(New York) An independent investigation into abuse and mistreatment of female players in the NWSL women’s soccer league has identified “continuing wrongdoing” at most clubs, according to its findings released Wednesday.
Joint Investigation Team report, released after 14 months of reviewing NWSL player complaints, finds systemic failures in 12-team league that allowed physical and emotional abuse of players .
A separate investigation was led by former US Attorney General Sally Yate. Its 172-page report released in early October includes interviews with more than 200 NWSL players and details multiple coaches’ abuses, manipulation, bullying and retaliation against players.
These investigations were launched after revelations in October 2021 of “systemic” sexual abuse and assault in American women’s soccer.
“During this investigation, the Joint Investigation Team received reports of ongoing wrongdoing at more than half of the clubs in the league,” the report released on Wednesday said.
“To effect lasting change, the league must commit to long-term, essential and gradual work for systemic cultural and structural transformation,” the investigators recommend.
The report recommends that the NWSL strengthen its anti-harassment rules, create and strengthen its guidelines on appropriate interactions between coaches, employees and players, implement a training program based on the lived experiences identified during the investigation, coordinates its recruiting with the U.S. Soccer Federation and other clubs and creates a more inclusive environment for players and staff.”
” A lot to do
“Inattention, negligence and concealment allow abuse to abound,” he denounces.
Investigators noted that the league had taken action, particularly since the release of the findings of Sally Yates who had been commissioned by US Soccer.
“But there is still a lot of work to do,” says the Joint Investigative Team report.
NWSL leader Jessica Berman promised “systemic reform” while apologizing to players for “failures and missteps” of the past.
“It will be an ongoing process of improving and strengthening our league,” she said. “We will study the report and its recommendations” to “understand what additional actions need to be taken in the short, medium and long term”, she continued.
US Soccer in a statement welcomed the latest report and the actions taken by the NWSL and its NWSLPA women’s players’ association, saying continued action was needed to generate “systemic change”.
Several male managers of women’s soccer clubs have been fired or retired from club management in connection with the case.
The Portland Thorns and Timbers franchise fired athletic director Gavin Wilkinson and business manager Mike Golub in early October. Decision made the day after the announcement by Merritt Paulson, owner of the franchise which also includes the Timbers playing in the men’s league (MLS), announced that he would withdraw from the management of the Thorns.