Portland Thorns FC

The Portland Timbers and Thorns FC fired president of soccer Gavin Wilkinson and president of business Mike Golub on Wednesday amid the ongoing fallout from an investigation that found widespread misconduct throughout women's soccer.

An investigation conducted by former U.S. deputy attorney general Sally Yates found Wilkinson gave a positive recommendation to former Thorns coach Paul Riley despite Riley being accused of sexual misconduct and abusive behavior toward players. The report alleged Riley engaged in sexual relationships with players and suggested players kiss one another to get out of drills in practice.

Wilkinson did not disclose any of Riley's behavior when recommending him for a job with the Western New York Flash (now the North Carolina Courage).

"In an email to [former U.S. Soccer president] Sunil Gulati, [former U.S. Soccer CEO] Dan Flynn, and [NWSL general counsel] Lisa Levine, [former NWSL commissioner] Jeff Plush conveyed his understanding that Gavin Wilkinson told the Flash that Riley was 'put in a bad position by the player,' and that Wilkinson would 'hire [Riley] in a heartbeat,'" the report read.

Golub is accused of making lewd comments in the report, including asking former coach Cindy Parlow Cone, "What's on your bucket list besides sleeping with me?"

Thorns owner Merritt Paulson is accused of knowing about the rampant inappropriate behavior in the organization but failing to take action. As noted by Sam Stejskal, Paul Tenorio and Meg Linehan of The Athletic, Wilkinson signed a contract extension earlier this year despite Yates' investigation being well underway. However, a club spokesperson told The Athletic that Wilkinson's extension was effective Jan. 1, 2023, because the Thorns were "cognizant that new information may be discovered in the course of these investigations, and ensured that it could address those concerns prior to the extension taking effect."

Paulson has stepped away from the team amid the fallout of the investigation. He maintains ownership control but is not handling any day-to-day operations.

Heather Davis has been interim president of Peregrine Sports, the company that operates both teams.

Portland Thorns owner and CEO Merritt Paulson announced he will remove himself from all team-related decisions amid an investigation by the National Women's Soccer League:

https://twitter.com/itsmeglinehan/status/1577376167807565856

General manager Gavin Wilkinson and team president Mike Golub have also stepped away from their roles, leaving the organization in the hands of general counsel Heather Davis.

A year-long investigation led by former U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates was released Monday, accusing both Wilkinson and Paulson of enabling former Thorns coach Paul Riley despite allegations of abuse and misconduct.

"I cannot apologize enough for our role in a gross systemic failure to protect player safety and the missteps we made in 2015," Paulson said in Tuesday's statement. "I am truly sorry."

A 2021 report by Meg Linehan of The Athletic first detailed accusations of emotional abuse and sexual coercion against Riley that took place in 2014. After leaving the Thorns in 2015, he spent five years with the North Carolina Courage.

Wilkinson, who was allegedly alerted of Riley's actions, was also placed on administrative leave at the time following the results of an investigation.

The latest report by Yates revealed that the Thorns front office was notified multiple times about potential abuse by Riley, including an anonymous player survey by the NWSL and feedback given to national team head coach Jill Ellis. Not only did they not take action at the time, Paulson even vouched for the coach when he received another job opportunity in women's professional soccer.

Golub was also recently accused by two dozen former employees of creating a toxic work environment, per Ryan Clarke of the Oregonian.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown has called for "systemic change" after the latest investigation.

Despite the conduct from the front office, the Thorns have thrived on the field. They sit in second place in the 2022 NWSL standings behind only OL Reign after finishing in first place during the regular season last year.

Numerous players have accused ex-North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley of sexual coercion dating back to 2010, but those allegations didn't come to light until a report from Meg Linehan and Katie Strang of The Athletic was published in Oct. 2021.

However, numerous people in power were reportedly aware of the allegations against Riley between 2010 and 2021 to the point where Riley's effort to become the United States women's national soccer team head coach in 2019 was quietly squashed for fear of those claims coming to light.

That report is per ESPN's Jeff Carlisle, who wrote that Portland Thorns owner Merritt Paulson worked behind the scenes to prevent Riley from getting the USWNT job.

