The North American Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) announced Monday that it has banned for life four coaches accused of sexually assaulting female players, a month after submitting its investigation report into violence and abuse committed for several years.
The complainant players were also victims of manipulation, bullying and reprisals, as well as culpable passivity and inaction by the owners and managers of a number of clubs, according to the document. The national body, led by Commissioner Jessica Berman, then imposed a whole series of sanctions. The most severe, due to their final nature, were inflicted on Paul Riley, Christy Holly, Rory Dames and Richie Burke, all banned for life from the NWSL.
Riley, a former Portland Thorns coach, was accused by two players of coercing the first into non-consensual sex and sexually harassing the second. He is the subject of a separate US Soccer investigation led by former US Attorney General Sally Yates.
Holly, who ran Racing Louisville, was fired after being accused of sexual assault and touching a player. Dames, a former Chicago Red Stars coach, also came under scrutiny in the Yates report, which detailed his propensity to verbally attack, insult and threaten players.
Finally, Burke, who was at the head of the Washington Spirit, had the habit of verbally stigmatizing the ethnicity of players.
A targeted French coach
Former Chicago Red Stars assistant coach Craig Harrington and former Gotham FC general manager Alyse Lahue have been suspended for two years from any NWSL-related duties.
NWSLPA Statement in Response to the NWSL’s Corrective Action Announcement: https://t.co/bm5ntS8dYv
Six other people, including Frenchman Farid Benstiti, former coach of OL Reign (2020-2021) targeted for remarks about a player’s overweight, will have to prove themselves before finding a job in the league. They must “acknowledge their wrongdoing and take responsibility for inappropriate conduct, participate in training, and demonstrate a sincere commitment to correcting their behavior”.
The Chicago Red Stars and the Portland Thorns will each be fined $1.5 million and $1 million for their actions in the cases, ranging from negligence in the face of the acts committed to their desire to conceal them. .
Finally, having established during its investigation, jointly conducted with the players’ union, systemic failures occurring within it and within the American Federation, the League inflicted on its own office “a fine of at least one million dollars” and promised it would get a complete overhaul.