NWSL

A joint investigative team appointed by the NWSL the NWSL Players Association and a jointly chosen retired district judge found "widespread misconduct directed at NWSL players" and "cultural and systemic issues" within the NWSL as part of the inquiry into allegations of abuse and misconduct.

The investigative team summarized its findings in a report released on Wednesday:

Some types of misconduct against players, including certain instances of sexual abuse and manipulation, have already been widely reported. Other misconduct, which this Report discusses in detail below, has not received as much, if any, public attention. The Joint Investigative Team found, for example, that club staff in positions of power made inappropriate sexual remarks to players, mocked players' bodies, pressured players to lose unhealthy amounts of weight, crossed professional boundaries with players, and created volatile and manipulative working conditions. They used derogatory and insulting language towards players, displayed insensitivity towards players' mental health, and engaged in retaliation against players who attempted to report or did report concerns. Misconduct against players has occurred at the vast majority of NWSL clubs at various times, from the earliest years of the League to the present.

The report continued that the "underlying culture of the NWSL created fertile ground for misconduct to go unreported" and that "institutions meant to investigate and address misconduct failed to do so effectively." It also noted that the NWSL "has been influenced by sexism, racism, homophobia, and other biases" at both a systemic and individual level.

The NWSLPA released the following statement on Twitter after the joint investigative team's findings were released:

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman released the following statement on Wednesday:

This report clearly reflects how our league systemically failed to protect our players. On behalf of the Board and the league, let me first and foremost sincerely apologize to our players for those failures and missteps. They deserve, at a minimum, a safe and secure environment to participate at the highest level in a sport they love, and they have my unwavering commitment that delivering that change will remain a priority each and every day. I also commend and am grateful for the courage current and former players demonstrated in advocating for themselves, their teammates and the future of our sport. Our players' bravery prompted this comprehensive and unprecedented investigation, which has left no stone unturned, and will be critical to informing our future as we work to heal this league, take corrective action and implement systemic reform. We are committed to making all the necessary changes to create a safe and positive environment for our players, staff and fans.

U.S. Soccer also released a statement:

In October, U.S. Soccer released the findings of an independent investigation into women's professional soccer undertaken by Sally Q. Yates, which "revealed a league in which abuse and misconduct—verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct—had become systemic, spanning multiple teams, coaches, and victims."

Wednesday's report largely focused on the allegations of abuse and misconduct that were levied at three former NWSL coaches: Paul Riley, Rory Dames and Christy Holly.

Kaleigh Kurtz told the committee that Riley followed a similar pattern in North Carolina that he followed with Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly—of sharing inappropriate details of his romantic and sexual life with her, asking about her romantic life and consistently pressuring her to lose weight, telling her, "I hope you know I'm doing this because I love you."

Farrelly accused Riley of coercing her into sexual acts in 2011 and 2012. Shim and Farrelly also accused Riley of asking them to kiss one night in his apartment, while they were drinking together, and in return said the team wouldn't have to run a grueling running drill that week.

But other coaches and executives were named in the report. One player said former Washington Spirit head coach Richie Burke, for instance, made offensive racial and sexual comments, including jokes about Jewish people, and when questioned by the joint investigative committee said he didn't know there were Jewish players on the team.

Others named for committing potential misconduct included former Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue, former Utah Royals FC head coach Craig Harrington, Houston Dash coach and general James Clarkson, former Current head coach Huw Williams, former Dash head coach Vera Pauw, former OL Reign head coach Farid Benstiti and the coaching staff of the Orlando Pride, including Amanda Cromwell and Sam Greene.

The report also provides a number of recommendations, including improving sexual harassment policies, setting guidelines for interactions between staff and players, providing training to coaches and staff, improving reporting procedures and establishing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

The NWSL is planning to add two expansion teams to its 12-club roster by the 2024 season, and there is reportedly a surplus of interested investors.

