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James Clarkson communicated with players in a manner that created anxiety and fear for multiple players. 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. Estes and O'Connor later joined the meeting. The players, however, reported to the Joint Investigative Team that they did experience retaliation after this meeting. After the meeting, one of the players said she felt like things were getting better. The NWSL should also develop standards for evaluating an applicant's fitness for the position, based on the results of background checks, that are consistent with applicable legal restrictions, including applicable state laws. Averbuch West became Gotham's general manager earlier in the year after the harassment-related firing of GM Alyse LaHue. Paulson further noted that this was not the first time he told Malik that Riley had been terminated; he said he told Malik about the termination during a meeting of NWSL owners prior to this August 2019 call. These dynamics have been apparent in the League and beyond. Kurtz said her biggest fear was being considered a "troublemaker" for reporting misconduct, but she feels now that "players who come forward will be protected." On September 30, 2021, an article in The Athletic shared accounts by Shim and her former Thorns teammate Sinead Farrelly detailing not only Riley's 2015 misconduct towards Shim, but also his prior sexual misconduct-which the 2015 Thorns Investigation had not uncovered-towards Farrelly. Under the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy, the League "prohibits reprisal or retaliation against anyone for engaging in the following Protected Activity: filing a good faith report under this Policy; supporting or assisting, in good faith, someone else in pursuing a report or in an investigation; objecting to misconduct; or filing, testifying, assisting or participating in any manner in any investigation, proceeding or hearing conducted by a governmental enforcement agency." The Joint Investigative Team asked Harrington for his cell phone records, with call and text details, for the month in question. Equality. Several players said that Holly dating Pearce Rampone also affected the way he treated other players. Players reported that by bringing players into a meeting with Holly, club management created a fear of retaliation which discouraged them from reporting further b) Failures of Background Checks Until 2021, the NWSL did not have a formal policy prohibiting harassment. [we] use the [NWSLPA] as a voice or shield to speak to the executives at the club. 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. The first HR employee hired by the NWSL recalled that, prior to her hiring in 2019, U.S. Soccer had been managing all of the League's HR operations. When Shim arrived, Riley opened the hotel door so that he was behind it, requiring Shim to step all the way inside. Former NWSL President Amanda Duffy also recalled that under the Management Agreement, U.S. Soccer had full authority over day-to-day operations, and compared U.S. Soccer's control of the League to that of a commissioner. Facilitate Information Sharing Among Clubs Regarding Findings of Misconduct Wilkinson said that on advice of counsel for the Thorns, he did not discuss the reason for Riley's termination and did not tell Lines about the allegations against Riley. 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. Lines told Plush that he told Riley that Riley "can not allow that the [sic] of situation to happen again." This normalization of player-coach relationships has continued from predecessor leagues to the NWSL. 8 However, Benstiti did not comply with that directive. Players were asked to rate on a scale of one to five their satisfaction with: (i) facilities; (ii) technical staff knowledge and skill; (iii) logistics and accommodations; (iv) club organization; and (v) overall experience as a member of their NWSL teams. Former NY/NJ Gotham FC general manager Alyse. The NWSL did not distribute these player surveys consistently: player surveys were distributed yearly from 2013 to 2017, and again in 2020. The player recalled that Pauw "knocked on [her] door at night and invited herself in just to check how [her] apartment setup was." The club policies also failed to address NWSL reporting requirements. The same day, The Athletic reported that the investigation was related to a violation of the NWSL's anti-harassment policy. 95, stated: "I had no direct involvement in the creation, administration or review of the player surveys. Passion for Real Sociedad runs as deep as San Sebastian's love for Basque culture and cuisine, Top 10 greatest FA Cup shocks after Grimsby stun Southampton, Oral history: When Barcelona, Real Madrid played four Clasicos in 18 days back in 2011, Infighting of Women's World Cup faves Spain, France, Canada reveals big issues in the sport. Expectations of Gratitude and Acquiescence To effectuate lasting change, the League must commit to the long-term, critical, incremental work of systemic cultural and structural transformation. As Equalizer has reported, the highly-anticipated report contained detailed findings of an investigation into numerous allegations of misconduct across the league. History of Professional Women's Soccer in the United States Despite having this information, Duffy did not express any concerns about Riley to the Courage, Riley's employer at the time. At least one player and a volunteer at the club corroborated that Holly treated Simon harshly. Another club staff member felt that Holly lost trust in the locker room" because of his romantic relationship. So far, the league and club have done a fine job keeping the details under wraps. Starr also recalled Simon showing her text messages she had received from Holly, including messages 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. 