70, Multiple players described an incident in which Clarkson was "out of line" and created a culture of fear and anxiety. 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. NWSL joint investigation reveals details on Alyse LaHue's departure The process through which coaches and other club staff are hired has varied, and some coaches hired by clubs have faced previous allegations of misconduct that were not discovered or explored as part of a background or reputational check. One player said that when she suggested players decline Dames's social invitations, the players asked her, "Then what if he doesn't play me? This player explained, "You don't want to say no to the coach." The prospective owner shared that he had learned of a relationship between an owner and a player at one club, and a coach and a player at another club. After a player filed a complaint about the speech with Predmore and with the League, the club asked Benstiti to resign. Some clubs provide housing for both staff and players, and in some cases, staff and players lived in the same apartment complexes. The NWSL began planning for a 2021 anti-harassment training, but the training did not happen before the crises that emerged in the fall of 2021. Since 2019, some clubs have offered their own anti-harassment trainings, but those trainings have not been approved by the NWSL, and one club's HR staff reported that the NWSL had not been helpful in developing trainings. Players also suggested that Whisler perpetuated and allowed Dames's behavior because Whisler was "cheap" and Dames coached on a reduced salary. On both occasions, Holly began touching Simon as they were watching film. These partnerships should provide regular formal opportunities to explore concerns and receive feedback from members of these groups. The NWSL engaged Covington & Burling LLP ("Covington") to conduct an independent investigation, and the NWSLPA engaged counsel at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP ("Weil"). He told the player that the club had provided Benstiti the opportunity to resign as "the most immediate and least risky path" to removing him from the club. Documents Collected and Reviewed She also feared Holly would ruin her career. An attorney retained by the Thorns following the report by Shim did not conduct any interviews or otherwise play an active role in the investigation. The Joint Investigative Team made substantial efforts to contact individuals who might have information relevant to past and present misconduct in the NWSL, and did not refuse any witness's request to speak with the Joint Investigative Team during this investigation. The player reported that when her teammate had approached the owner about mistreatment by Burke, Baldwin "did nothing about it." In his interview with the Joint Investigative Team, Clarkson exhibited a lack of candor. Players also reported that Burke continued to yell at a player during a game when she was experiencing a panic attack on the field. Garcia was relatively inexperienced in conducting sensitive investigations. Additionally, Farrelly was not treated as someone who was also targeted by Riley, and her interview-which lasted only 30 minutes at most-focused on Shim's allegations against Riley and whether Farrelly had told anyone about the incidents; the interview did not probe deeply into Farrelly's own negative experiences with Riley. So far, the league and club have done a fine job keeping the details under wraps. 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. The NWSL should require clubs to review and update their anti-harassment policies to be at least as protective of individuals who file complaints or participate in NWSL investigations as the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy. The Joint Investigative Team created an email address and phone number for individuals to confidentially provide information. Estes, O'Connor, and Wilkins attended this meeting with players. When U.S. Soccer Chief Legal Officer Lydia Wahlke learned that Levine had told Whisler about the complaint, she expressed concern, noting that "it could put [Whisler] in the position of unwittingly creating a retaliation claim if he acts on it or communicates it to any third party (and worse, to the responding party)." For instance, Stanton recalled Holly asking her to come to his hotel room to review film one-on-one on two to three occasions. She added that it was possible her performance had in fact decreased because she was not comfortable with the situation. The larger point is that if the environment at [the Red Stars] was different, and were perceived as one of mutual respect and professionalism, these issues would likely not be issues." 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. He complied with her request for a little while, but his inappropriate behavior resumed soon after. e) Insensitivity Toward Mental Health 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. To help address these concerns, players were invited to ask the Joint Investigative Team or the NWSLPA's counsel any questions about the investigation and interview process, confidentiality, and any other concerns without any obligation or expectation to participate in an interview. 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. U.S. Soccer, as governing body and NWSL manager, failed to ban coaches and staff who resigned or were fired because of misconduct, or to apprise the League and club owners of such misconduct, which allowed these individuals to move to other clubs within the NWSL. NWSL staff, players, and club staff are required to then take three 30-minute annual refresher courses. For example, he would ask Shim to come to his apartment to review game film, and on two occasions, she went. The Joint Investigative Team conducted a review to assess the allegations against Riley and to analyze the 2015 Thorns Investigation and the response by the Thorns, NWSL, U.S. Soccer, and other stakeholders. Lack of Uniform Training Riley grew bolder in making sexual advances over time, and Farrelly reported to The Athletic and to the Joint Investigative Team that they had sexual intercourse after Riley went out drinking with the team following a loss at an away game. On November 23, 2021, the NWSL established additional temporary protocols" for hires of "key personnel." U.S. Soccer's 2019 Consideration of Riley for U.S. Women's National Team Coach Those discussions should be focused on how to improve the player's performance and should not include any jokes, insults, or other unconstructive comments about players' weight, appearance, or eating habits. The Joint Investigative Team spoke to other players on the Red Stars who reported similar concerns of retaliation. Whisler did not recall knowing who raised the complaint and said that he did not think Levine instructed him to refrain from speaking to players during this initial conversation, but she did tell him not to speak to players in a subsequent call to inform him of U.S. Soccer's investigation. B. 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 findings, however, were not effectively communicated to Pride players or staff. Alyse LaHue, General Manager of the NJ/NY Gotham FC Women's Football Team Lisa Ferkul, Director of Hockey Sponsorship at Scotiabank Andrew Sutherland, Vice President of Marketing, Creative and Original Content at Sportsnet What were the takeaways? 5. As the season wore on, Riley became more demanding of Shim, and she struggled to say "no" to Riley's advances without angering him and risking retribution. Like many institutions, the League has been influenced by sexism, racism, homophobia, and other biases. 8. e) The player called this behavior an example of how Holly was manipulative. 12 U.S. Soccer C. In the fall of 2022, Kurtz decided to share Riley's misconduct with the Joint Investigative Team. The same player stated that Holly would "attack" another player about her boyfriend, and Holly would tell this player that he felt like he was dating her. 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. Through the better part of a decade, through four leagues, through tumultuous seasons and staff turnovers, LaHue made the organization her life and eventually rose to become the new General Manager, where she's steered the club through the early years of the NWSL era with grace . Players Lacked Effective Channels for Reporting Inappropriate Behavior.. 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. In total, the Joint Investigative Team reviewed approximately 200,000 documents. It has become more apparent that the influence and control coaches hold over players and their careers increase the risk that abuse will occur in the first placeand that if it does, players will fear the repercussions of reporting that abuse. The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy prohibits harassment, including harassment on the basis of race. Multiple players and club staff interviewed by the Joint Investigative Team also expressed distrust of the League, concerns about confidentiality, and fear of retaliation for participating in the investigation. Require Certification of the Completion of Mandatory Trainings and Closely Track Compliance
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