Two months ago, a report partially authored by former U.S. deputy attorney general Sally Yates outlined the world of misconduct endemic in the world of girls’ and women’s soccer, all the way from youth soccer on upwards, saving special scorn for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s ineffectual SafeSport program.
Yesterday, a report commissioned by the National Women’s Soccer League and the NWSL Players’ Association and authored by a joint investigative team comprising two law firms, found specific allegations not only within the league, but going all the way up the authority chain at U.S. Soccer, which was a primary funding source of the league at the start of the NWSL’s existence.
Specifically, the report fingers three-term U.S. Soccer Federation present Sunil Gulati, long-time general counsel Lisa Levine, chief legal officer Lydia Wahlke, and former general secretary Dan Flynn. They are faulted for their inaction in responding to numerous complaints about potential misconduct by several coaches within the NWSL during the time they were running away from allegations of misconduct at their former clubs, creating a merry-go-round of toxic coaches.
To me, these are devastating allegations against the USSF as an institution. They paint the very body who is supposed to run the game in the United States as an old boys’ club, out of touch with how to treat members of the opposite gender.
The recommendations made at the end of the report are simple. So simple, that the first reaction is, “That was allowed in the NWSL?”
Amongst the recommendations:
- Extending a non-fraternization policy to any club staff in supervisory positions over players, not just the head coaches;
- A zero-tolerance policy against any sexual or romantic relationship between staff and players, even if consensual;
- Require clubs to match their anti-harassment policies to be consistent with the NWSL’s anti-harassment policy;
- Provide written guidance to coaches and other club staff about inappropriate comments about players’ weights;
- Requiring separate housing accommodations for players and club staff during the season;
- Require a separation of powers when it came to key club roles; in other words, having separate people holding head coach, general manager, and principal owner roles;
- Provide annual anti-harassment and anti-bullying training, and incorporate anti-retaliation training into that;
- Conduct background and reference checks on all prospective owners, coaches, staff, and even some volunteers who may interact with players;
- Sharing findings of misconduct not only between clubs, but with U.S. Soccer and other stakeholders;
- End the use of non-disclosure agreements in connection with allegations of misconduct.
Yup, all of these recommendations were put in writing to address specific faults within the NWSL over the last decade, creating the imbroglio which has enveloped the league the last couple of seasons.
Given what the report says, it does bring up an interesting question: even if every single recommendation gets adopted leaguewide, will it prevent one microaggression? Will it help clean up ownership? Will the game improve in the U.S.?
To my thinking, the report has a chance to create outsized expectations for the cleanup of team culture, meaning that the next scandal involving players within the league could shake the NWSL to its very core, even more than the toxic merry-go-round ever did.
I hope it doesn’t.
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