SafeSport produces over a dozen "abuse awareness and prevention courses, and all NWSL employees (including players) and club employees are required to participate in at least one training course developed by SafeSport. Leaders from U.S. Soccer avoided taking responsibility for systemic failures to protect players, contending that decision-making authority and the responsibility to address misconduct lay with the NWSL and club owners. This is where the beer comes in. The report says he declined to respond to requests to participate in this investigation., READ MORE: Megan Rapinoe criticizes Paul Riley, who briefly coached her on the Philadelphia Independence. 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. Additionally, Shim told Garcia that following the incident in which she and Farrelly kissed at Riley's apartment, Farrelly told Shim that this kind of thing happened with Riley. Kurtz reported that Riley shared details of his sex life and asked her probing questions about her relationship. This was despite Shim and Farrelly both indicating in their 2021 communications that they were dissatisfied with the NWSL's response to the 2015 complaint and investigation, and Farrelly providing additional information regarding Riley that should have been of interest to the NWSL. a) Riley's Misconduct at the Portland Thorns At Sky Blue, a former chief financial officer handled the club's budgeting, sponsorships, payroll, and merchandising in addition to the club's HR. In June 2018, shortly after hearing about one of the complaints about Dames to the NWSL, Whisler texted Dames that he stopped coaching young women after age 12 because "too many angry players can destroy." This team member said she had not experienced a similar situation in a professional environment. He then characterized Press as "impossible to work with" and suggested she had a "fragile mentality." The power of players' voices to call attention to and combat misconduct is evident; the steps the League has taken, including commissioning this joint investigation with the NWSLPA, have already had a meaningful impact. One player said that after Holly learned she had experienced a personal loss, he encouraged her to meet with him late at night. However, there have historically been no established processes at the NWSL for sharing information about misconduct on any level. In each instance in which a report of misconduct was referred to another entity, the NWSL and the NWSLPA were consulted and agreed to the referral. When asked if he recalled coaches and players ever going to strip clubs together, Harrington recalled one instance after a game where staff and players went to a strip club together. The NWSLPA retained Weil to conduct this investigation. She heard from another player that it felt like Riley was really waiting until [players] were either belligerent or a little intoxicated." It should also provide examples of the types of personal attacks or degradation of players that are prohibited by the Anti-Harassment Policy. Though the club did not provide a reason for Benstiti's resignation at the time, The Washington Post reported later that year that Benstiti had made inappropriate comments to players regarding their fitness and nutrition." The report, however, acknowledges that "a majority of players expressed the view that Clarkson's treatment of players did not rise to the level of abuse or misconduct. .125, Introduction The email included, without any explanation, a conclusion that the investigation did not reveal any "unlawful harassment." But some players and club staff described that Clarkson seemed to defend stadium security, and players and club staff expressed disappointment at Clarkson's and the club's failure to attempt to understand the Black players' perspective. She pushed his hands away, crossed her legs, and turned away from him, but Holly told her to lighten up" and have fun. Hendrix said Simon told her about this incident right after it happened, and she recalled Simon crying. When Gothams statement leaned on the league, a further inquiry returned this statement: Following a complaint, the league conducted an investigation and shared the findings of that investigation with Gotham FC. Paulson acknowledged in the letter that the club had made an "opaque" public announcement regarding Riley's termination, and he outlined new and ongoing initiatives for improvement. He became condescending toward her and made jokes about "ripping [her] contract up." He stated it was included because, in Estes's view, no one would sign a unilateral non-disparagement provision. NWSL staff, players, and club staff are required to then take three 30-minute annual refresher courses. In addition, One player remarked, The relationship lines are very strange in the NWSL." Players at seven clubs (Racing Louisville, Gotham/Sky Blue, the Dash, the Courage, the Thorns, the Spirit, and the Red Stars) reported to the Joint Investigative Team that they were unaware of whether their clubs had HR personnel or that they otherwise did not know to whom they could report concerns at their clubs. Riley told Shim to delete his text messages because Shim was living with her then-partner, and Shim complied. These updates were provided under a common interest agreement, which restricted Levine's ability to share what she learned in those conversations. In a recent interview with The Inquirer, LaHue made it clear that the team intends to leave Yurcak at the end of this season. December 14, 2022 Nonetheless, reasonable and thorough vetting remains a key piece of any efforts to identify and prevent inappropriate conduct. The Joint Investigative Team concluded that Cromwell and Greene violated the NWSL's 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy prohibiting retaliation. According to the report, she denied the allegations. The policy prohibits harassing conduct, regardless of whether it rises to the level of a legal violation. 