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. In June 2021, Benstiti gave a team speech in which he criticized players' diets, despite being told not to do so, in a manner that multiple players found inappropriate. This framework remained unchanged until August 13, 2021, when the NWSL implemented a process requiring clubs to submit their head coach candidates to the NWSL for a background check and subsequent approval. The team's first game was scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, which required a 6:00 a.m. wake-up call. One player recalled that O'Connor informed players that Holly had been terminated due to an inappropriate relationship" with a player. Paulson also said he had heard that Shim did not want Riley's termination made public, though there is no evidence that Garcia or anyone else on the Thorns asked Shim for her preference, and Shim told the Joint Investigative Team that she did not recall making any such statement. And while Sky Blue leadership, the League, and Racing Louisville knew that Holly had a relationship with Pearce Rampone, who had been one of his players, the relationship was generally viewed as not concerning because Pearce Rampone was older than Holly and a prominent figure within the women's soccer landscape. One player said it felt "like the lid came off" when the pressures of being head coach combined with Holly's personal life. The same day, on August 15, 2019, Duffy forwarded the Thorns's attorney's 2015 email, along with the Thorns's investigative report and its supporting attachments, to then-U.S. Soccer Chief Legal Officer Lydia Wahlke. One player opined that in the past, players had an innate instinct to put up with" problematic behavior and to protect a nascent, unstable league. Accordingly, she cooperated in the first, second, and third investigations into alleged conduct from April 2020 reported in June 2021. It further stated that any employee "who believes they have been subject to or witnessed illegal discrimination, including sexual or other forms of unlawful harassment, is requested and enco couraged to make a complaint." More broadly across the NWSL, several witnesses recalled instances when coaches and other club staff would confuse non-white players, sometimes repeatedly. 2. Revise the Anti-Harassment Policy to Address Microaggressions and Racist and Derogatory Language In her email, the player said that she wanted to "report[] her owner" for "neglecting issues he is aware of" and alleged that Dames was engaging in inappropriate relationships with players.' Multiple players reported to the Joint Investigative Team that Holly had retaliated against them for raising concerns. However, he could not recall any request by Holly or Holly's attorney that the provision bind the club. Players and former assistant coaches said that Holly would "ream" out players, verbally attack[] them, and play mind games. Holly retaliated against players who resisted his unwanted advances or complained about his conduct. In her summary of the conversation, Levine noted that she had cautioned Whisler about potential retaliation. One player explained that these were not always instances of "overt discrimination, but they add up over time and it makes you question your performance and your role in the team." In an interview with the Joint Investigative Team, Gulati stated he could not recall being aware in 2014 of player survey comments from that year indicating Riley was verbally abusive. The NWSL ran its standard background check, and its resulting report contained no significant adverse findings. After speaking with Levine, the HR employee-understanding Levine and Baird would conduct a follow-up investigation in light of language in Farrelly's email indicating she was raising new allegations-responded to Farrelly, thanking her for reporting and stating, "We take these claims very seriously and do not tolerate any form of harassment within our League. This is too much. The article also noted Horan's observation that Benstiti's insistence on weight loss was "more [about] how you were seen and not how it was helping you play. An April 2019 Adidas commercial focused on Horan overcoming her negative experience with Benstiti. The two parties ultimately decided that a joint investigation made the most sense, with Covington taking the lead under the direction of an oversight committee. IV. The Thorns initiated a week-long investigation (the "2015 Thorns Investigation") conducted by its HR director, who found that some of Shim's allegations were undisputed and who summarized findings against Riley in a final investigative report. Club policies should state clearly that all club staff are also subject to the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy, which goes beyond merely prohibiting unlawful harassment. 