The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has agreed to a $5 million settlement with players who suffered abuse. The settlement, announced by multiple Attorneys General, also requires the league to maintain safeguards implemented after investigations revealed widespread misconduct.
The National Women's Soccer League ( NWSL ) is establishing a $5 million settlement fund to compensate players who experienced abuse in the wake of a sexual misconduct scandal that rocked the league in 2021. The settlement also mandates the NWSL to maintain safeguards implemented after investigations revealed widespread misconduct across multiple teams in 2022. New York Attorney General Letitia James, alongside Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb of Washington, D.C.
, and Attorney General Kwame Raoul of Illinois, announced the settlement Wednesday. The agreement grants the attorneys general oversight authority to monitor the league's adherence to these changes and the power to impose fines if they are not upheld. The scandal erupted after former players Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim accused former coach Paul Riley of harassment and sexual coercion. Farrelly alleged the abuse began in 2011 during her time with the Philadelphia Independence and continued with the Portland Thorns in 2014 and 2015. Shim, also a former Thorns player, corroborated these claims. Riley denied the allegations but was swiftly fired from his position as head coach of the North Carolina Courage. NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird resigned, and half of the league's head coaches either resigned or were dismissed amidst the mounting allegations. Investigations, conducted by both the NWSL and U.S. Soccer, revealed a deeply rooted culture of abuse within the league, extending from youth leagues to the professional level. Former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates, in her 2022 report for the U.S. Soccer investigation, stated that abuse in the NWSL stemmed from a broader societal normalization of verbally abusive coaching and blurred boundaries between coaches and players. This settlement, attributed to the courage of the players who came forward, aims to rectify past failures and protect future players. It mandates comprehensive background checks for certain team personnel, robust reporting mechanisms with access to a dedicated league safety officer, and policies prohibiting self-investigations by teams. Players will also have access to free and unlimited counseling services
NWSL Sexual Misconduct Abuse Scandal Settlement Player Safety Women's Soccer
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