Former Sky Blue President and General Manager Tony Novo told the Joint Investigative Team that Holly was "let go" from Sky Blue in 2017. 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 player spoke to Levine and Duffy later that day to explain her concerns. 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. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, U.S. Soccer did not communicate the investigation's factual findings to the players, the Red Stars, or the NWSL. Holly then declined to speak to the Joint Investigative Team. The HR employee told the Joint Investigative Team that Levine conveyed that the matter was under control, had been investigated, and that Riley had been "cleared." However, the joint investigative team indicated in the report that based on the totality of the evidence, misconduct did occur, notwithstanding these discrepancies, which are not described in any detail. Are we going to hurt the league? The teammate told her to put her phone away and not show the message to anybody. Farrelly sat on Riley's lap, though she felt strange doing so, and she described that Riley grabbed her hips. While the conclusion stated that Dames (i) yelled excessively; (ii) targeted players; and (iii) behaved unpredictably, it mentioned none of the other concerns about Dames. Paulson told the Joint Investigative Team that Garcia and an attorney presented the report to Thorns leadership. . The 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy tasks the NWSL with investigating all complaints of misconduct. 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. The Red Stars's, the Dash's, and the Current's handbooks stated generally that employees were required to comply with all NWSL rules and/or policies, but other handbooks did not reference compliance with any NWSL policies. At one point during the 2017 season, players held a meeting with coaching staff to address their concerns that Holly was dating Pearce Rampone. This reduces the risk that the concentration of power in a single individual will chill reporting of misconduct. By this time, Whisler knew that The Washington Post was planning to publish an expos about Dames. Some players recalled that a former assistant coach, while at a club-sponsored party where he was drinking heavily, made sexually explicit remarks to players. The new report expands on many of those topics, though only relating specifically to occurrences in the NWSL era. For example, Angel City's policy as of 2021 stated that it was "committed to providing a workplace free of sexual or any form of unlawful harassment, discrimination, or retaliation based on protected characteristics." Another Spirit player pointed out the disconnect between Burke's verbal attacks and constructive performance improvement: Burke "would pick on someone, and then he would see they were playing worse because he was picking on them, and pick on them more. a This Report, prepared by Covington in collaboration with Weil, summarizes that joint investigation and offers recommendations for systemic reform. On July 2, 2021, OL Reign announced that Head Coach Farid Benstiti had resigned. c) Players told the Joint Investigative Team that this environment dissuaded them from reporting misconduct. During the lengthy investigation, players were given insufficient opportunity to speak to the investigator, and the investigator did not speak to any club staff members other than Dames. This investigation precipitated the chain of events leading to the later retaliation claims. Separately, during a large group meeting with Baird and Levine, she told them about some of her experiences with Riley. Recommendations We may eventually find out what happened to LaHue and we may not. She also stated that Benstiti "was always commenting on food and women and their weight. Players recalled being confused after this meeting and not understanding exactly why Holly had been fired. f) Resurfacing of 2015 Allegations Against Riley Vera Pauw, who was the Houston Dash head coach in 2018 and is currently the head coach of the Ireland women's national team -- which will play in its first Women's World Cup next year -- was also identified in the report. Kaleigh Kurtz reported to the club that Riley made her uncomfortable and called her "chubby," and the club responded by telling Riley that he should speak to players about fitness," not "weight." At the time, Plush contacted Gulati and Flynn, saying that the player survey comments from the Flash were disturbing and more worrisome than others." One player recalled Riley demanding that she lose 10 to 15 pounds in a month. In total, the Joint Investigative Team reviewed approximately 200,000 documents. Inconsistencies Between Club Anti-Harassment Policies and the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy Simon described Pearce Rampone as a close friend, and Simon said both Pearce Rampone and Holly were mentors to her "in soccer." 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. After the meeting, one of the players said she felt like things were getting better. The Joint Investigative Team was comprised of Covington, as counsel for the NWSL, and Weil, as counsel for the NWSLPA. Benstiti did not obey this instruction. Simon recalled being excited to play for Racing Louisville but also "terrified" because of Holly's past behavior toward her. 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. Players described their coaches' continual policing of food intake not as informed decisions based on nutritional needs, but rather as an example of these coaches' compulsion for control. The club also agreed to pay Dames through the end of the year. The summary also stated that the allegation was "credibly denied by Whisler," but he in fact did not explicitly deny the allegation. 