NWSL’s sexual misconduct scandal costs them $5 million in settlement
More than two years after a massive harassment and sexual misconduct scandal rocked the National Women’s Soccer League, the time has come for the league to pay up.
The NWSL is being asked to pay $5 million to current and former players who experienced abuse and implement sweeping reforms to prioritize player safety as part of a “landmark settlement” announced Wednesday by the offices of the New York, Illinois and Washington, D.C. attorneys general.
The settlement comes after the joint investigation, launched in 2022, found “widespread violations of players’ fundamental rights,” according to the release.
“For too long, the hardworking and talented women of the National Women’s Soccer League were forced to endure an unacceptable culture of abuse, harassment, and retaliation,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. “This settlement sends a clear message that such misconduct will not be tolerated and ensures players receive the compensation and protections they deserve. Every athlete should be able to compete in a safe, supportive environment, and I thank the brave individuals who came forward to share their experiences.”
The investigation revealed “the NWSL was permeated by a culture of inappropriate and abusive behavior, including sexual harassment and harassment and discrimination based upon gender, race, and sexual orientation.” It also said there were “numerous institutional and systemic failures contributed to the sexual assault and harassment, and harassment and discrimination based upon gender, race, and sexual orientation.”
The NWSL is also accused of failing to investigate “multiple” reports of misconduct or take proper action to protect players. The probe also revealed that some teams failed to do background checks on coaches during the hiring process.
Players’ allegations of emotional and verbal abuse as well as sexual misconduct were made public in a September 2021 article published by The Athletic.
The report led to a series of investigations into the claims of inappropriate behaviors and the NWSL’s leadership.
By the end of the 2021 season, five head coaches had been fired or resigned for non-soccer reasons.
Four of those coaches — Paul Riley, Christy Holly, Rory Dames and Richie Burke — received lifetime bans from the NWSL.
League commissioner Lisa Baird also resigned because of the scandal.
Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue was fired because “of the results of a league investigation into a complaint of violation of League policy,” the club said July 16, 2021 in a statement.
The Athletic reported that the investigation was related to the league’s anti-harassment policy, though LaHue’s attorney denied allegations against her at the time.
Two separate investigations — one commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation and led by former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and another commissioned by the NWSL and NWSL Players Association — released their finding in late 2022 and detailed “systemic, League-wide failures that contributed to verbal abuse, sexual assault, harassment, coercion, and discrimination by coaches, with no clear mechanisms in place for player safety,” according to the attorneys general release.
The attorneys general’s investigation, though, highlighted the league’s inaction which exacerbated the issues and allowed unregulated toxic work environments.
Some of those shortcomings included inadequate team medical staffs, very little workplace conduct training and there were no formal processes for reporting and investigating misconduct.
As part of the settlement, the AG offices laid out a lengthy set of league-wide policy changes, including improved vetting of prospective coaches, general managers and athletic trainers, having mechanisms for players to report misconduct, hiring a league safety officer and making more mental health resources readily available to players.
“This investigation was initiated by the NWSLPA because players refused to stay silent in the face of systemic abuse. The human rights and civil rights violations they endured were enabled by a system that failed in its most basic duty: to protect its Players,” NWSL Players Association Meghann Burke said in a statement. “This settlement not only acknowledges those failures but, for the first time, establishes enforcement mechanisms under the law to hold NWSL accountable and to prevent future harm.
“Accountability is not a one-time event — it is an ongoing commitment that never ends,” Burke continued. “The NWSLPA will continue to ensure that this league never again prioritizes silence over safety.”
The attorneys general are also asking the league to create a $5 million restitution fund for impacted players and will require the NWSL to provide biannual reports about implementing the settlement agreement as well as annual anonymous player surveys on coach conduct and team culture.
Failure to comply with any terms of the agreement could result in the NWSL facing a $2 million fine.
