NWSL investigation finds systemic emotional abuse, sexual misconduct affecting many | CBC sport

According to a report released on Monday, an independent investigation into the scandals that erupted in the US National Women’s Soccer League last season found that emotional abuse and sexual misconduct in the sport were systemic, affecting multiple teams, coaches and players.

“Abuse in the NWSL is rooted in a deeper culture in women’s football, beginning in the youth leagues, that is normalizing verbally abusive coaching and blurring the lines between coaches and players,” former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates wrote in her investigative report.

US Soccer has commissioned the investigation into Yates and law firm King & Spaulding after former NWSL players Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim made allegations of harassment and sexual assault dating back a decade and involving former coach Paul Riley was. Her account was published by The Athletic in September 2021.

Riley, who denied the allegations, was quickly fired as North Carolina Courage head coach, and NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird resigned.

But it was clear that the problems were widespread. Five of the NWSL’s ten head coaches were either fired or resigned last season following allegations of misconduct.

“The verbal and emotional abuse that players in the NWSL describe is not just ‘hard’ coaching. And the players affected are not shrinking violets. You are among the best athletes in the world,” Yates wrote.

More than 200 people were interviewed by investigators. About two dozen institutions and individuals provided documents. US Soccer also provided documents and the firm reviewed 89,000 documents deemed likely to be relevant.

US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone called the results “heartbreaking and deeply disturbing”. The report recounts an episode in 2013, when Parlow Cone was the Portland Thorns coach, in which she herself experienced an inappropriate comment from a team boss.

“I’ve been a part of this football all my life, from youth to professional and international level. So women’s football is very important to me. And I know many of the players in this report. I coached a lot of them,” said Parlow Cone. “I just thought it was insane that players had to go through that.”

CLOCK | Olympic Champion Erin McLeod on the NWSL’s “system failure”:

Focus on 3 former coaches

The report included numerous recommendations to prioritize player health and safety. This includes the requirement for teams to accurately disclose misconduct by league and football association coaches to ensure coaches are not allowed to move between teams. It also calls for meaningful review of coaches and timely investigation of allegations of abuse.

The NWSL said it was reviewing the report. The league and the NWSL Players Association are also conducting an investigation.

“We are aware of the anxiety and psychological distress that these pending investigations have caused and the trauma that many, including players and staff, are reliving. We continue to admire their courage to come forward to share their stories and influence any changes needed to move our league forward,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement.

“Building trust between the league, its players and other key stakeholders remains a key concern of the NWSL, and we know that we must learn from and take responsibility for the painful lessons of the past in order to steer the league in a better direction Future.”

Parlow Cone would not speculate on a possible discipline for teams across the league.

“It’s really systemic and that’s why the league will do what it has to do. US Soccer, we will do what we have to do. But more broadly, we must ensure that no team, organization, individual, leader is ever allowed to put the players in the positions they were put in,” said Parlow Cone.

The investigation focused on three former coaches, Riley, Christy Holly of Racing Louisville and Rory Dames of the Chicago Red Stars.

I want to do everything in my power so that no other player has to experience what I experienced. With this report, our voices can finally be heard.— Former NWSL player Erin Simon

It tells of an encounter between Holly and a player, Erin Simon, now playing in Europe, in April 2021. Holly invited her to watch a feature film with him and reportedly told her that he would charge her for every pass she messed up , would touch. Simon told investigators Holly “shoved his hands down her pants and down her shirt.”

Team mom on why Holly was fired

Simon, now at Leicester City, said too many athletes suffer in silence for fear of not being heard.

“I know because that’s how I felt,” the 28-year-old said in a statement. “Through many difficult days my faith alone carried me and kept going. I want to do everything to ensure that no other player has to experience what I experienced. This report is finally making our voices heard and is the first step towards the respectful workplace we all deserve.”

Holly was terminated for cause, but Racing Louisville declined to publicly state the reason. Yates’ report found that Racing did not provide investigators with details of Holly’s employment, citing mutual confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses.

Farrelly said the harassment she experienced began in 2011 when she was a player with the Philadelphia Independence of the Women’s Professional Soccer League. Riley was her coach.

She told The Athletic that Riley’s abuse continued while she was with the Portland Thorns in 2014 and 2015. Shim, a former Thorns player, also said she was harassed. Neither woman plays in the NWSL now.

The Thorns said they investigated Riley in 2015 when he was on the team and reported the results to the league. They didn’t renew his contract but didn’t make the reasons public.

CLOCK | CBC Sports’ Brint It In panel discusses the Paul Riley scandal:

Breakdown of the NWSL – Paul Riley Scandal | bring it in

Morgan Campbell, Shireen Ahmed and Meghan McPeak discuss the NWSL scandal involving Paul Riley in abusive and sexual behavior as head coach of the North Carolina Courage and Portland Thorns.

The report said the Thorns failed to disclose certain information and tried to prevent investigators from using the team’s 2015 report.

Liga ‘refused to investigate multiple times’

“The Portland Thorns interfered with our access to relevant witnesses and advanced flimsy legal arguments to prevent our use of relevant documents,” Yates wrote.

Riley later coached the Western New York Flash, which later relocated to North Carolina and was renamed.

When the scandal broke last year, former Thorns forward Alex Morgan wrote on social media: “The league has been briefed on these allegations on numerous occasions and has on numerous occasions refused to investigate the allegations. The league must take responsibility for a process that failed to protect its own players from this abuse.”

Morgan also said Shim and Farrelly asked the NWSL for a new investigation into Riley’s behavior early last year but were turned down.

The US Women’s National Team Players Association released a statement: “All players deserve to work in an environment free from discrimination, harassment and abusive behavior. The USWNTPA commends the courage of the survivors, current players and former flayers, who have come forward to speak out against abusive practices that have become far too commonplace in the NSWL and women’s soccer in general.

“At the same time, the USWNTPA is dismayed that some NWSL clubs and USSF staff have obstructed the investigation; those who have not done so should immediately cooperate fully with the ongoing NWSL/NWSLPA investigation.”

US Soccer said its board and a leadership team would begin implementing the report’s recommendations immediately.

“US Soccer and the entire soccer community must do better, and I believe we can use this report and its recommendations as a critical turning point for any organization charged with keeping players safe,” said Parlow Cone. “We have a lot of work to do and we are committed to doing that work and driving change across the football community.”