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, some clubs did not historically offer anonymous reporting channels for players, which resulted in players not coming forward out of fear of retaliation. Since 2021, the League has taken some steps to rectify this issue. The draft statement explained that the club conducted an investigation into Riley, determined that bad judgement [sic]" was involved, and "chose not to renew his contract." However, the Joint Investigative Team found no evidence that they, or others at U.S. Soccer, shared information or ensured information was shared with the Flash regarding the 2015 allegations or investigative findings against Riley. At the other end of the spectrum, another club "leaned on the League to run the background checks" or, in the case of its head coach, "did not do that vetting because in the soccer community, [the coach] was such a public and well-known figure." The club had asked the NWSL to run a standard background check on this potential hire but did not request a reputational check. F. Naming Criteria At the same time, Riley told her to get on his hotel bed to go over film, though she saw there was no film on the television. In his interview by the Joint Investigative Team, Clarkson acknowledged having this meeting with players, but reported that he did not single out or attack any players. 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. The cover email was not marked as privileged, or confidential, or as subject to any legal protection. And Levine, in spite of having been kept apprised of the Thorns's investigation in 2015 and having read the investigative report, did not take Shim's and Farrelly's 2021 complaints to the NWSL regarding Riley seriously; in fact, Levine drafted responses on which Baird-who had no prior familiarity with the 2015 investigation-relied to respond to Shim and Farrelly and essentially decline to inquire into Riley further. 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. Levine said after the player survey comments were shared with the club, the club moved Lines to a front office role. Club staff and players also recounted that Riley went out drinking with players and would buy them drinks, which some players, without experience with other coaches or clubs, assumed must have been normal for professional soccer. Flynn did not specifically recall providing the details noted by Johnson; rather, he only recalled telling Johnson to speak to individuals at the Thorns and to other club owners prior to making a decision regarding Riley because others might know the results of the 2015 Thorns Investigation. 1. 12 Instead, it stated only that [e]mployees, without fear of retaliation, have the responsibility to bring any form of intimidation, threats, and sexual or other harassment to the attention of any member of management." . Only two clubs' employee handbooks-the Spirit's and Gotham's-referenced the NWSL Anti-Harassment Policy. The March Investigation focused on concerns that Cromwell inappropriately showed favoritism towards certain players, communicated with players in an unprofessional manner, and inappropriately commented on players' physical appearances, and that Greene inappropriately showed favoritism towards certain players. Levine's email contained no context or explanation for why she was forwarding the report. For example, when Racing Louisville hired Holly as its new head coach in August 2020, it conducted a narrow criminal background check, in addition to speaking with former employers. You moron.' Simon reported that Holly first engaged in sexual misconduct toward her in the summer of 2019. The only thing I can say for sure is that the issue stems from a complaint filed with the league under its anti-harassment policy. The report states, Multiple individuals emphasized the critical insight that can be gained by speaking with persons knowledgeable about the candidate.. New Jersey Alyse LaHue has brought real change to Sky Blue FC. Riley also engaged in other inappropriate conduct while at the Thorns, including going out drinking with players, hosting multi-day social retreats involving alcohol at his home on Long Island that some players felt pressure to attend, and making comments about players' sexual orientation. Numerous individuals reported that Cromwell and Greene stopped speaking to players who they believed had supported the allegations under investigation and who did not apologize to Cromwell and Greene for their participation in the March 2022 investigation. The statement also claimed that investigators provided Ms. LaHue a few documents that contained alterations. Despite the discussions between U.S. Soccer, the NWSL, and both the Thorns and Courage regarding Rileys unsuitability to coach the USWNT, no steps were taken to remove or prevent him from coaching NWSL players, the report alleges. A third player recalled that during trips for away games, the team would "go to the bar together and Riley would "be there buying players . One interviewee reported that some clubs that had HR departments historically [could not] use them because of the single-entity structure [of the NWSL]." The 2020 survey also asked several questions about NWSL tournaments and schedules. She said that she chose to come forward about her experiences and was willing to be identified in this Report to help other players. . Despite these recurrent issues, Whisler told the investigator that he believed that Dames had improved in his demeanor, mindset, and patience during his years as head coach and that Dames would not "be hard on someone unless he [thought] they [had] it within them to rise up." 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. She also asked him not to speak to one player implicated in the complaint about the complaint until the League had the opportunity to call that player, but Whisler refused to comply, saying that th[e] situation has the potential to destroy team chemistry." Shim declined, and she traveled to Vancouver with her then-partner instead, along with Farrelly and her then-partner. You need to lose weight. One player said that during the 2020 Challenge Cup, which began five months after Benstiti signed his contract, Benstiti was "already hiding food under the table he didn't want girls to eat." Riley-who is around 15 years older than Farrelly-began lowering professional boundaries with Farrelly during that time, including by focusing his attention on her during nights out drinking with the team, asking probing personal questions, and telling her she was "beautiful." Embrace Player Insight as Part of the Hiring and Vetting Processes When the player asked if Holly was referring to a nude photo, she recalled that Holly replied that if that was what it took to get a nude photo from that player, he would stand her up "any day." The report indicates that LaHues counsel described the allegations as false