National Women's Soccer League abuse scandal leads to $5 million settlement fund
NEW YORK -- The National Women's Soccer League is establishing a $5 million settlement fund to go toward players who experienced abuse in wake of a sexual misconduct scandal that rocked the league in 2021.
The settlement also requires the NWSL to continue with safeguards that were put in place after investigators found widespread misconduct across multiple teams in a pair of reports that were released in 2022.
"These abuses were not isolated incidents, they were systemic, pervasive and enabled by a league that repeatedly failed to protect its players," New York Attorney General Letitia James said Wednesday morning. "Coaches abused their power, players were silenced, and the league turned a blind eye."
James announced the settlement Wednesday, along with Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb of Washington, D.C. and Attorney General Kwame Raoul of Illinois. The settlement gives the attorneys general the power to oversee the changes the league made following the scandal and the ability to fine the league if it does not uphold them.
Investigations revealed culture of abuse in NWSL
Both the NWSL and U.S. Soccer launched investigations after former players Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim came forward with allegations of harassment and sexual coercion involving former coach Paul Riley.
Farrelly said the harassment she experienced started in 2011 when she was a player with the Philadelphia Independence, of the Women's Professional Soccer League. She told The Athletic the abuse continued when she was with the Portland Thorns in 2014 and 2015. Shim, a former Thorns player, also reported experiencing harassment.
"Abuse in the NWSL is rooted in a deeper culture in women's soccer, beginning in youth leagues, that normalizes verbally abusive coaching and blurs boundaries between coaches and players," former acting U.S. Attorney General Sally Q. Yates wrote in her 2022 report for the U.S. Soccer investigation.
Riley, who denied the allegations, was quickly fired as head coach of the North Carolina Courage. NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird stepped down, and half of the head coaches in the league either were fired or stepped down amid the allegations.
"Today's settlement is only possible because of the players who courageously stepped forward to tell their stories and expose the league's systemic failures. While NWSL has made critical improvements, the victims never received any compensation for the sexual and emotional abuse they endured on the league's watch," Schwalb said in a statement. "No dollar amount could ever fully address the damage that was inflicted, but now my office, together with New York and Illinois, will have oversight authority to ensure that the league's new safety policies are implemented and that current and future players are protected."
"I commend the current and former players whose courage and leadership off the field was critical to reaching today's settlement. Despite having the most to lose, these players came forward to expose abuse and a lack of accountability by those at the top of the league. Because they spoke up for themselves and their teammates, they have brought about reform that will protect future players," Raoul added. "I am proud to collaborate with Attorney General Schwalb and Attorney General James to hold the league accountable and put an overdue end to the unprofessional and toxic practices that have plagued the league."
NWSL scandal prompts new safeguards
Following the investigations, the NWSL implemented a number of changes to protect players, and the NWSL Players Association negotiated safeguards in the league's collective bargaining agreement.
Among the changes that are mandated to continue under the settlement, there must be comprehensive vetting of certain team personnel, mechanisms for players to report abuse, including access to a league safety officer and policies to prevent teams from investigating themselves, as well as player access to free and unlimited counseling.
"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," current NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement. "We will continue to do the work necessary to maintain the trust of our players."
"This investigation was initiated by the NWSLPA because players refused to stay silent in the face of systemic abuse. The human rights and civil rights violations they endured were enabled by a system that failed in its most basic duty: to protect its players," said NWSLPA Executive Director Meghann Burke. "This settlement not only acknowledges those failures but, for the first time, establishes enforcement mechanisms under the law to hold NWSL accountable and to prevent future harm."
