Among the suggested actions is involving players in hiring processes more formally and establishing information sharing among clubs. This player felt "the lines [were] blurred," and she never knew whether the invitations were inappropriate or if he "just genuinely care[d] about [her]." The statement also claimed that investigators provided Ms. LaHue a few documents that contained alterations. While coaches and staff may appropriately discuss professional players' fitness in the context of players' performance, coaches often made comments that did not address performance, but rather were focused on appearance or other arbitrary criteria. Afterwards, Riley asked her for a ride home, and she declined. Second, the Joint Investigative Team found no support for the Thorns's independent assertion that the 2015 investigation did not reveal any "unlawful harassment by Riley, an assertion which seemed to have emerged just after the 2015 Thorns Investigation. Members of club management spoke with former employers, and the club conducted a narrow criminal background check. 108, 1. Predmore said he did not know about Benstiti's weight-shaming before deciding to hire Benstiti and remarked that "by the time it came out[,] Farid had signed his contract." Players reported the coaching staff physically turned their backs on the player while she was experiencing a panic attack and did not follow up with this player afterward to ask how she was doing. But it takes us all: folks at the top, every staffer, even every fan. Many players reported that they feared instability both in terms of their own careers and the viability of the League, that they were advised to feel grateful to have the chance to play the game at all, and that they felt a personal responsibility to sustain the existence of the NWSL by keeping their heads down and their complaints unvoiced. In a publicly reported incident, the Orlando Pride supporters group displayed a banner during a game in protest of the Florida "Don't Say Gay" bill, and the club had the banner removed. 3. As another example, League staff were unsure whether data from player surveys-which at times detailed incidents of coaches' misconductwere ever shared with the relevant clubs. #11, hear from Alyse LaHue, the General Manager of NJ/NY Gotham FC of the NWSL. Offensive and Insensitive Behavior Related to Sexual Orientation 3. After appearing to have turned Gotham in the right direction, LaHue was fired on July 9, though the termination wasn't. 57, older, all of his friends would want to sleep over at her house-which the player understood as an insinuation about her attractiveness. 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. He remained with the Flash until the club was sold in 2017. Gulati told the Joint Investigative Team that the Thorns said they would only share the 2015 investigative report with the NWSL and with U.S. Soccer's General Counsel, Levine. It's not just this team. Wahlke received copies of the investigator's interview notes and offered input to the investigator on how the investigation should proceed. Riley called Kurtz a few months later and told her she had no trade value." Describing Dames, a Red Stars player stated that a "huge day-to-day struggle was the fear-what was the day going to bring?" Players also lacked uniform trainings addressing how to identify and respond to inappropriate conduct. It described instances of sexual abuse, unwanted sexual advances by a general manager, emotional abuse, cronyism, racist remarks, the blurring of professional boundaries and retaliation of players who complained about their mistreatment. Plush also reported that the Flash were "comfortable with the situation at [that] point." Multiple players recognized the frequency of these invitations and communications as "not normal and inappropriate." The current policy states that prohibited retaliation could include adversely affecting working conditions, and the revised policy should expand upon what it means to adversely affect working conditions and provide specific examples, such as ostracizing or ignoring players, denying players training opportunities or playing time, or showing favoritism toward players. Following the survey responses, Whisler wrote in an email, I can tell you that Rory offered his resignation to me last night because of the embarrassment he thought it caused the organization. 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. 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. Benstiti was the head coach of PSG from 2012 to 2016. Sky Blue FC's Alyse LaHue And for every role model out there, and every new one made, there's another awakening. Riley directed f) Failure to Disseminate Findings The Dash's policy was titled "Policy Against Unlawful Harassment." One player recalled her club expressing "over and over" in response to players' requests for improved conditions and more resources, "This is how it is. Neither Cromwell nor Greene took any steps to convey to players that they did not need to apologize for participating in an investigation. According to O'Connor, he informed players that a player made an allegation against Holly, the allegation was The NWSL should recognize that individuals in these groups may face additional barriers to reporting, and the League should ensure that its receipt and evaluation of complaints or concerns from members of these groups accounts for and embraces the particular context that may inform their experiences with discrimination and other misconduct. However, witnesses provided conflicting accounts of U.S. Soccer's actual role in managing the League. Levine suggested in a February 2016 email that she would prepare letters to Riley and to the owner of the Flash reminding them that coaches must remain professional, but the Joint Investigative Team did not find evidence that any such letters were written or sent. . 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)." Johnson reported 21, not done with other deleted emails. Toward the end of July 2021, Simon had coffee with Starr and told Starr that Holly had touched her inappropriately while reviewing film at the stadium. The group, including Thorp, went to Riley's apartment, though Thorp left shortly thereafter. Nonetheless, the Joint Investigative Team faced a number of limitations throughout the investigation. In the early stages of the investigation, the Joint Investigative Team interviewed seven current and former players who described Clarkson as volatile, verbally abusive, and as not showing appropriate regard for players' wellbeing. Club staff should be advised to elevate to the NWSL not only formal complaints and reports of misconduct they receive, but also any observed misconduct or alleged misconduct of which they otherwise become aware. 