US Women's Soccer League investigation reveals systemic abuse of players

The North Carolina Courage and the Chicago Red Stars will compete in the National Women's Soccer League championship in Cary, North Carolina, USA on October 27, 2019. AMY TENNERY REUTERS NEW YORK An independent investigation showed abuse and misconduct had become systemic in the US top-flight National Women's Soccer League and that the league, teams and the US Soccer body did not adequately protect players, according to an independent investigation released on Monday.

The fallout led to the departure of former Commissioner Lisa Baird and demands for reform, while half of the NWSL teams parted ways with their head coaches over player complaints before the end of the 2021 season.

The full findings were released by US Soccer, which brought in US Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates and King Spalding LLP to conduct the independent inquiry.

Our investigation revealed a league in which verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct had become systemic, spanning multiple teams, coaches, and victims, according to the Yates' report.

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In 2012, US Soccer founded the NWSL and operated as a manager, providing logistical and financial support through 2020. It continues to provide oversight of the league.

The Yates report said that the league, its teams and US Soccer failed to put in basic measures for player safety at the NWSL's inception, or respond appropriately when confronted with player reports and evidence of abuse. President Cindy Parlow Cone called the investigation's findings heartbreaking and deeply troubling, and US Soccer said it would move immediately to implement reforms. Parlow Cone said that the abuse described is inexcusable. The US Soccer team will do everything in its power to make sure that all players have a safe and respectful place to learn, grow and compete. The findings were immediately reviewed by the NWSL.

There is a joint investigation between the league and its players' association.

The league said in a statement that the players, staff and stakeholders were very grateful for the cooperation of the team during the ongoing season.

We recognize the anxiety and mental strain these investigations have caused and the trauma that many players and staff are having to relive. The Yates report said that accusations of abuse in the league were made available to the NWSL and US Soccer long before they came to light in The Athletic report.

The 172- page independent report said coaches accused of abuse were able to move from club to club because teams, the NWSL and US Soccer failed to identify misconduct and inform others. The report recommended a number of reforms aimed at boosting accountability and transparency, including a requirement for misconduct to be disclosed.

Abuse in the NWSL is rooted in a deeper culture in women's soccer that normalizes verbally abusive coaching and blurs boundaries between coaches and players, Yates said in a statement.

US Senator Richard Blumenthal, who chairs the Senate Commerce subcommittee with oversight over American Olympic and amateur athletes, called it a damning report and said he would push for congressional hearings.

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He said this report reveals appalling and abhorrent systemic abuse in US women's professional soccer.

Years of complaints about sexual misconduct, verbal abuse, and other completely inappropriate conduct against female soccer players were met with little to no action from teams, the League, or the Federation.