claims., The report explains that the Joint Investigative Team found discrepancies in versions of an email exchange involving LaHue that was part of the file from the initial investigation done by the league in 2021. We discussed them at length in his interview." New subjects include details on why former Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue was fired in July of last year. The Joint Investigative Team was tasked with making recommendations regarding the League's processes for identifying and investigating complaints of misconduct and addressing violations of the League's anti-harassment and discrimination policies. Former NWSL President Amanda Duffy recalled hearing that Holly stepped down and believed his relationship with Pearce Rampone "may have been part of [the reason]" that he left. Wilkinson told the Joint Investigative Team he learned of at least one occasion in mid-2015 in which Riley had been drinking socially with players. Shim's and Farrelly's interviews occurred in person at Providence Park, the stadium where The investigation found that Greene had engaged in conduct that gave the perception of favoritism and fraternization. One NWSLPA member expressed the need for training on the Anti-Harassment Policy. Gotham FC,. One player described Dames as driven by his outward expression, which involved yelling rather than coaching. One member of the NWSL community criticized the SafeSport trainings as not being interactive and consisting of lectures and short quizzes that participants are not required to pass before proceeding with the training. Despite having knowledge of Holly's relationship with Pearce Rampone, and of its negative impact on players at Sky Blue, no one at the club spoke to former Sky Blue players to ask for their perspective on Holly. 44, words, speaking to individuals who were critical of Dames and those supportive of him. Numerous individuals relayed that as a result, Cromwell and Greene stopped speaking to players who they believed had participated in the March Investigation and who did not show contrition in the aftermath. In May 2022, the Joint Investigative Team commenced an investigation into reports from Pride players that members of the club's coaching staff were retaliating against players who they believed had participated in a previous investigation into misconduct allegations against coaching staff. The NWSL celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2022. . Although Clarkson advocated for the development of a mental health program at the Dash, he also demonstrated insensitivity towards players' mental health in his interactions with them. The failure to fully share information between stakeholders in women's soccer was also an issue during the USSF Dames Investigation. Documents Collected and Reviewed Shim declined politely so as not to upset Riley, stating she had to prepare for a game the following day, and she walked out the door despite his attempts to persuade her to stay. Simon recalled Holly often telling her when he tried to cross boundaries that if she would "loosen up" and "have more fun" off the field, it could "help her on the field." Olympique Lyonnais LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the OL Groupe ("OL), was set to buy the Reign ahead of the 2020 season, so Predmore updated OL throughout the hiring process. In the 2014 player survey, several players for the Thorns shared negative comments about the coaching staff, including Riley. players." 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. A club staff member said the relationship made players feel that they did not have anyone to talk to or anyone to trust." While the player surveys asked players to rate the knowledge and skill set of certain club staff, including coaching staff, the surveys did not ask specific questions about any misconduct the players experienced or observed. In May or June 2020, shortly after the murder of George Floyd, Burke made a comment-when players were kneeling for a photo to show solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement-about how it would look if someone took a photo while he knelt on a practice dummy and "flipped off" the camera. On both occasions, Holly began touching Simon as they were watching film. Multiple players also said that Dames commented on players' attractiveness. Riley made sexual comments towards Kurtz, including giving her detailed accounts of his sex life on a number of occasions in what appeared to be an attempt to invite her to do the same in return; that conduct waned only when Kurtz was in a serious relationship. F. I don't think it's common in the sports world to have an MBA. According to the report, she denied the allegations. As late as December 2021, the majority of clubs still did not have dedicated HR staff tasked with receiving or investigating reports concerning misconduct. Flynn did not recall sharing the details noted by Johnson; he only recalled telling Johnson to speak with individuals at the Thorns and to other club owners regarding Riley because others would know the results of the 2015 investigation. 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. Another player told Courage leadership that Riley had been verbally abusive and created a culture of fear" in which players could not express opinions, and that other coaches had allowed Riley to engage in this behavior. 1. For example, in one incident, Clarkson likened an injured player's stride to that of a "lame horse," and laughed when she jokingly responded, "So should I shoot myself?" . The NWSL should also ensure that its HR staff responsible for receiving player reports are accessible, visible, and familiar to players, and that players are aware that they can report concerns to the League office. Leading up to this meeting, Simon had been nervous, because she had been able to avoid one-on-one meetings with Holly until then. b) Formation and Mandate of the Joint Investigative Team .. Develop and Implement Trainings That Reflect and Address Player and Staff Experiences These documents included organizational and policy documents related to the clubs, as well as documents related to specific reports of misconduct and subsequent investigations. The supporters group claimed that the banner was removed because it was a political statement. The day after one player raised a complaint about Dames, he texted Arnim Whisler that he was planning on waiving the player because of her complaint. In addition, multiple players described a "be grateful" mentality permeating the League. Kurtz also reported in this meeting that Riley made "sexual comments to her and criticized her weight, including by calling her "chubby." A Dash player also described her coach, Pauw, having outbursts" of emotional yelling in which she would get up in a frenzy, and recalled a player receiving warning calls to inform her of incoming phone calls from Pauw. Players and club staff also reported that Dames exercised control over players' social lives. 