The Thorns fired Riley in 2015 for cause after then-Thorns player Mana Shim accused him of sexual harassment and coercion. Those allegations were also made in The Athletic article, which highlighted numerous accusations from multiple players across different teams against Riley.

However, the accusations were hidden from the public to the point where the decision for the Thorns to part ways was painted by the team as being based on the Thorns' disappointing performance and the coach's desire to return to the East, where his wife lived in Long Island, New York.

Riley moved onto the Western New York Flash in 2016. The team moved to North Carolina in 2017, and he stayed as the manager until 2021, when he was removed as coach after The Athletic report dropped.

Riley threw his name in for consideration to be the USWNT manager in 2019, but Paulson called Courage owner Steve Malik and said it would be a "a good idea" for his ex-coach to withdraw his name. Paulson reportedly told Malik that Riley was fired for cause, and the hope was to squash the potential of the allegations against the coach from coming to light.

The U.S. Soccer Federation was apparently aware of the details as well.

"According to one source with knowledge of the situation, this came after the U.S. Soccer Federation was warned that details of Riley's firing would become public if he was named USWNT manager, at which point it informed Paulson of this development," Carlisle wrote.

Those allegations did come to light, and it has led to numerous investigations into the mishandling of the situation, including one from the independent law firm DLA Piper into the Thorns' actions.

The Thorns were contacted for comment, per Carlisle, and a spokesperson provided the following response: "Out of respect to the ongoing NWSL investigations, which we are actively cooperating with, we will withhold comment until a more appropriate time."

USWNT and San Diego Wave FC star Alex Morgan provided comment after the ESPN article dropped.

We(the players of the NWSL, especially players in Portland) deserve so much better than a boys club protecting their own. Also, that statement in response by @ThornsFC is just pathetic. https://t.co/rLU1Z8lWqZ

— Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) September 2, 2022

The conversation between Malik and Paulson was reportedly discovered by DLA Piper and revealed to over 150 employees of the Portland Timbers and Thorns organizations in a presentation regarding the investigation, per Carlisle.

Riley withdrew his name from USWNT consideration on Aug. 20, 2019, claiming that he "was not interested in the job at this time."

Portland Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie became the youngest goalscorer in NWSL history during Sunday's match against the Houston Dash.

The 16-year-old put Portland ahead 3-0 in the 74th minute when she collected a pass from teammate Sophia Smith and shot from close range.

Writing her name in the history books ✏️@olivia_moultrie | #BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/s6yuZOfkig

— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) June 13, 2022

Moultrie returned the favor in the 82nd minute, providing an assist for Smith as the Thorns added to their advantage.

The Oregon native broke new ground in the NWSL when she signed with the team in 2021. She was only 15 at the time, well below what had been the league's minimum age (18). She and the NWSL eventually reached a settlement in July 2021 that allowed her to suit up for the Thorns.

Moultrie made nine appearances for Portland during the 2021 season and played in four games, making one start, to open 2022.

The Portland Thorns announced they placed general manager Gavin Wilkinson on administrative leave pending the results of a new independent investigation.

Wilkinson was cited in a report by The Athletic's Meg Linehan about allegations of sexual coercion and abusive behavior by former Thorns coach Paul Riley. He was among the team officials alerted to potential violations of club policy by Riley, who was subsequently dismissed.

The move comes after Thorns star Lindsey Horan shared a statement on behalf of her and her teammates calling for Wilkinson to step away during the course of the investigation:

It’s time 🌹 pic.twitter.com/Iixfc3Ow4r

— Lindsey Horan (@LindseyHoran) October 7, 2021

The Thorns came under scrutiny because though they parted ways with the 58-year-old in 2015, they didn't publicly disclose the circumstances behind his departure. He also returned to the NWSL with the Western New York Flash in 2016 and followed the franchise to North Carolina when it relocated.

Team owner Merritt Paulson wrote an open letter Monday saying the club had "shared everything we learned in the investigation with the NWSL."

However, he apologized and said the Thorns "could have done more, which is particularly hard to say as the team that we have held as the highest standard in women’s professional soccer in the world."

