alyse lahue relationship

Misunderstandings resulting from the way the findings were conveyed contributed to the development of substantial tension and divisiveness within the locker room. She was. NWSL Roundup: Alyse LaHue named Sky Blue GM; Dorian forces change Whether or not Whisler received a clear, formal report from U.S. Soccer about the findings of the investigation, he learned of concerns that players had raised about Dames by participating in the investigation. As detailed below, the Joint Investigative Team found widespread misconduct directed at NWSL players. Players also reported concerns with how clubs responded to incidents involving reported discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and which gave them the impression that sexual orientation discrimination was not important. The NWSL should revise the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy to clarify the actions that could be considered retaliatory. Ryans three-year deal with Gotham highlights a shared commitment to making the team a Girma is everywhere she needs to be at exactly the right time. B. Craig Harrington, the former Utah Royal F.C. The player reported that Dames had texted one player at night to tell her he liked her outfit, and that he had "a tendency to 'pick on weak willed players and . 3. ." One player recalled a specific comment Dames made about "her attractiveness." Former NWSL commissioner Jeff Plush responded to the joint investigators after refusing to speak with Yates & Co., though the report indicates that Plush only provided written responses. According to Novo, after his conversation with ownership, he met with Holly and told him it was "time to move on." She also detailed how Riley questioned her about her dating life and discussed his own sex life with her, sharing his preferred sexual positions. coach, and Alyse LaHue, the former general manager of Gotham F.C., each received two-year suspensions from the league. . Paulson thought Malik was "making a decision about the likelihood that Mana's complaint would go public," and that the Courage would be less inclined to allow Riley to continue as a coach if another team had terminated him. . Five months later, another NWSL club, the Western New York Flash, hired Riley as head coach. Though his candidacy never became serious, the report alleges that then-NWSL president Amanda Duffy and general counsel Lisa Levine worked with NWSL communications staff to prepare a draft public statement (which was never publicly released) related to the handling of sexual harassment complaints and a 2015 investigation by the Thorns when he coached that team. . Gotham subsequently terminated the GMs employment. One player remarked, The relationship lines are very strange in the NWSL." As manager of the League until December 31, 2020, U.S. Soccer was tasked with providing the "NWSL with all management, governance, operational, administrative, and advisory services." Additionally, Whisler repeatedly minimized and dismissed concerns raised by players and staff about Dames. Cromwell and Greene also expressed a desire to remove these players from the team. 6. 2. 1. She did recall discussing one of the transactions with Williams and that he offered a soccer-related reason for the transaction. In 2021, responding to an email that mentioned the USSF Dames Investigation, Whisler wrote that Dames was "fully investigated" based on "an anonymous tip from a disgruntled former player," and that U.S. Soccer found that "no action was required." These documents included organizational and policy documents related to the clubs, as well as documents related to specific reports of misconduct and subsequent investigations. One evening, he persuaded her to have dinner at an Italian restaurant in Portland. The measures set forth below are only the beginning; it will take the collective efforts of everyone affiliated with the NWSL to build and maintain a culture with player safety, empowerment, and well-being at its core. She recalled hearing Riley make negative "comments about players who [had] made the national team and then stopped doing favors for him. A few weeks later, on October 2, 2014, then-NWSL Executive Director Cheryl Bailey shared a version of the USWNT players' comments with the Red Stars. The cover email was not marked as privileged, or confidential, or as subject to any legal protection. 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. 8 NWSL Sep 03, 2019. Whisler himself admitted that the club had an inadequate HR person and the person who served as "HR lead for the club at the time scare[d] people, exacerbating these problems. While Whisler acknowledged receiving each of these complaints, he said he felt there was no "pattern" of complaints and wished he had received more information in order to take action earlier. After Starr revealed Simon's identity to the club, Wilkins set up a meeting for later that morning with Simon, Starr, and Wilkins's supervisor. Moreover, NWSL staff reviewing player survey results-when they were reviewed-were not trained or provided any guidance on how to analyze player survey results for statements indicating misconduct and were not instructed to elevate any potential misconduct to NWSL HR or the NWSL General Counsel. This misconduct did not occur in a vacuum. These updates were provided under a common interest agreement, which restricted Levine's ability to share what she learned in those conversations. Baird then-again based on a response Levine had drafted-responded to Farrelly with an email similar to the one she had sent Shim, stating that the initial complaint in 2015 had been investigated to conclusion" and that she could not "share any additional details." During her tenure as NWSL president, Amanda Duffy was made aware of, but failed to act on, Shim's 2015 complaint against Riley and the subsequent investigation conducted by the Thorns. The NWSL's Founding, Initial Success, and Challenges The N.W.S.L. and Players' Union Report on Women's Soccer In addition, romantic relationships between players and staff, even when consensual, blur the lines between appropriate and inappropriate behavior, increasing the risk of misconduct. "Some types