NWSL Investigating Sarah Gorden's Allegations of Racial Profiling at Challenge Cup
Apr 13, 2021
BRIDGEVIEW, IL - SEPTEMBER 26: Sarah Gorden #11 of the Chicago Red Stars dribbles the ball during a game between Washington Spirit and Chicago Red Stars at SeatGeek Stadium on September 26, 2020 in Bridgeview, Illinois.(Photo by Daniel Bartel/ISI Photos/Getty Images).
The National Women's Soccer League launched an investigation after Chicago Red Stars defender Sarah Gorden alleged she was racially profiled by security personnel at the Houston Dash's home stadium.
Gorden said Saturday she went to see her boyfriend in the stands following Chicago's 0-0 draw. She claimed security approached her while allowing other players to freely interact with loved ones:
At first I didn’t realize this was a racial issue until I saw white @HoustonDash players surrounding the stadium talking closely to their family and we were the only ones targeted
The Dash responded by saying the players were in violation of the NWSL's COVID-19 protocols and that its staff members were "entirely focused on COVID safety" and apologized.
"Racial profiling and discrimination have no place in this league, and we are investigating the matter according to league process," the league said, per Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Red Stars assistant coach Scott Parkinson provided his account. One of his players approached him after the game and "seemed concerned for Sarah's safety," at which point he walked over toward Gorden.
"It seemed to me that Sarah and her three Black friends were the only ones being addressed in this way and it was extremely upsetting," Parkinson said.
The Red Stars made their only trip to BBVA Stadium in Houston for the NWSL Challenge Cup.
The league has yet to release a full regular-season schedule, so it's unclear when Chicago will travel to Houston again.
Red Stars' Rachel Hill Explains Standing While Team Kneeled During Anthem
Jun 30, 2020
Chicago Red Stars' Julie Ertz, second from left, holds Casey Short, center, while other players for the team kneel during the national anthem before an NWSL Challenge Cup soccer match against the Washington Spirit at Zions Bank Stadium, Saturday, June 27, 2020, in Herriman, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Chicago Red Stars players are continuing conversations on systemic racism and police brutality following a protest before last Saturday's game during the national anthem.
Rachel Hill explained in an Instagram post her reasoning for not kneeling during the anthem as her teammates did, noting she will continue to support the Black Lives Matter movement and commit to being "diligently anti-racist."
Hill was seen in a now-iconic photo of the Red Stars wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts while Casey Short and Julie Ertz embrace on one knee. To the right of Short is Hill, standing up with a hand on Short's shoulder.
Short referenced conversations she's had with Hill in her own post about the moment:
"I, Casey, can only speak for myself but the conversations I have had with players, specifically Rachel, have been unapologetically authentic. I have to ask where my hope lies. It lies in my faith and those types of conversations that have been long overdue. The types of conversations that are raw and uncomfortable, that can lead to real impactful change.
"... Our thought process is evolving daily. Where the pain is, our empathy goes. The emotion we feel is responsibility and we want to find our place in the cure together."
Since the beginning, when then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first knelt during the anthem in 2016, the message has been clear that the action is not one taken to disrespect the military or those who have lost their lives defending America. Rather the protest shines a light on the fact that not all receive the same treatment in this country—specifically those in the Black community. Systemic racism and police brutality exist across the nation.
In deciding to stand for the anthem, Hill said she was trying to balance her own feelings on the matter.
"I chose to stand because of what the flag inherently means to my military family members and me," Hill wrote. "But I 100 percent support my peers. I tried to show this with the placement of my hand on Casey's shoulder and bowing my head."
Hill admitted she struggled with the decision but in the end felt she had to be true to herself.