According to Abigail Gentrup of Front Office Sports, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said recently that she expects to receive "five-to-10 official bids" prior to the Nov. 4 deadline following interest from "82 groups."

Gentrup noted that a frontrunner appears to have already emerged.

"When David Blitzer and Ryan Smith purchased MLS’ Real Salt Lake earlier this year—reportedly for nearly $400 million—the deal included a reported $2 million option to revive the Utah Royals, which dissolved in 2020," Gentrup wrote.

An official decision on expansion franchises is expected to be announced in early 2023. Per Gentrup, Kansas City Current owner Angie Long recently said the next owners to join the NWSL could end up paying "upwards of $50 million" in expansion fees.

The NWSL is as popular as it's ever been, as the league's 10th season in 2022 saw multiple attendance records throughout the year. This past Saturday's championship match between the Current and the Portland Thorns was the league's first prime-time title game, and it drew a record 915,000 viewers, which was a 71 percent increase from last year.

Earlier in October, an independent investigation found that the NWSL was a league "in which abuse and misconduct—verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct—had become systemic, spanning multiple teams, coaches, and victims." However, Berman said that the findings from the investigation have not affected interest from investors for potential expansion teams.

"We need people around the table who are willing to face down the challenges that women face in society and are willing to do the hard work to solve those challenges in the NWSL," she said.

Arnim Whisler is no longer the chairman of the Chicago Red Stars.

Following the release of the findings from the independent investigation led by former United States deputy attorney general Sally Q. Yates that looked into allegations of abuse and sexual misconduct within women's professional soccer in the U.S., the NWSL team's board of directors announced it voted to remove Whisler from his position.

"The Board was deeply disappointed after reading the Yates report and believes the club cannot move forward in rebuilding trust with players, staff and the Red Stars community with his continued involvement," the statement said, in part.

Whisler released a statement on Tuesday revealing he was removing himself from his governance role with the NWSL board of governors and would no longer be in control of the Red Stars because he believed "current presence is a distraction."

He also said, "I am filled with sorrow upon reading the many stories and experiences shared by so many incredibly brave individuals who have played in the NWSL, including our beloved club. I am so deeply sorry for what our players experienced during their time spent in Chicago."

On Monday, the United States Soccer Federation released the findings of the investigation one year to the date it announced it retained Yates to conduct it after multiple reports of allegations of mistreatment toward players, sexual misconduct, and hostile workplaces.

The full report summarized the findings of abuse and misconduct within the sport at multiple levels:

"Our investigation has revealed a league in which abuse and misconduct—verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct—had become systemic, spanning multiple teams, coaches, and victims. Abuse in the NWSL is rooted in a deeper culture in women's soccer, beginning in youth leagues, that normalizes verbally abusive coaching and blurs boundaries between coaches and players. The verbal and emotional abuse players describe in the NWSL is not merely 'tough' coaching."

Notably, U.S. women's national team star Christen Press told the Washington Post's Molly Hensley-Clancy last November that Rory Dames, who was her coach with the Red Stars, created a "toxic environment."

She said then-president Sunil Gulati "dismissed her concerns."

Whisler was mentioned a number of times in the Yates report, including when he suggested National Team players had an "axe to grind" with Dames and were motivated by their desire for "this league to shut down."

He also dismissed concerns about Dames as "Rory being Rory" and never completed a full background check or due diligence of the coach before hiring him, per Yates' report. Witnesses said Whisler was long aware of Dames' verbal and emotional abuse and even declined to accept the coach's resignation offer amid the complaints against him.

Following the release of the report's findings, U.S. Soccer announced it would undertake a number of recommendations in an effort to improve player safety.

Among those recommendations is a mandate to create a "uniform minimum standard for background checks for all U.S. Soccer members" and "the creation of a new player-driven Participant Safety Taskforce to convene leaders in soccer at all levels across the country – from professional leagues to youth and grassroots clubs."