of misconduct against players, including certain instances of sexual abuse and manipulation, have already been widely reported. According to Markgraf, Wahlke said that the Thorns had investigated the matter, and Markgraf understood from the conversation that Riley had been cleared and that his departure from the club was not related to the 2015 investigation. At the time, the NWSL was addressing a number of other issues with Sky Blue, unrelated to misconduct against players, and Duffy recalled "being confused" about how to handle Holly's relationship with Pearce Rampone and how Holly's departure fit into other concerns with the club. Second, the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy requires each club to designate two individuals to receive reports of potential violations of the 2022 Anti-Harassment Policy, at least one of whom must be an individual other than the Board of Governors representative and the head coach of the club. Amanda Duffy (NWSL, Managing Director of Operations, 2017-2019 and President, 2019-2020) Flynn, on the other hand, in written responses to questions posed by U.S. Soccer, stated that he never reviewed the Thorns's final investigative report and did not have a complete understanding of the findings of the investigation. Players reported that by bringing players into a meeting with Holly, club management created a fear of retaliation which discouraged them from reporting further At one point, she sought to bring in a team-building expert to improve locker room dynamics. Club staff and players reported that some staff members held meetings with players in staff hotel rooms, rather than in public meeting rooms. When interviewed by the Joint Investigative Team, Levine deflected criticism of the NWSL's failure to act in response to these complaints onto the players themselves. None of the club policies referenced the 2021 Anti-Harassment Policy provision requiring supervisors, managers, coaches, and all general managers to report all potential violations of the policy to the NWSL HR Manager. Horan spoke publicly about weight-shaming behaviors at PSG on multiple occasions before Benstiti's hiring at OL Reign. Alyse LaHue has overseen Sky Blue FC's successful debut at Red Bull Arena and has endeared herself . Reis acknowledged encouraging players to speak with investigators, but she denied telling them what to say. Multiple players reported concerns about staff members having frequent social interactions with players and controlling players' social lives. Players reported that they felt confused by the information shared with them and did not understand exactly why Holly had been fired. The relationship was widely known by club management. Soccer." . The new report claimed it studied all reports of inappropriate conduct toward players in the league since its launch in 2012, reviewing over 200,000 documents and conducting over 200 interviews. Interview with Alyse LaHue, General Manager at NJ/NY Gotham FC Paul Riley, Alyse LaHue, Sunil Gulati named in NWSL-NWSLPA abuse One player explained that Holly demoted her to training with reserve players. Sky Blue FC, soccer club owned by Gov. Murphy, unveils new name, logo - nj 12 Elements of Healthy Relationships - Johns Hopkins University Student In a separate conversation with Dames, Whisler revealed that he had also spoken to a different player about the complaint. Set a "Tone From the Top" That Promotes Player Safety and Well-Being The NWSL should take steps to ensure that leaders of every club in the Leagueincluding owners, presidents, general managers, and other executives-are committed to creating a culture in which player safety is a priority and players are expected and encouraged to report concerns about misconduct. In another incident, players reported that Clarkson criticized an injured player. Women's Soccer Bans Ex-Coaches and Fines Teams After Misconduct Report Hammond told the Joint Investigative Team that he remembered a call with Kurtz about her interest in a trade after the 2019 season, when Kurtz was in the process of negotiating a new contract. The day after one player raised a complaint about Dames, he texted Arnim Whisler that he was planning on waiving the player because of her complaint. This misconduct included sexual misconduct, inappropriate relationships with players, the blurring of professional boundaries, racially insensitive remarks, inappropriate statements about players' weight and body types and other forms of emotional misconduct, and retaliation for reporting misconduct. The NWSL did not distribute player surveys in 2018 and 2019 due to bandwidth and resource constraints, and it did not distribute player surveys in 2021 in part because the NWSL received feedback from players on many topics covered in previous player surveys during CBA negotiations. Hammond said that he received only one offer, a lastround pick, which he felt was not adequate compensation given the investment the Courage had made in Kurtz. On one occasion, Dames made a derogatory comment to a player who was a mother, saying something like, "What makes you think you're going to be a good mother if you can't communicate?" Provide Mandatory Annual Anti-Bullying Training This investigation precipitated the chain of events leading to the later retaliation claims. Riley and Holly were not the only club staff members reported to have made unwanted sexual advances toward players. At first he told her he admired her fitness and her "soccer body," but then shifted to making other comments about her body, including calling her "sexy." 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. If the NWSL determines that information revealed as part of a reference check is a barrier to that applicant's hire, the NWSL should maintain that information should the applicant be considered for positions at other clubs in the future. Multiple players and one staff member described a particular incident in which Holly's romantic relationship appeared to impact his decision-making. a) Vetting Requirements for Coaches and Staff Whisler said that Wahlke called him for "just a couple minutes" when the investigation ended, and that on this call, he was not informed of the need for "dramatic remediation" and there was no suggestion that Dames "shouldn't be in the [NWSL]." Investigative Methodology. COVINGTON The club did not contact Novo as part of its vetting process, even though Novo was the person most knowledgeable about the circumstances of Holly's departure. Investigative Process Background. The coaches both denied any retaliatory intent and instead claimed the reasons for their negative treatment of certain players and the proposed player waivers or trades were based on either performance or the players' negative attitudes. Investigative Process 4. 