1. The NWSL began the roll-out of training by the U.S. Center for SafeSport in January 2021. Alyse is the General Manager for Sky Blue FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). 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. After re-signing her in 2021, the club issued a public apology "to all those we have hurt, especially those within the LGBTQIA+ community, but stood by its decision, keeping Daniels on the team for the remainder of the season. The policy prohibits harassing conduct, regardless of whether it rises to the level of a legal violation. The report itself did not include or reference any finding about the lawfulness of Riley's conduct. 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. The training for coaches and other club staff should encourage athlete-centered coaching (focusing on the holistic development of players), effective partnerships between coaches and players, and soccer-specific constructive criticism. Exit interviews should ask players questions to probe whether they have knowledge or awareness of any incidents of misconduct not previously reported. He was also a prominent owner and operator of youth soccer programs in New York. We have so much work to do." Alyse LaHue @alahue Follow @alahue As discussed above, in early 2022, counsel for the Pride conducted an investigation into reports of inappropriate conduct by Head Coach Amanda Cromwell and Assistant Coach Sam Greene. The league retained Covington & Burling LLP, while the NWSLPA retained Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Sky Blue FC: Ed Nalbandian new minority owner, Tammy Murphy named . Under the language of the policy, the question in evaluating conduct is whether it has the potential to cause emotional harm for a similarly situated player, and not whether the target of the conduct in fact experienced such harm or whether the emotional harm was specifically intended. One player who spoke up at the meeting and was subsequently traded shared that because she and other players spoke up, "[w]e all knew we were going to be traded." During the USSF Dames Investigation, players reported multiple instances of Dames using racist language, including calling a Black player a thug and describing her as "acting like a gang member." When appropriate, the Joint Investigative Team interviewed individuals more than once. Each individual was invited to speak with the Joint Investigative Team. 74, At the time of Benstiti's hiring, Bill Predmore was the club's majority owner and CEO, and he conducted the head coach search process. Shim recalled feeling uncomfortable because she felt that Riley was treating the evening like a date. Baird suggested to Levine that they should set up a call with Farrelly, but Levine stated that they should email Farrelly first. Neither the Flash nor the Courage-the NWSL clubs that employed Riley after he was terminated from the Thorns-received a copy of the Thorns's 2015 investigative report detailing Riley's misconduct. 1. Shim also forwarded the complaint to then-NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush. Recalling the club's mindset at the time, Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler explained that a check was not considered, as Dames was a well-known figure within the soccer community. He reiterated that she would not be allowed to leave. Work on the USSF Dames Investigation ended in September 2019, and the investigator's draft report was sent to Wahlke, but the investigation was never formally concluded. Long pointed to the fact that "he wasn't winning" as the reason for the change in Williams's role. The Joint Investigative Team then investigated those reports or, in limited instances, referred the reports to an appropriate entity, including U.S. Soccer, the League, and individual clubs, for investigation. But the story had been percolating since June 28, when I reported via Twitter that Alyse LaHue was away from the team. ESPN's Sarah Spain, Gotham FC's Alyse LaHue reportedly fined - Yahoo! The Flash announced Riley as their head coach in February 2016. 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 Courage understood Riley had denied this allegation. Days later, Racing Louisville entered into a severance agreement with Holly, which stated that the club's executive team and Holly could not make any written or verbal communication in any form . She specifically denied receiving any complaints from Press regarding Dames. Players and club staff also reported that Dames exercised control over players' social lives. After several months, the staff member notified the club of the romantic relationship with the player and resigned. Although Novo said he shared these concerns with others at the club, key decision-makers within the club did not recall Novo telling them about Holly's mistreatment of players. The cover email was not marked as privileged, or confidential, or as subject to any legal protection. Club Statement on NWSL/NWSLPA Report pic.twitter.com/ATZPBk1pxc, The Philadelphia Inquirer published a statement they received from LaHues lawyer, Kelly Hoffman following the release of the Joint Investigative Report on Wednesday. We may eventually find out what happened to LaHue and we may not. Sky Blue FC, soccer club owned by Gov. Murphy, unveils new name, logo - nj In announcing his resignation, which immediately preceded the Washington Post article detailing his abuse and harassment of players, the Red Stars credited Dames's "leadership" for the club's "consistent" and "excellent" on-field performance. The National Women's Soccer League on Monday permanently banned four former coaches from working in the league, in the wake of BigLaw probes that revealed a raft of sexual misconduct and toxic . F. The player called this behavior an example of how Holly was manipulative. The league and the union issued a lengthy statement with the reports release, including a list of concrete steps that either have been taken or will be taken before the 2023 season starts. Another player echoed these concerns, saying that Dames "sometimes ma[de] statements suggesting he found players attractive, but she felt these comments had "cooled off" after Dames's daughter was born. Levine's email contained no context or explanation for why she was forwarding the report. Several Dash players expressed concerns with Clarkson serving as both coach and general manager, noting that players "[could not] talk to our general manager because he's our coach." The content of this report is sensitive and graphic. After the group returned to the hotel, Harrington came upstairs to two players' hotel room. Whisler was confronted with players' concerns repeatedly beginning in at least 2014, in the form of player survey feedback, direct conversations with players, and Whisler's own participation in the USSF Dames Investigation.
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