The National Women’s Soccer League violated players’ civil rights and must pay $5 million in restitution as part of an historic settlement announced Wednesday following a years-long investigation of player abuse.
The league will create a fund with the money for anyone harmed by abuse or harassment from a person in a position of power, according to a statement from the New York attorney general’s office that was provided to USA TODAY Sports. The list of requirements, which the NWSL has already begun implementing, also includes all teams employ at least two mental health professionals.
NWSL leadership is required to report every six months for the next three years to the attorneys general who led the investigation — Washington, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul — with updates on implementing all aspects of the settlement.
‘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,” Attorney General Schwalb said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. ‘No dollar amount could ever fully address the damage that was inflicted.’
The settlement marks the next step in a years-long process for the NWSL, stemming back to a wave of bombshell reports during the 2021 NWSL season. Extensive allegations of abuse, sexual coercion, racism, harassment and other forms of misconduct were substantiated at a majority of the league’s clubs, sparking two investigations and in-game protests from players league-wide. Multiple clubs were sold in the aftermath, while a long list of coaches and general managers were dismissed or stepped down in disgrace.
‘For too long, the hardworking and talented women of the National Women’s Soccer League were forced to endure an unacceptable culture of abuse, harassment, and retaliation,’ Attorney General James said in a statement. ‘This settlement sends a clear message that such misconduct will not be tolerated and ensures players receive the compensation and protections they deserve. Every athlete should be able to compete in a safe, supportive environment, and I thank the brave individuals who came forward to share their experiences.”
Here’s what to know about Wednesday’s landmark NWSL settlement and how it will impact women’s sports going forward:
What are the terms of the NWSL settlement?
The settlement outlines a long list of requirements that NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said has been a collaborative effort between the league, the NWSLPA and the attorneys general.
The $5 million restitution fund will be overseen by former U.S. District Judge Barbara Jones, who was an independent member of the committee overseeing the 2022 NWSL/NWSLPA joint investigation. Jones has 45 days to submit a plan to the attorneys general for approval. Once approved, Jones will notify players no less than 15 days prior to the fund’s opening, and players will have six months to apply.
‘We remain grateful to the many brave individuals who came forward to share their experiences, which has informed our approach to systemic reform,’ NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said. “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.’
The settlement also detailed multiple protocols the attorneys general will oversee, with the NWSL required to report back on its progress every six months. The changes required include the following:
‘Rigorous vetting of prospective coaches, general managers, athletic trainers and player safety officers.’
The creation of multiple ways for players to safely report misconduct.
Rules preventing coaches from having unilateral control over medical decisions or housing for players.
Coach misconduct and player safety investigations cannot be conducted by the teams involved. Organizations are required to find outside, impartial investigators.
The hiring of a league safety officer.
All teams must hire dedicated human resources staffers.
All teams will be obliged to hire ‘a board-certified psychiatrist or doctoral-level psychologist to serve as Team Clinician, as well as a Mental Performance Consultant.’
Players will be entitled to mental health leave, as recommended by specialists in the field.
Annual anti-bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct, racism and retaliation training, as well as instruction on how to use reporting mechanisms.
Annual anonymous player surveys on coach conduct and team culture must be submitted to the attorneys general.
The NWSL could be hit with up to $2 million in unspecified penalties ‘if it defaults on any terms of the agreement,’ the statement said.
Additionally, the NWSL Players Association will be granted input on the hiring of any coach, general manager or other decision-maker on the soccer side of the business, a person with direct knowledge of the settlement told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the settlement had not yet been made public.
Why was NWSL under investigation?
The NWSL was hit by a wave of allegations across the league for various forms of misconduct, with a pivotal 2021 season packed with revelations about bad actors and systemic issues at most clubs. Though these issues happened over several years — U.S. women’s national team forward Christen Press filed formal complaints against former Chicago Red Stars head coach Rory Dames as far back as 2014 — the league lacked any formal policy for the removal of abusers, or for players to report issues without fear of retaliation.
The misconduct involved was widespread and varied, indicating systemic abuse. Multiple coaches were found to have engaged in sexual coercion, while other coaches and general managers were found to have engaged in verbal abuse, racist and anti-Semitic statements, and harassment. In other cases, coaches were hired despite past allegations of abusive conduct or body-shaming at previous clubs.
An August 2021 report from the Washington Post detailed allegations of verbal abuse and racist statements from Washington Spirit head coach Richie Burke, who days earlier had been reassigned to a front-office role with the club citing the English-born manager’s health as the rationale. A month later, The Athletic published a report on former Portland Thorns, Western New York Flash, and North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley, with extensive allegations of sexual coercion among the issues at hand.
The combination of both explosive reports sparked massive changes around the league, with players coming forward to detail other instances of misconduct at Racing Louisville, the Chicago Red Stars, the Houston Dash and the Seattle Reign, among others. A league-wide movement saw players on all teams halt play for an in-game protest, while then-commissioner Lisa Baird resigned under pressure after the league suspended its regular season for a weekend to allow players to process the revelations.
U.S. Soccer hired former U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates in October 2021 to do an independent investigation into abuse and sexual misconduct in women’s soccer. Her voluminous report the following year detailed widespread misogynistic and abusive culture at all levels of the game. A separate investigation by the NWSL and NWSL Players Association found much the same as Yates.
Eventually, four coaches (Riley, Burke, Rory Dames and Christy Holly) were given lifetime bans, while others were barred for multiple years. Over half of the NWSL’s 10 clubs at the time dismissed a coach or general manager that had been in place to start the 2021 season.
NWSL settlement a historic step for women’s sports
The NWSL settlement is a unique development for a league that has spent the last three-plus years overhauling a long list of processes in the name of player safety.
Having three attorneys general in positions of oversight, as well as the significant financial penalties in place as an enforcement mechanism, is an unprecedented step.
Prior to the settlement, the NWSL had changed leadership, significantly increased its staffing and had multiple new club owners in place to lift standards. The league and NWSLPA also agreed to a milestone new CBA last year, while the previous CBA had already required clubs to hire at least one mental health professional.
Still, outside controls may force lasting change since progress has not been linear in the NWSL. The San Diego Wave is facing a lawsuit over allegations of a hostile work environment and sexual harassment. Former Wave and USWNT coach Jill Ellis, who has since moved on to a role at FIFA, was mentioned throughout the lawsuit and previously had denied claims of creating a hostile work environment. Ellis sued former Wave video and creative manager Brittany Alvarado for defamation.
‘Accountability is not a one-time event,’ NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke said in a news release from the office of the New York State Attorney General. ‘It is an ongoing commitment that never ends. … 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.’
Women’s soccer writ large has been at the forefront of multiple moves to improve conditions for its athletes. The USWNT Players Association reached agreement with U.S. Soccer in May 2022 for equal pay, ending a years-long battle. Entrepreneur Michele Kang’s successful battle with former Washington Spirit owner Steve Baldwin over majority control of the club was followed by a rapid rise in club valuations, bringing with it major investment in terms of staff, infrastructure and other standard-raising moves.
This settlement pushes the league further on the types of protections that are commonplace in major men’s sports.
This story has been updated to include new information.