The NWSL issued $2.9 million in fines and served several lifelong bans after league's abuse scandal investigation
- The National Women's Soccer League was at the center of a highly publicized abuse scandal in 2020 and 2021.
- Several investigations, including one from the NWSL and NWSLPA, "found widespread misconduct" across the league.
Calls for accountability have reverberated across the National Women's Soccer League ever since news first broke of coaching abuse in the league.
Now — more than a year after the abuses first came to light and following a pair of months-long investigations into the "widespread misconduct directed at NWSL players" — the league has issued sanctions to the many individuals and franchises responsible.
Four former coaches — Paul Riley, Christy Holly, Rory Dames, and Richie Burke — have received lifelong bans from the league as a result of their wrongdoings, which included sexual and emotional abuse, as well as an array of additional misconduct.
"The league will continue to prioritize implementing and enhancing the policies, programs, and systems that put the health and safety of our players first," NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement. "Those actions are fundamental to the future of our league, especially as we build a league that strengthens our players' ability to succeed and prosper on and off the pitch.
"As part of our commitment to accountability and deterrence, the league has determined that further corrective action with respect to certain organizations and individuals identified in the Joint Investigative Report is appropriate and necessary," she added.
Two more individuals — former Utah Royals coach Craig Harrington and former NJ/NY Gotham General Manager Alyse LaHue — have been issued two-year suspensions, after which their return to the league would require "acknowledging wrongdoing and accepting personal responsibility for inappropriate conduct, participating in training, and demonstrating a sincere commitment to correcting behavior."
And though they weren't issued suspensions, six others — Farid Benstiti, James Clarkson, Vera Pauw, Amanda Cromwell, Sam Greene, and Aline Reis — would only be permitted to rejoin the league upon fulfilling the same requirements as Harrington and LaHue.
"No sanction will ever be enough to undo the harm that too many Players endured," NWSLPA President Tori Huster said in a statement from the players' union. "By taking our power back, Players have achieved a complete and total overhaul of the NWSL ecosystem, from the League office to club ownership and staff, with new policies and systems in place to protect player safety."
In addition to personal sanctions, six clubs were slapped with fines ranging from $50,000 to $1.5 million. In total, $2.9 million in fines were issued across the Chicago Red Stars, Portland Thorns, North Carolina Courage, Racing Louisville FC, OL Reign, and Gotham FC — each of which harbored abusers or was complicit in misconduct within its ranks.
"The league and its clubs have taken meaningful steps to begin this structural reform, and understand and accept the continual commitment to enhancing league standards that are necessary to build a safe and positive environment for our players, staff, fans, and partners," Berman said. "The Board of Governors hired me with the very specific mandate to effectuate this transformation. These changes will require leadership, accountability, funding, and a willingness to embrace this new way of conducting business.
"Our league and clubs are committed to making these changes and will do so with continued input from the NWSL Players Association to make the NWSL a league that sets the standard for the future of sports."