
<p>National Women’s Soccer League commissioner Jessica Berman has banned four coaches following the conclusion of an investigation. NWSL banned Paul Riley, Christy Holly, Rory Dames, and Richie Burke from coaching in the league again.</p>



<p>The joint investigation by the <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/nwsl-tv-schedule-and-streaming-links/">NWSL</a> and their players association surrounded severe allegations made against these coaches. Riley, former Portland Thorns manager, faces accusations of coercion and sexual harassment from incidents throughout his time in the league. Dames was also found to have emotionally and verbally abused his players while with the Chicago Red Stars.  </p>



<p>A total of six male team staff members in the NWSL were also previously fired in 2021 as well. Five of these personnel were coaches, while the sixth was a team’s general manager. Abuse, racist remarks, and sexual harassment were a few of the reasons for the sackings.</p>



<h2>NWSL commissioner releases statement on abuse and misconduct bans</h2>



<p>“The league will continue to prioritize implementing and enhancing the policies, programs and systems that put the health and safety of our players first,” Berman said in a <a href="https:\/\/www.nwslsoccer.com/news/statement-regarding-corrective-action" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a> released on Monday. “Those actions are fundamental to the future of our league, especially as we build a league that strengthens our players’ ability to succeed and prosper on and off the pitch.” </p>



<p>“As part of our commitment to accountability and deterrence, the league has determined that further corrective action with respect to certain organizations and individuals identified in the Joint Investigative Report is appropriate and necessary.”&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NWSLPA Statement in Response to the NWSL’s Corrective Action Announcement: <a href="https:\/\/t.co/bm5ntS8dYv">pic.twitter.com/bm5ntS8dYv</a></p>— NWSLPA (@nwsl_players) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/nwsl_players/status/1612520378152398848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>Along with the aforementioned bans, Berman also gave temporary bans to former Utah Royals coach Craig Harrington and former Gotham general manager Alyse LaHue. NWSL bans those two for at least two years in this abuse and misconduct ruling.</p>



<h5>Players association lauds Berman’s decision</h5>



<p>The league’s players association welcomed the bans handed down by Berman. “This marks a critical step towards holding clubs and team leaders accountable for their actions, or in actions, that compromised and betrayed player safety,” read the <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/nwsl_players" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>.</p>



<p>Also, NWSL fined six clubs in the ruling. The Red Stars and Thorns both face penalties of at least $1 million. Racing Louisville, North Carolina Courage, OL Reign, and Gotham FC received fines, as well. NWSL struck those four teams with penalties in the $50,000-$200,000 range.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Zuma Wire</em></p>


NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman has handed out four lifetime bans for coaches plus stiff fines stemming from abuse and misconduct.

NWSL bans 4 coaches for life following abuse and misconduct

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<p>On Monday afternoon, the US Soccer Federation released an independent report for an investigation into past reports of abusive behavior and sexual misconduct in the <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/nwsl-tv-schedule-and-streaming-links/">NWSL</a>.</p>
<p>Former United States Attorney General Sally Yates produced <a href="https:\/\/clicks.ussoccer.com/f/a/PkHluHm0RwfSrt5pYDZ8oA~~/AAQRxQA~/RgRlHZrjP0RraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cua3NsYXcuY29tL2F0dGFjaG1lbnRzLzAwMC8wMDkvOTMxL29yaWdpbmFsL0tpbmdfX19TcGFsZGluZ18tX0Z1bGxfUmVwb3J0X3RvX1VTU0YucGRmPzE2NjQ4MDkwNDhXA3NwY0IKYzPjFTtjZ9T4TVImY2hyaXN0b3BoZXIuaGFycmlzQHdvcmxkc29jY2VydGFsay5jb21YBAAAANU~" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a 172-page report</a> that goes into an investigation into three NWSL coaches. Those coaches are <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2021/09/30/nwsl-coach-fired-over-sexual-misconduct-allegations/">Paul Riley</a>, Rory Dames and Christy Holly. Each of these men managed an NWSL team as recently as 2021. The three coaches faced accusations of various kinds of abuse, including sexual, from former players.</p>
<p>The report brought specific examples of misconduct from all three during their time as coaches in <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/where-to-watch-nwsl-on-us-tv/">NWSL</a> or otherwise. For example, Rory Dames managed the Chicago Red Stars for a decade. Simultaneously, he founded youth academy Eclipse Select Soccer Club. Dames turned the youth academy into a pipeline for young female soccer players. Yet, while he was coaching teenagers, different players came forward with accusations of sexual advances.</p>
<h2>Abusive behavior in NWSL</h2>
<p>The main takeaway from the report is that much of the issues in NWSL simply got swept under the rug. For example, Christy Holly, who managed Racing Louisville, got fired from the position “for cause,” according to the press release upon his firing.</p>
<p>While most of the attention went towards the <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2021/10/06/nwsl-players-halt-play-in-solidarity-moment/">dismissal of Paul Riley</a> from three NWSL teams, Holly was not a name to receive much attention for his firing. Instead, it showed a pattern from NWSL owners to sweep the issues under the rug to protect their integrity.</p>
<p>Now, NWSL and the US Soccer Federation prepare to make a number of reforms to prevent abusive behavior in the future. These reforms include changes to accountability and transparency with the players’ safety at the forefront.</p>
<p>Some of the changes NWSL plans to make are immediate. The federation plans to establish a new Office of Participant Safety. This oversees US Soccer’s conduct policies and reporting mechanisms. Also, US Soccer plans to enact a uniform minimum standard background check for members at every level, including the youth, to comport with USOPC standards.</p>
<p>US Soccer also announced the creation of a new player-driven Participant Safety Taskforce. This convenes leaders of all soccer levels in the country to implement the recommendations listed out in Sally Yates’s report.</p>
<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire</em></p>


Former US Attorney General Sally Yates and US Soccer released a report detailing instances of sexual and verbal abusive behavior in NWSL.

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Leagues: NWSL

NWSL bans 4 coaches for life following abuse and misconduct

Leagues: NWSL

US Soccer releases report detailing abusive behavior in NWSL