In addition, Yates was commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation, which is the sport's governing body and was, for eight years between 2012 and 2020, the manager of the NWSL as part of an operational agreement. The report points out issues within the NWSLs infrastructure, including a historical lack of background check procedures for potential coach and front-office hires. Players reported that by bringing players into a meeting with Holly, club management created a fear of retaliation which discouraged them from reporting further [The owner's] people [got] to stay, no ifs ands or buts about it-there [were] no consequences for [his] people." In 2017 and 2019, the NWSL hired a law firm to conduct an inperson anti-harassment training for all players and a separate anti-harassment training for all club staff, though according to former NWSL General Counsel Lisa Levine, one club declined to participate in 2019. In one instance, players said they felt confined to their hotel on their day off because Dames told them that each player would have to meet with him "within five minutes of him calling them or they would be cut from the team, but did not give them advance notice of the meeting times. Players also recalled that Dames would threaten to shred a player's contract or kick them off the team or out of practice if they made a mistake. Alyse LaHue shares her excitement about the future of the NWSL at the same time she is not shy to reflect on the need of having more women in the game.Alyse . Riley told her he would do whatever he could do for her, adding, "You know I love you." Where necessary to gather additional facts, the NWSLPA further followed up with some players directly, requesting they share their experiences with the Joint Investigative Team. For instance, the Courage credibly recounted that the club was only informed that players went to Riley's apartment after drinking with Riley in a nearby bar, and that someone stated that Riley had suggested they kiss. A player on another team recalled that a general manager, when asked by a player about hotel room arrangements, screamed at the player for several minutes and accused the player of "trying to get inside information about who was going to be traded." The League announced that the investigation would include the following: In the report's summary, which preceded the conclusion, the investigator flagged as problematic three additional issues beyond Dames's three undisputed behaviors." One player reported that club staff observed Burke's mistreatment of players but did nothing, reinforcing players' view that raising concerns about Burke would be futile. Additionally, the investigation seemed focused on limiting the club's liability rather than 60, a) Drinking with Players 12 This investigation precipitated the chain of events leading to the later retaliation claims. These documents included organizational and policy documents related to the clubs, as well as documents related to specific reports of misconduct and subsequent investigations. Farrelly recalled feeling guilty after the interview that she had told her partner about the kissing incident. In 2018, former Red Stars player Christen Press made a complaint about Chicago Red Stars Head Coach Rory Dames to U.S. Soccer, alleging that he engaged in verbal and emotional abuse. The Joint Investigative Team heard different accounts regarding exactly what information was shared with players at this meeting. Burke generally denied being verbally abusive, but acknowledged repeated examples of using demeaning and belittling language. Cromwell told club leadership in reference to these players that the negative players suck the life out of this team," and that they were miserable people" and "bullies." Discussing the National Women's Soccer League and all things women's soccer in the US The players were not told which complaints had been substantiated and were told only that the "club has taken and will continue to take certain follow up actions as necessary to address these issues, whether real or perceived." One player identified by Cromwell and Greene as having been involved in the March 2022 investigation was informed that the club was either waiving her or buying out her contract. Over time, players' lack of trust in Holly led to a divide between Holly, Pearce Rampone, and the majority of the team. The player said she did not report Burke's abusive behavior to Baldwin because she "figured he'd go to [Burke] and [she would] get waived during the season." According to multiple players and club staff, Riley repeatedly made negative comments about the relationship to other players on the team, including remarks that Farrelly was not truly a lesbian and that Farrelly's then-partner was a "predator." Over the course of this investigation, the Joint Investigative Team conducted approximately 100 interviews of current and former NWSL players, 6 interviews of current and former leadership of the NWSLPA and the USWNTPA, approximately 90 interviews of current and former club staff, 15 interviews of current and former League leadership and staff, and 8 interviews of current and former U.S. Soccer personnel. The Joint Investigative Team distributed this contact information via email to all current and former players for whom the Joint Investigative Team could identify an email address. Days later, Shim emailed Baird to ask if the NWSL would take further steps in connection with her 2015 complaint, considering the apparent failure of the NWSL to take any action to protect players" in response to that complaint. For instance, one player recalled Holly telling her in the weight room that he wanted to "grab her ass" when he saw her squat. Despite requests to the Thorns and the League, the Courage were not provided a copy of the 2015 investigative report and received only limited details from the Thorns, U.S. Soccer, and the NWSL about Riley's misconduct at the Thorns. 