about racial equity, told the Joint Investigative Team that Burke and an assistant coach pressured her to leave her "blackness off the field" and discouraged her activism. Nikki Stanton reported that Holly, who had been close to her and spent hours each week personally training her, abruptly stopped when Stanton told him she had started dating another player. These comments constituted impermissible emotional misconduct because they had the potential to, and did, cause emotional and psychological harm by degrading, insulting, and belittling players based on their weight. Plush wrote that he was "very careful in describing the situation" with Riley because he had been informed by counsel to U.S. Soccer that he could not share the Thorns's investigative report or its details. 93, In one case, an individual designated to receive player complaints was accused of misconduct, leaving players feeling as though they had no recourse to report those individuals. This is where the beer comes in. . Dames remained head coach for nine full seasons in the NWSL, and when he resigned in November 2021, he was the Likewise, at least one player expressed concern that the nature of Holly's departure from Sky Blue was not fully disclosed to Racing Louisville before the club hired Holly as their head coach in 2020. Coaching often requires split-second decisions and interactions during practice and games, without the time for deliberation or consultation, for example with HR. f) Resurfacing of 2015 Allegations Against Riley Lydia Wahlke (U.S. Soccer, Chief Legal Officer, 2017-2020) Other Inconsistencies Between the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy and Club Policies 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. Inattentiveness, neglect, and concealment allow misconduct to fester.. 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. Ten days before the first game she expected to start, Riley This is inconsistent with the final USSF Dames Report issued in September 2019, which stated that Dames was still "unpredictable," and that he was continuing to target specific players "for constant criticism" and yelling excessively. 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. He began by making dirty or sexual jokes; however, his behavior escalated. This information suggested that Riley might pose a danger to players, but the Courage did not take adequate steps to learn the findings of the investigation, reflecting a lack of appreciation for the power dynamics between players and coaches, and the Courage employed Riley despite knowing of this allegation. For instance, the Courage credibly recounted that the club was only informed that players went to Riley's apartment after drinking with Riley in a nearby bar, and that someone stated that Riley had suggested they kiss. C. 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 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. However, according to the report, three players had "provide[d] specific examples" of this behavior. 120 One player recalled wanting to report conduct by her general manager, Alyse LaHue, but said that the team "didn't even know who we could contact because [the general manager] is our only contact. Other players similarly reported that they feared retaliation from Burke, or otherwise held back from criticizing Burke, due to incidents in which Burke threatened to waive players who disagreed with him and due to the fact that he had unilateral control over player contracts. The announcement did not specify that the cause was sexual misconduct. However, player confidentiality and safety were not the motivating factors in the Thorns's decision to withhold information about Riley's misconduct from the Flash and the Courage. c) Failure to Protect Players In the commercial, she discussed a time when she beat all of her teammates in a physical fitness test but her coach said, in front of the whole team, Lindsey, you're not going to play in any games until you lose more weight." Mishandling of Paul Riley's Misconduct by U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and the Portland Thorns The Joint Investigative Team also posted these reporting lines on the NWSL webpage and in the League's Anti-Harassment Policy. History of Professional Women's Soccer in the United States . Another player recalled other players informing her this coach was telling people that she needed to lose weight, but he never discussed it with her directly. On some occasions, the NWSL and clubs failed to timely address misconduct until the public was made aware or until players took initiative to speak up about the issue. In spite of this, there is no evidence that Levine provided the Flash with additional details about Riley's past conduct. 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. In interviews with the Joint Investigative Team, both Levine and Duffy remembered that they paused the NWSL investigation at Wahlke's request. He is quoted in the report as saying, [S]ome number of players each year wither under [Dames's] approach, don't respond well, and need to leave for their own good." The NWSL also announced plans to launch a new position dedicated to player safety.