at Emotional abuse and sexual misconduct were systemic issues in women’s soccer in the United States. That’s the finding of an independent inquiry into the abuse and harassment scandals that hit the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in 2021.
Deeply Troubling and Heartbreaking
In September 2021, two former NWSL players Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly accused former coach Paul Riley of sexual coercion and harassment dating back to 2010 and spanning numerous teams and leagues.
The allegations, which were published in the New York Times-owned sports website The Athletic, resulted in the termination and resignation of several NWSL head coaches, including Riley himself who was immediately fired as North Carolina Courage coach.
Former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates stated in her final report that abuse in the league is “rooted in a deeper culture” in the sport starting in youth leagues. President of the U.S. Soccer Federation, Cindy Cone described the findings as “heartbreaking and deeply troubling”. Cone herself experienced verbal abuse from a team executive when she was still serving as a coach for Portland Thorns.
NWSL Also Conducting an Investigation
Yates also laid out some recommendations in her report, among them is to require teams to accurately disclose to the NWSL and U.S. Soccer any misconduct committed by coaches so they can be prevented from moving between teams.
The NWSL is now reviewing the findings and is also conducting a separate investigation along with the NWSL Players Association.