107, defames, or is derogatory of the other. Citing the non-disparagement provision in the agreement, the club and its executives declined to speak freely with the Joint Investigative Team about Holly until the fourth quarter of 2022, significantly delaying this aspect of the According to this review, in 2021, players described Dames as 'condescending', 'manipulative', 'aggressive', 'insulting', [and] an intimidator. Players said they felt that Dames targeted "one or two players" and that he "utilize[d] preexisting relationships. In addition to their many concerns about Dames, players told U.S. Soccer's investigator they felt the club's owner, Arnim Whisler, was insensitive and unresponsive to their concerns about Dames." Both players and staff on the Current described disproportionately angry responses by their former head coach, Huw Williams, to routine questions in the course of games or practices. 3. A player at a different club recounted that she was berated by coaching staff for her conduct during training, and staff would not let her get a word in to explain that a different player with the same skin tone had actually engaged in that conduct. 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. Both a staff member and players expressed that they believed Whisler "knew about [Dames's] emotional and verbal abuse towards players" but took no action. Players were frequently reminded of the fragility and financial instability of the League. Although this investigation gathered substantial evidence, the Joint Investigative Team also encountered challenges. In November 2021, the league established an additional temporary protocol mandating all coaches, general managers, and president hires be approved by the league and complete a New Hire Certification, including background checks. A text message conversation between Whisler and Dames on June 13, 2018, indicates that Whisler informed Dames of the complaint shortly after speaking to Levine. Even when provided with anonymous reporting channels during the course of this independent joint investigation, including through the NWSLPA, some players expressed skepticism that reports would be appropriately handled due to historical distrust in the League. 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. In early 2022, the NWSLPA and the League announced that they had signed their first collective bargaining agreement. The NWSL's 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy contains this same language, and it further clarifies that the NWSL prohibits discriminatory and harassing conduct in any form, regardless of whether it rises to the level of a legal violation. WUSA, the first women's professional soccer league in the United States, began play in April 2001. 48, lack of information sharing deterred players from speaking out and left players with the impression that Dames's conduct was appropriate. Gulati said that he generally tells people who are considering hiring candidates to call former employers, but in this case, he was also specifically hoping that Malik would contact the Thorns. New subjects include details on why former Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue was fired in July of last year. Arnim Whisler confirmed considering a similar plan for Dames at the Red Stars, even after Whisler learned that a majority of the players on the team believed Dames created an environment of fear and expressed concerns about retaliation. 1. Following the revelations of Riley's sexual misconduct on Sept. 30, 2021, the NWSL and the NWSLPA separately sought to conduct investigations. Witnesses to body-shaming by both Pauw and Riley reported that "players developed eating disorders and sought mental health treatment." 125, The N.W.S.L. Investigators also call for more centralized hiring processes, including background checks with references for all prospective club owners, staff, and volunteers who might interact with players. Riley also engaged in other inappropriate behavior during his tenure on the Thorns, and he surrounded himself with staff members who were not likely to speak out against him. The investigators said they conducted more than 200 interviews and reviewed some 200,000 documents. Until now, the only reported detail was that LaHue was the subject of a complaint filed under the leagues anti-harassment policy. Plush, the senior-most executive at the League, did not take any steps to ensure that the Flash, the Courage, and the players who would be coached by Riley were aware of the risks he posed. 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." . Benstiti was the head coach of PSG from 2012 to 2016. The NWSL should provide training and guidance to the clubs on the types of questions to ask. . The NWSLPA regularly encouraged its members to share relevant information with the Joint Investigative Team. Instead, the report concluded: "The only result that is clearly called for by this external review is the establishment of standards for conduct by NWSL coaches and education on those standards, to resolve any uncertainty going forward." Burke also used racial slurs, made racially insensitive and offensive jokes, and undermined and discouraged activism on issues of race. Multiple players emphasized that coaches who weight-shamed players often were concerned with appearance, irrespective of players' on-field performance. 