75, Benstiti saying that he would replicate his "very strict monitoring and measuring [of Horan's] weight and what she's eating" with the club's players. f) Failure to Disseminate Findings Many players, team and league staff, and team owners were not given the completed report before it was made public. Several individuals separately confirmed Benstiti was explicitly told he could not discuss weight or food with the players. Johnson reported These categories are illustrative and non-exhaustive; emotional misconduct also can include intentionally acting in a manner that causes emotional or psychological harm, including severe or repetitive conduct, such as insulting or degrading players or by creating a hostile working environment for players. On multiple occasions, instances of misconduct reported to U.S. Soccer, the League, and its member clubs were inadequately investigated or addressed. The League did not have standing meetings with the NWSLPA, and communications remained informal and irregular. If [we have] a concern, we're going to sit down and try to find a solution. He also said, If you're trying to build trust, which is what we're trying to do, it's hard to build trust if someone's saying to you, '[I] can't tell you where it's coming from.' While Dames yelled at players on the field, off the field, he developed close relationships that blurred personal and professional boundaries. A player described Riley saying to players, "You fucking idiot," and "You have no idea what you're doing, why the fuck are you on the field, and another recalled Riley telling a player, "You're the clumsiest fucking player I've ever coached." E. Standards for Assessing Reports of Misconduct 1. Other players reported instances of Dames texting players late at night, commenting on players' appearances, and "routinely" taking "some of his favorites out to dinner." Temares did not recall Novo coming to him with this question and rather remembered being surprised because he heard about Holly's departure after the fact. 8 Players credibly reported to the Joint Investigative Team that Dames was "emotionally manipulative" and would use information about their personal lives against them. Even Clarkson told the Joint Investigative Team that he felt that the head coach and general manager roles should be held by two different people, and that he raised this issue with the Dash's president. LaHue later texted the player, "I don't see us as friends." 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. Dames's conduct was also often personal. Members of club management spoke with former employers, and the club conducted a narrow criminal background check. "Our biggest goal as a staff, when I took over, was that we needed to rebuild the trust with fans. Already a member? One player recalled that O'Connor informed players that Holly had been terminated due to an inappropriate relationship" with a player. Furthermore, he instructed Benstiti to bring any dietary or weight-related concerns to another staff member, who could have conversations about diet and fitness with players. While Whisler told U.S. Soccer's investigator that Dames's demeanor" and "patience" had improved by 2019, in an external organizational climate review" the Red Stars conducted in the fall of 2021, players raised the same concerns about Dames that Press first raised in 2014. Around this time, a Racing Louisville staff member raised concerns that Holly was romantically involved with another staff member at Racing Louisville and that this alleged relationship negatively impacted the team environment. Jeff Plush (NWSL, Commissioner, 2014-2017) The report makes a number of suggestions on guidelines that can create this stability moving forward for the league. Farrelly reported to the Joint Investigative Team that she did not go into the interview with Garcia planning to disclose that history and instead planned to respond to the specific questions asked. For example, one player explained that because of Riley's past behavior, she feared he would retaliate against her if she ever spoke out against him. Reporting channels also should be posted in physical locations where players and staff convene, including locker rooms and club office space. In 2014, while U.S. Soccer was managing the NWSL, then-NWSL Executive Director Cheryl Bailey sent USWNT player survey results to Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler. Alyse LaHue (Sky Blue and Gotham, Vice President, 20182019, General Manager, 2019-2021) I also pitch in with coverage of college basketball and the WNBA. Share Findings of Misconduct with U.S. Soccer and Other Stakeholders Simon recalled being scared and noted that Holly lived in her apartment building, so she wanted to know how the club could keep her safe and make sure Holly did not come to her apartment after he was fired. Lisa Levine (U.S. Soccer, General Counsel, 2009-2017; NWSL, General Counsel, 2017-2021) In the player survey, Thorns players anonymously commented that Riley "ripped/yelled at players in a hurtful, non-productive way," was "verbally abussive [sic]," and would "call [players] dumb, stupid, slow, idiotic, retarded, we have no balls, we will never be better than the average 16 year old boy, worthless."