Sinead Farrelly told Linehan that Riley had gone out of his way to forge a relationship with her that crossed the line between coach and player. At one point, she felt coerced into having sex with him.

Shim, meanwhile, said Riley once invited her to a "film session" in his hotel room, and he was wearing only a pair of underwear when she arrived. He had also invited her on a date, the idea of which left her "feeling very uncomfortable."

Farrelly and Shim said while they were teammates on the Thorns, Riley "pressured them to kiss each other as he watched."

Riley denied having sex with Farrelly or having invited players to his hotel room to watch film.

Beyond having worked as Portland's general manager during Riley's tenure, Wilkinson was criticized for comments he allegedly made to Shim.

According to Linehan, he told her prior to the 2014 season that she should refrain from speaking as much about social issues and her sexuality (Shim came out the previous season).

Wilkinson was quoted in The Athletic report as saying it was "bulls--t" that he would've said what Shim was alleging. He issued a second statement on the matter:

https://twitter.com/itsmeglinehan/status/1443667911491661824

While Wilkinson is on leave from his duties with the Thorns, he will continue to fulfill his duties as general manager of the Portland Timbers.

Olivia Moultrie, a 15-year-old rising star in the NWSL's Portland Thorns youth academy, has filed an antitrust lawsuit against the league for an age restriction that prevents her from playing in competitive first-team matches.

Maxine Bernstein of The Oregonian reported Tuesday that Moultrie and her father, K.C. Moultrie, are seeking a temporary injunction that would allow the standout midfielder to play in the league's 2021 season, which starts May 15, until the case is settled.

"Ms. Moultrie does not seek an order from this Court awarding her a contract or a roster slot," her lawyers wrote in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Portland. "Rather, she seeks removal of an unlawful barrier to her participation."

Moultrie has already been taking part in Thorns practices and preseason fixtures, but she isn't eligible to sign an NWSL contract that would allow her to play in official games until she turns 18.

ESPN's Jeff Carlisle provided a statement from the league, which argued the age limit should be settled as part of the ongoing talks with the Players Association about a collective bargaining agreement, not in a federal lawsuit:

"The league is engaged in collective bargaining with the NWSL Players Association, which is the appropriate place according to Federal labor law for issues regarding terms and conditions of employment to play out. Age requirements are a common feature of many men's and women's professional leagues in the U.S. and abroad.

"The rules that govern league operations are in place to support players and team operators and ensure the NWSL remains the premier women's soccer league in the world. We will vigorously defend our league against this litigation because it seeks to change a long-standing rule and interferes with the collective bargaining process."

Moultrie's lawsuit notes the MLS, the top-level men's professional league in the United States, doesn't have an age requirement, nor do most of the professional leagues around the world, per Bernstein.

"Ms. Moultrie would be eligible to play in MLS if she were male, would be able to play in France if she were French, etc., stretching throughout most of the international soccer world," her attorneys wrote. "Ms. Moultrie is in the wrong country, and the wrong gender, to take advantage of her soccer precocity. And illegally so."

Moultrie, who signed an endorsement contract with Nike at the age of 13, has received support from members of the U.S. women's national team:

Just to be clear, Olivia is a pro in all but matchdays. She should be able to play in the @NWSL and we should be nurturing young talent—allowing them to develop by playing against the best. Let her play. https://t.co/61poKXp7an

— Becky Sauerbrunn (@beckysauerbrunn) April 14, 2021

If you’re good enough, you’re old enough. Situations like this would not only benefit Olivia but women’s soccer in this country. https://t.co/0KHZ8xXCmt

— Lindsey Horan (@LindseyHoran) April 16, 2021

"It's always been a dream of mine to play professionally in the U.S.," she said in a statement provided by her lawyers to The Athletic. "I know girls my age are competing around the world and I just want to get on the field and officially compete."

Along with monetary damages, the lawsuit states the age rule is preventing the California native from playing professionally, which would help her chances of featuring for the USWNT in major events like this summer's Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Moultrie has featured for the U.S. at the youth international level, but she hasn't played for the senior national team.