7. the Joint Investigative Team sent each club a document collection questionnaire to gather information about its organization, structure, and mechanisms for reporting complaints. 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. . When confronted by the team's captains about his response, Clarkson said that the players "should be scared.". The league will work with the players association to ensure that the results of these team and league reviews will serve as a road map to ensure safe environments for players and staff." Levine told the Joint Investigative Team that she did not second guess this determination or come to her own conclusion on this issue based on her review of the facts laid out in the final report. Multiple players reported instances of club staff, including coaches, using racial epithets, making derogatory comments, using negative stereotypes, and making jokes about race and ethnicity. Paulson further noted that this was not the first time he told Malik that Riley had been terminated; he said he told Malik about the termination during a meeting of NWSL owners prior to this August 2019 call. A lack of clarity in the roles played by the NWSL and clubs in receiving and responding to complaints of misconduct has contributed to confusion about reporting channels. The History and Culture of the League and its Member Clubs Discouraged Reporting of Potential Misconduct.. f) Resurfacing of 2015 Allegations Against Riley As one player observed, the practice of drinking together erased the sense of boundaries between "players, coaches, and general manager[s]." Holly also verbally abused players and retaliated against those who raised complaints about him. While the report singles out individuals and clubs for alleged misconduct or mishandling of situations, investigators chose to make recommendations that are "forward-looking, systemic in nature; rather than recommending discipline as to specific individuals or entities." amounted to verbal and emotional abuse." 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. This is especially important in situations where club staff with control over player transactions (coaches, general managers, etc.) 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. The NWSL should confirm that each club has designated such individuals and that those individuals are aware of their obligation to report any complaints or reports of violations of the Anti-Harassment Policy to the NWSL HR Office or the NWSL General Counsel within 24 hours of receiving the report. The NWSL began its own investigation into the player's complaint, but stopped after two days at the direction of U.S. Soccer. WUSA enjoyed initial success, with all-star lineups, television exposure, and high attendance at games. Why not adjust? Simon eventually deleted Snapchat from her phone because she did not want Holly to continue sending her inappropriate photos, but Holly would ask her why she had deleted the application or encourage her to download it again. When Olympique Lyonnais became the club's majority owner in January 2020, Predmore retained his position as CEO and was primarily responsible for day-to-day club decisions. Some players of color reported they did not feel they could report racially insensitive and offensive conduct. Simon reported that Holly first engaged in sexual misconduct toward her in the summer of 2019. Riley stepped away to use the restroom, and Farrelly and Shim discussed leaving. And after players reported concerns about Aaran Lines through the NWSL's player survey, the club removed him from his coaching position and installed him in the front office. When Simon arrived at Holly's house, Pearce Rampone was not there. At Riley's door, she felt he expected that she would come into his room. Hendrix recalled Holly texted Simon requesting pictures of Simon. Pauw, too, was described by players as a "power freak" who would monitor players' use of their apartment complex pool and "text at 8:00 p.m. saying that training for 5:00 p.m. the next day was moved to 8:00 a.m. the next day. 18.2k members in the NWSL community. In order to ensure the integrity of reporting channels, and to mitigate concerns regarding potential retaliation, the NWSL should require that separate individuals hold key leadership and management roles within clubs. With the new details from the joint investigation along with the previous report released in October, it has become apparent that significant policy changes must be made to the league to ensure this behavior is discouraged and, if it does occur, reported and handled properly. McCall Zerboni, Gotham FCs captain and NWSL Players Association representative in 2022, is ready to move towards a place where the mistakes from the past can be turned into creating a strong future for the NWSL, a young league that is still growing. The investigation's limited, stepwise approach meant that some players on the Red Stars were not even aware that there was an ongoing investigation into Dames's conduct.

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