The Red Stars are preparing to start their NWSL postseason run after clinching the sixth and final seed with a 2-0 victory over Angel City on Sunday. They will face the San Diego Wave in the first round on Oct. 16.

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.

USA Curling CEO Jeff Plush is under fire after a United States Soccer Federation independent investigation into "allegations of past abusive behavior and sexual misconduct in women’s professional soccer" found that the former NWSL commissioner did not take appropriate action when confronted with player reports of abuse during his tenure running the league.

In light of the report, the USA Curling Board of Directors released a statement backing its CEO, saying that he "acted in accordance with prioritizing the safety of athletes" when he oversaw the NWSL from 2014-2017.

The statement read, in part:

"Through internal and external review procedures, the Board conducted an independent investigation to ensure that former commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League and current Chief Executive Officer of USA Curling, Jeff Plush, acted in accordance with prioritizing the safety of athletes—which was found to be the case.

"The Board called a special session on October 3, 2022, following the release of US Soccer’s independent investigation. This convening was called for the sole purpose of thorough review and discussion regarding the current investigative report. The Board will navigate forward in a way that reviews fact and prioritizes safety for all."

Former U.S. deputy attorney general Sally Q. Yates led the investigation, and she summarized her conclusions as follows in the report:

"Our investigation has revealed a league in which abuse and misconduct—verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct—had become systemic, spanning multiple teams, coaches, and victims. Abuse in the NWSL is rooted in a deeper culture in women’s soccer, beginning in youth leagues, that normalizes verbally abusive coaching and blurs boundaries between coaches and players."

Nancy Armour of USA Today summarized the findings against Plush, who did not respond to requests for an interview as part of the U.S. Soccer Federation investigation:

"USA Curling’s CEO is Jeff Plush, who was the NWSL’s commissioner from 2014 to 2017. During that time, several players alerted the league and U.S. Soccer to abuse by their coaches, including verbal tirades, retaliation, sexual harassment and sexual coercion. There often was no punishment and, in the instances where there were repercussions, coaches were allowed to move to other teams without anyone at the league or federation raising an alarm."

Most specifically, the report alleges that Plush was made aware of allegations of sexual harassment and coercion against then-Portland Thorns coach Paul Riley. Portland Thorns player Mana Shim notably reported her allegations directly to Plush, who forwarded an email to U.S. Soccer about the matter.

However, the league never took action against Riley, who eventually landed another head coaching job in the league with the Western New York Flash (now North Carolina Courage) from 2016-21. Riley was fired in 2021 shortly after Meg Linehan of The Athletic released a report detailing allegations against the coach from multiple players on different teams.

Plush was named USA Curling's CEO on Feb. 5, 2020.

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:

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.

United States women's national soccer team captain Becky Sauerbrunn called for the removal of people responsible for misconduct in the National Women's Soccer League.

"The players are not doing well. We are horrified and heartbroken and frustrated and exhausted and really, really angry," Sauerbrunn told reporters Tuesday. "It's my opinion that every owner and executive and U.S. Soccer official who has repeatedly failed the players and failed to protect the players, who have hidden behind legalities and have not participated in these investigations, should be gone."

An investigation conducted by former U.S. deputy attorney general Sally Yates found widespread sexual misconduct and other abuse toward players across the league, along with several NWSL owners and U.S. Soccer officials ignoring complaints.

Former Racing Louisville coach Christy Holly, former Portland Thorns coach Paul Riley and former Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames were cited throughout the report for acts of sexual or verbal abuse against players.

"Our investigation has revealed a league in which abuse and misconduct—verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct—had become systemic, spanning multiple teams, coaches, and victims," the report read. "Abuse in the NWSL is rooted in a deeper culture in women's soccer, beginning in youth leagues, that normalizes verbally abusive coaching and blurs boundaries between coaches and players."