100 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. When Stanton started "bawling [her] eyes out," Dames told her, "Your response is making me feel better about the accusation." In September 2014, U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati was made aware of a complaint by Christen Press that Dames created a toxic environment at the Red Stars, but did not prompt U.S. Soccer to act in response to the complaint. 5. A player for the Courage said Riley "would ask [her] to dinner in a "very casual way." Gorden said that she and her boyfriend were racially profiled, prompting a league investigation at the time. The NWSL should implement a responsible drinking policy stating that excessive consumption of alcohol at NWSL or club events, including during travel for games, is not tolerated and will result in disciplinary action. Offensive and Insensitive Behavior Related to Race and Ethnicity The NWSL should strictly enforce the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy's requirement that complaints or reports of potential policy violations be elevated to the NWSL within 24 hours of receipt to ensure the NWSL is equipped to investigate promptly and immediately take interim measures to protect players as needed. At the U.S. national team level she totaled 132 caps and 30 goals, won an Olympic gold medal in 2008 and 2012, a World Cup title in 2015, and a CONCACAF Women's Championship in 2014. One player provided multiple examples of instances in which she felt Dames had used personal information against players. Several players reported that following this meeting, Williams began to treat certain players negatively. Riley was only one of several NWSL club personnel accused of misconduct in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. NWSL 12 On July 16, 2021, Gotham announced that General Manager Alyse LaHue was terminated following an investigation into a complaint that she had violated NWSL policy. The NWSLPA, in collaboration with a group of players, then drafted an anti-harassment policy and advocated for its adoption. 8. Although U.S. Soccer and League leadership at various points discussed and explored the creation of conduct policies, none were ever adopted or implemented. She recalled thinking that now that he was the head coach for her team-and therefore her boss-the inappropriate behavior might stop. 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. These failures placed players at risk and deepened players' distrust that reports of misconduct would be handled appropriately. Getting a massage." Amanda Cromwell and Sam Greene engaged in retaliatory conduct toward players they believed to have participated in a March 2022 investigation into reports of Cromwell's inappropriate verbal conduct towards players and Cromwell and Greene's display of inappropriate favoritism toward certain players. Farrelly tried to pretend these sexual encounters never occurred, but Riley would try to talk about them with her. .88 Unprofessional Communications The NWSLPA stated that it expected the League to cooperate with the NWSLPA's independent investigation. The NWSL should revise the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy to clarify the actions that could be considered retaliatory. Benstiti did not respond to the Joint Investigative Team's request to speak with him. Incorporate Anti-Retaliation Training Into Other Mandatory Trainings Anti-retaliation training should define retaliation and emphasize that retaliation can take many forms-not just termination of employment or formal discipline. Non-contact physical behavior can also contribute to the creation of emotional misconduct. At first he told her he admired her fitness and her "soccer body," but then shifted to making other comments about her body, including calling her "sexy." One staff member said that everything Holly did "in film, in training, in games, in formations, in tactics centered around protecting" Pearce Rampone. Second, the investigation found that players and club staff did not trust reporting processes or the league at large, so much so that it affected participation even in this investigation, which had the oversight of the players' union, the NWSLPA. 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. She told Clarkson during a water break shortly after entering that she had to come off the field due to her injury. The individual incidents and recurrent practices detailed in this Report reflect the experiences of players, not only in isolated moments but also more broadly, as women playing soccer in a league historically owned and run by men. The joint investigation also confirms that the misconduct from Riley, Burke and Holly, which made headlines, was part of a wider culture of power imbalances between players and staff members that was pervasive in the league. After that night, Riley continued to make inappropriate advances towards Shim. She said that she chose to come forward about her experiences and was willing to be identified in this Report to help other players. 69, that would allow us to travel home." The following morning, on August 31, 2021, Starr met with Racing Louisville's HR Director Erin Wilkins, O'Connor, Estes, and Bates.