82, September 30, 2021, assistant coaches and any other club staff who would "regularly interact with the players" also became subject to NWSL vetting. ), The actions of League and U.S. Soccer personnelfrom the Leagues founding, through its years under U.S. Soccer management, to the presentdemonstrate that misconduct does not announce itself, but requires proactive prevention and detection, the report says. The policy contains a broad prohibition on harassment, discrimination, bullying, and retaliation, and explicitly applies to "any and all" forms of each type of misconduct. When asked to describe negative aspects of the team, one player responded, "[T]he head coach," and another responded [C]oaching staff. The Joint Investigative Team repeatedly sought to speak with Lines about the Flash's inquiries regarding Riley, but Lines declined to speak with the Joint Investigative Team. For instance, players reported that Dames mistreated one player in part because of "issues [he] had with her boyfriend," and the U.S. Soccer report detailed two incidents which players felt were indicative Rather, according to the report, he indicated that he "was unaware of any retaliation." Two players, in separate interviews, described feeling like a tax write-off" to their clubs' owners. There may be limited circumstances in which it is appropriate for a coach to discuss a player's weight with her as it pertains to that player's fitness goals, but those discussions generally should occur privately, without other players present. The League has committed to communicating and consulting with the NWSLPA in player-involved investigations as part of these procedures. Following WUSA's collapse in 2003, the United States was without a professional women's soccer league until WPS began play in March 2009. The NWSL began planning for a 2021 anti-harassment training, but the training did not happen before the crises that emerged in the fall of 2021. The banned coaches engaged in sexual misconduct, verbal and emotional abuse and made sexist and racist remarks to players, a 14-month investigation found. One night in May 2015, members of the Thorns went to a bar in Portland following a home game. The attitude that women's sports are not professional, or not as valued as men's sports, gave players the impression that they were less valued and that their concerns would not be addressed. During her interview-which was two hours long (more than twice as long as any other interview conducted at the time)Shim recounted the instances she had described in her complaint. Courage leadership was made aware of Riley's conduct toward Kurtz, who also reported her experiences directly to then-NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird in a group meeting last year. Clarkson denied A. On September 16, 2015, Shim reported Riley's conduct to the Thorns and to the NWSL. As for the players, there is a hope that with this report finally coming out, all eyes can turn toward the future of the league. * However, looking back, this player observed, "People realized, 'There are different ways to do this. 2. e) The USSF Dames Investigation's Conclusions Gotham FC in a spotlight New subjects include details on why former Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue was fired in July of last year. One player referred to Riley as verbally abusive. During this meeting, Simon recalled Wilkins and her supervisor asked Simon to share as much detail as she was comfortable sharing about Holly's treatment of her, and they asked her to go from "start to finish." To ensure DEI initiatives are prioritized and effective at creating a more inclusive environment for all players and staff, the NWSL should consider creating a Diversity Advisory Committee dedicated to making DEI improvements within the League. Johnson said Flynn told him an allegation was made that Riley asked "a player to kiss another female," and that Riley had denied this occurred. Harrington also made inappropriate comments about players' appearance and bodies, including wondering aloud what a player's hair looks like when she gets out of the shower, and giving disparaging nicknames to players he perceived as unattractive. Reflecting on the agreement, Whisler said that he believed the provisions were standard" and the club "just tried to get through it . 109, result of the failure to share information, the NWSL, the Red Stars, and players were left with the impression that Dames's behavior was deemed acceptable by U.S. Soccer. The content of this report is sensitive and graphic. Levine denied receiving a readout or final report of the investigation and assumed if something material came out of it," the NWSL "[would have] been made aware." Provide Written Guidance to Coaches and Other Club Staff Stating That It Is Inappropriate to Make Degrading Comments or Jokes About a Player's Weight F. After experiencing weight-shaming by Pauw and Riley, witnesses reported that players developed eating disorders and sought mental health treatment. Create and Enforce a Policy Discouraging the Use of NDAs in Connection with Allegations of Misconduct According to Novo, after his meeting with the players, he took the concerns to the club's ownership and asked if the club could let Holly go. Insufficient Understanding of the Respective Roles of U.S. Soccer, the League, and Clubs in Investigating Misconduct Background checks should also be conducted on prospective owners of NWSL clubs, including prospective owners of expansion clubs or investors who are candidates to acquire majority or significant minority stakes in existing clubs.