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NWSL to pay $5M settlement over alleged player abuse
A landmark settlement has been reached with the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) on National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
CHICAGO - A landmark settlement has been reached with the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) on National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
This follows a years-long investigation into allegations of emotional abuse and sexual misconduct at the hands of some of the league’s coaches—including in Chicago.
The historic agreement was announced Wednesday by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Washington, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb.
What we know:
The NWSL has agreed to establish a $5 million ‘Players’ Restitution Fund’ to compensate players—past and present—who suffered abuse.
"Coaches abused their power, players were silenced, and the league turned a blind eye," AG James said.
It's a significant settlement that aims to bolster protections for players in the NWSL.
"For years, the league’s response to abuse was denial, deflection and inaction," said Tori Huster, former Washington Spirit player and president of the NWSL Players Association. "It wasn't leadership that fixed this. It was players who refused to accept silence as an answer."
In 2021, former North Carolina Courage players Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim came forward to accuse NWSL coach Paul Riley of sexual harassment and coercion.
Their accounts opened the floodgates, prompting more players to speak out, including Chicago Stars players who detailed alleged abuse by their coach at the time, Rory Dames.
The allegations prompted a thorough investigation spearheaded by Raoul, James, and Schwalb.
"Our investigation confirmed that coaches and other staff began abusing players almost as soon as the league was formed back in 2013," Schwalb said.
The investigation revealed disturbing misconduct across multiple league markets, including Chicago.
Illinois AG Raoul commended the Chicago Stars players who came forward about Dames.
Dames resigned after the allegations were made public, and he was later banned altogether by the NWSL.
"Players reported that Dames engaged in sexist and racist verbal harassment and extremely unprofessional relationships with players, thereby creating a hostile work environment," Raoul explained. "They indicated that he repeatedly made sexual remarks about players’ appearances and texted them after hours. They allege that he referred to Black players as ‘thugs’ and told another Black player she was ‘acting like a gang member.’ They accused Dames of pressuring players to attend one-on-one meals with him, during which he would discuss their appearances and romantic relationships."
According to the NWSL, once the Players Restitution Fund opens, past and present players will have six months to apply.
Furthermore, the AGs who led the investigation are seeking reform across the league. Moving forward, they will oversee and enforce new league protocols.
Those measures include a rigorous vetting process for coaching staff, establishing a league safety officer, and requiring teams to hire a board-certified psychiatrist or doctorate-level psychologist to serve as team clinician, as well as a mental performance consultant.
Additionally, NWSL teams must also provide the AGs with the results of annual, anonymous player surveys reviewing coach conduct and team culture.
What they're saying:
The National Women’s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA) is officially recognized as the union for players in the league.
Representatives from the union joined the AGs during Wednesday’s press conference.
"To the players, you are the heart, spine, and soul of the NWSL. Your courage has transformed this sport," said Meghann Burke, executive director of the NWSLPA.
The Chicago Stars play at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. A spokesperson for the team referred FOX 32 Chicago to the NWSL for comment on the settlement.
NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman released the following statement on Wednesday:
"We remain grateful to the many brave individuals who came forward to share their experiences, which has informed our approach to systemic reform. The NWSL is proud of the work we have done, in partnership with the NWSL Players Association, to set the standard for professional sports leagues.
"We have worked collaboratively with the NWSLPA and the attorneys general to add greater strength to the programmatic changes we adopted in 2023 in light of the joint investigative reports, and we look forward to supporting the administrator in distributing the Players’ Restitution Fund.
"We will continue to do the work necessary to maintain the trust of our players and build an ecosystem where the best in the world want to come."