10 According to multiple interviewees, Clarkson did not allow the players to address the accusation that they had been drinking and told them, Cameras don't lie." For instance, one player recalled Holly telling her in the weight room that he wanted to "grab her ass" when he saw her squat. Another comment said that the "coach made this year horrible for most people" and expressed uncertainty that people would be honest in their survey responses "out of fear." Hendrix also recalled that Holly sent Simon a picture of his penis. In June 2021, on behalf of a Gotham FC player, the Clubs Director of Operations submitted to the NWSL a complaint alleging that Gothams General Manager Alyse LaHue had harassed a player. 3. When asked whether she thought Whisler's close relationship with Dames led to players' unwillingness to report Dames's behavior, the staff member said she did think "there came a point where players felt, '[W]hy are we even raising issues to [Whisler]? Farrelly asked what steps the NWSL intended to take in connection with inappropriate conduct that was initially reported" and offered to make herself available for an interview. Holly told Simon that he may have talked to people behind the scenes to get her signed to the Dash. "A reopening of the 2015 investigation regarding former NWSL coach Paul Riley, including a review of the circumstances surrounding his departure from the Portland Thorns FC, and his subsequent hiring by Western New York Flash and the North Carolina Courage." Though the club did not announce a reason for his termination, sources told The Salt Lake Tribune that Harrington "was placed on leave after players complained he was being 'verbally abusive."" Kurtz also said Riley called her fat and told her to lose a significant amount of weight within ten days. Unwanted Sexual Advances Toward Players One player told Predmore that they believed it to be "so important" that the club's communications state that Farid ha[d] been terminated. During the League's 2021 investigation into LaHue's conduct before her termination, multiple staff members reported that LaHue behaved differently around this player. The League added seven expansion teams, and four teams were rebranded or relocated. (2) 118 Multiple players described coaches engaging in behavior that was perceived to be physically threatening to players, such as chasing players down to scream at them, screaming in The League and its Clubs Often Have Not Sufficiently Vetted Coaches and Staff Like many institutions, the League has been influenced by sexism, racism, homophobia, and other biases. She did recall discussing one of the transactions with Williams and that he offered a soccer-related reason for the transaction. Also during that time, in connection with Riley's hiring by the Flash, Plush, Gulati, Flynn, and Levine corresponded by email indicating some or all of them had discussed the need for [an NWSL] policy and training." The League and clubs should post easily-identifiable links to online reporting channels on websites where current and former players are likely to see them. b) Club Policies Inconsistently Addressed Romantic Relationships The NWSL's Non-Fraternization Policy states, "No person in management or a supervisory position with a Team or the League shall have a romantic or dating relationship with a League or team employee whom he or she directly supervises or whose terms and conditions of employment he or she may influence (for example, roster decisions, promotion, termination, discipline, and compensation). Most clubs do not address romantic relationships between club staff, or between club staff and players, in their employee handbooks. Don't ever leave me." She was. A player expressed a similar concern, saying that she felt Holly made "decisions that weren't in the best interest of the team" because of his relationship. U.S. Soccer, the League, and individual clubs were not clear on which entity held the ultimate responsibility for establishing and enforcing policies and practices relating to misconduct, or thoroughly investigating complaints and allegations of misconduct. As one player said regarding the owner of her team, He made it seem like his players were his kids-which, if you had the owner of the Knicks saying that to one of his players, that's weird. In addition to the specific incidents and individuals discussed above, players and staff members across a variety of teams described a general fear of retaliation for reporting concerns or otherwise taking action protected by the Anti-Harassment Policy. Clarkson put her in as a substitute, and she soon began struggling with pain. However, Riley's misconduct at the Courage extended beyond inappropriate comments about weight. The League's policy should ensure that player privacy is not used as a pretextual basis to justify agreements that undermine player safety and fail to protect the confidentiality of players who are impacted by misconduct. For instance, Farrelly began dating one of her teammates on the Thorns during the 2014 NWSL season. 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. 86, attempt to address the issue themselves by confronting the employee engaged in misconduct, which could prevent the NWSL from investigating the offensive behavior and taking necessary corrective action. Coaches would berate players about their weight in front of their teammates or speak disparagingly about a player's weight to people other than the player. Multiple individuals emphasized the critical insight that can be gained by speaking with persons knowledgeable about the candidate and expressed the view that background checks alone are unable to detect every potentially problematic issue.