The report states all three organizations were either misleading or not entirely forthright throughout the investigation. Former NWSL commissioner Jeff Plush also refused to cooperate with investigators. Plush allegedly knew of Riley's misconduct and did not prevent him from coaching.

According to the report, Riley is accused of making lewd sexual and defamatory comments, having sexual relationships with players and providing alcohol. One incident saw Riley allegedly suggest players kiss one another during practice.

Holly is accused of multiple acts of sexual misconduct and assault, including forcibly putting his hands down the pants of a player during a film session. He also allegedly sent unsolicited sexually explicit photos to the player and masturbated in front of her during another film session.

Dames was accused of more than a decade's worth of abuse dating back to 1998 that largely went unchecked. Only when Christen Press filed a complaint in 2018 was Dames removed from his post as coach of the Red Stars.

Yates' investigation found that not only were player complaints about these coaches ignored but those within the soccer community offered at-times glowing recommendations for the coaches for different jobs.

Thorns general manager Gavin Wilkinson is accused of recommending Riley for a job with the Western New York Flash and not providing the team with any information regarding the past allegations.

Yates noted in the report that the abuse was systemic across the league and both the NWSL and U.S. Soccer "failed to put in place basic measures for player safety" from the founding of the league. Likewise, the report found "overlapping 'jurisdiction' among teams, the NWSL, and USSF ... enabled each organization to avoid taking independent responsibility for player safety."

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.

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."

Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has joined the ownership group for the National Women's Soccer League's NJ/NY Gotham FC, the club announced Wednesday.

Manning and Giants executive Pete Guelli are only the club's latest minority owners, as it added seven new investors earlier this year.

"I have lived and worked in this community for almost two decades," Manning said in a statement. "It’s home to me, and Gotham FC is my family’s favorite soccer club. Combine that with the organization’s strong leadership, talented roster, and sustained growth, and it became clear that joining this great group was a fantastic opportunity."

Manning added, via Steve Serby of the New York Post:

“This league and this team practice 15 minutes away from my house, they play games right here in New Jersey. I wanted to support them, and the idea of taking my kids to a practice or a game. . . I have three girls. It’s a way to get involved and find role models for my girls. You put them in different things, and you want them to find things that they’re passionate about. It creates such great life lessons and work ethic and teamwork and dedication and commitment and those type of things.

“I got to do that a little bit growing up with my dad (Archie) around the Saints, and meeting some of those players and kinda be able to look up to them, so I thought it would just be great to kind of support the local teams and to have something that’s gonna be fun to be involved in to be part of the ownership and have something that my kids just enjoy the experience of it as well.”

Manning and WNBA legend Sue Bird had been rumored to be joining the Gotham FC ownership group for weeks, per Sportico's Emily Caron, Eben Novy-Williams and Scott Soshnick. The club is valued at $40 million, per Sportico, making it one of the most valuable NWSL franchises.

Manning joins a star-studded NJ/NY ownership group that includes Kevin Durant's Thirty Five Ventures and former United States Women's National Team star Carli Lloyd, who played for the club from 2018-2021.

Manning spent his entire 16-year NFL career with the New York Giants from 2004-2019, winning two Super Bowls and earning four Pro Bowl selections before announcing his retirement.

Since then, the 41-year-old has re-joined the Giants in a business operations and fan engagement role. In addition, he was part of ESPN's alternate Monday Night Football broadcast alongside his brother, Peyton Manning, dubbed the "ManningCast."

Celebrity-led ownership groups are becoming more common in the NWSL of late. Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka joined the North Carolina Courage's ownership group in 2021, and Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin joined the Washington Spirit's ownership group.

In addition, expansion team Angel City FC, new to the NWSL this season, has a number of star investors, including Natalie Portman, Eva Longoria, Serena Williams, Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach and Candace Parker.

Gotham FC currently sits 11th in the NWSL standings with a 4-0-8 record. The club's next game is on Aug. 14 against sixth-place OL Reign.