According to this player, Wilkinson told the agent that before their meeting, he had met with Paulson and Baird to discuss the situation. Wilkinson said that he informed Riley this could not occur again, and he separately told Thorns staff members that they could not go out drinking with players. The NWSL completed an independent investigation, and it announced that based on witness interviews and a review of video footage, no disciplinary action would be taken against the club. Historically, clubs have not always conducted background checks on coaches and other club staff before hiring them. When asked about this conversation, Whisler acknowledged that it was a clear attempt at retaliation," and said that he told Dames that was not an appropriate reason for the trade. He would switch seats on the plane during team travel to sit next to her. Historically, there was no established process for sharing information about misconduct complaints or investigation findings among U.S. Soccer, the League, and clubs. Plush was aware in September 2015 that Sky Blue was interested in hiring Riley, and he stated to the Joint Investigative Team that he told Sky Blue not to hire Riley. One player said that "everything" players told Pearce Rampone "went back to" Holly. Insufficient HR Staff at the NWSL and Clubs Ms. LaHue was placed on unpaid administrative leave while the NWSLs third-party investigator reviewed the matter. b) Staff Living in Player Apartment Complexes C. Each individual was invited to speak with the Joint Investigative Team. Players described numerous instances of club leaders engaging in sexual misconduct, including making unwanted sexual advances toward players and making inappropriate sexual remarks to players. Harrington denied making these comments, and he stated that he never made comments about players' physical attractiveness and never "sexualized" players. 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. The staff member and player then moved to a second club, where they continued their relationship. But public reporting around misconduct against NWSL players has increased in recent years. Burke also used racial slurs, made racially insensitive and offensive jokes, and undermined and discouraged activism on issues of race. The Joint Investigative Team also found numerous deficiencies in the 2015 Thorns Investigation and subsequent communications by the Thorns, the NWSL, and U.S. Soccer about Riley's misconduct. 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." In addition to conducting minimal outreach to players, U.S. Soccer's investigator did not speak to staff members other than Dames, even when players' statements suggested that a particular staff member could shed light on relevant facts. 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. Only two clubs' employee handbooks-the Spirit's and Gotham's-referenced the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy. 5. Some witnesses also recalled that Riley would at times exert pressure to have injured players play, in spite of medical advice to the contrary. The player reported that she later told Clarkson she found the comment offensive, and he laughed again. However, Gulati told the Joint Investigative Team that he did not tell Dorrance anything about the 2015 allegations or investigation of Riley. Riley also would tell players that he wanted "to see two women kiss," and made other statements that one player described as "homophobic." The joint investigation details how LaHue sent inappropriate messages to a player, including some about the player being in her dreams, despite the player's request for those to stop and asking of LaHue to "accept that we are working together and nothing more." Simon described her fear that reporting Holly's misconduct could destroy her career after he insinuated to her that he had orchestrated her youth national team call-up; she recalled thinking, He could ruin me." Shim and Farrelly expressed concern that Riley was still coaching in the NWSL, and Farrelly provided additional information regarding Riley that should have been of interest to the NWSL, but Levine did not take any steps to investigate further and drafted responsive language for then-Commissioner Lisa Baird to send to Shim and Farrelly conveying that the matter was closed. Interview with Alyse LaHue, General Manager at NJ/NY Gotham FC D. Burke called players insulting names, like moron, fucking asshole," and "cheat," and explicitly threatened to waive players who challenged his conduct or otherwise disagreed with him. Holly sent Simon a picture of his penis over WhatsApp. For at least one player, the limited size and resources of the League contributed to an impression that clubs were solely or primarily responsible for handling investigations. For instance, when the Flash were vetting Riley, Wilkinson told the Flash that Riley was a good coach if not for the reason he had been terminated. U.S. Soccer's investigator also did not look into players' concerns that Whisler was not receptive to their complaints and that he had a financial incentive to protect Dames. Players were frequently reminded of the fragility and financial instability of the League. The NWSL should consider providing leadership training to coaches. A player who participated in the USSF Dames Investigation told the investigator about an instance in which Dames kept her from visiting her parents. Although U.S. Soccer told Duffy and Levine that U.S. Soccer's outside counsel would investigate the reports, and Duffy said she received one or two updates about the investigation, there is no evidence that Duffy requested additional updates regarding the investigation or its outcome. 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. 91, The perceived absence of HR at the NWSL and its clubs meant that many players felt that they had no clear path to report misconduct they experienced. Some came from the media, and many others came from an investigation run by former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates for the U.S. Soccer Federation. According to one player, Holly sometimes sent another player heart eyes" emojis through Instagram. In explaining the transactions the club made before the next season, Williams said, "We needed to make a lot of changes-we were last [in the League]. An investigation commissioned by the National Women's Soccer League and its players union found "widespread misconduct" directed at players dating back to the beginnings nearly a decade ago of the 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. 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." . The conclusion mentioned none of these concerns. As applied to the Red Stars, the non-disparagement clause restricted not only Whisler but also "[all] owners, executive and senior management and front office staff" from making any negative, critical, or disparaging statements about Dames. This investigation followed. Multiple witnesses reported that Riley criticized Sinead Farrelly's romantic relationships, stated that Farrelly was "too hot to be a lesbian," and said that Farrelly's then-partner was a "predator." He made a comment along the lines of, "I don't know if it's because your girlfriend is world famous and you can't handle her fame." Following the September 30, 2021, publication of the Athletic article detailing allegations against Courage Head Coach Paul Riley, the NWSLPA released a statement announcing that players would "no longer be complicit in a culture of silence that has enabled abuse and exploitation in [the League] and in [soccer]." It didn't matter that the girls had other jobs-this team was their life." 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. In the 2014 player survey, several players for the Thorns shared negative comments about the coaching staff, including Riley. She has denied any wrongdoing. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that he described to Wahlke the incident involving the coerced kiss between Farrelly and Shim, and they discussed the investigative findings and the fact that Riley had been terminated. Whisler also wrote, "The senior [US]WNT players absolutely want this league to shut down so they don't have as much competition for their spots and so they can make more money overseas." 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. Boundary Blurring Between Players and Staff The 2015 investigative report was never shared with either of the clubs that subsequently employed Riley. The NWSL should emphasize that this program is not a substitute for reporting channels provided in the Anti-Harassment Policy and should not encourage players or staff to address potential misconduct under the Anti-Harassment Policy through the Alternative Complaint Resolution program. Here are the larger questions and contents of the report. USWNTPA Executive Director Becca Roux, who helped Press bring her complaint, told the Joint Investigative Team that Wahlke "called [her] and said nothing was fireable offense, but she received no factual findings from the investigation until November 2021. As described in detail below, the Joint Investigative Team contacted and interviewed stakeholders representing a variety of perspectives, including current and former players, coaches and other club staff, NWSL employees and officials, U.S. Soccer officials, NWSLPA and U.S. Women's National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) leadership, and other members of the professional soccer community. If a club staff member who has been found to have engaged in misconduct seeks a position at another club in the NWSL, the NWSL should promptly alert that club of the prior misconduct. 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. Baird told ESPN that reading the article was the first she ever heard of accusations of sexual abuse against Riley. 70, Multiple players described an incident in which Clarkson was "out of line" and created a culture of fear and anxiety. Two players reported that Dames texted some players in a manner that felt "very different" from his communications with other players. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team he thought it would be important to Malik that, from Paulson's perspective, the Thorns accurately announced that Riley's contract would expire at the end of the 2015 season.
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