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NWSL abuse was systemic, damning report says

FILE - North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley is interviewed by a reporter next to the trophy for the National Women's Soccer League championship during a media event at Nike in Beaverton, Ore., Sept. 20, 2018. An independent investigation into the scandals that erupted in the National Women's Soccer League last season found emotional abuse and sexual misconduct were systemic in the sport, impacting multiple teams, coaches and players, according to a report released Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. U.S. Soccer commissioned the investigation after former NWSL players Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim came forward with allegations of harassment and sexual coercion dating back a decade involving former coach Paul Riley. (AP Photo/Anne M. Peterson, File) FILE - Cindy Parlow Cone, president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, speaks following a U.S. women's match against Nigeria at Audi Field, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, in Washington. An independent investigation into the scandals that erupted in the National Women's Soccer League last season found emotional abuse and sexual misconduct were systemic in the sport, impacting multiple teams, coaches and players, according to a report released Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. Cindy Parlow Cone called the findings “heartbreaking and deeply troubling.” (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File) FILE - Racing Louisville FC defender Erin Simon (3) runs against the Washington Spirit during an NWSL Challenge Cup soccer match, Thursday, April 15, 2021, in Washington. An independent investigation into the scandals that erupted in the National Women's Soccer League last season found emotional abuse and sexual misconduct were systemic in the sport, impacting multiple teams, coaches and players, according to a report released Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. The investigation focused on three former coaches, Paul Riley, Christy Holly and Rory Dames. It recounts an April 2021 encounter between Holly and Erin Simon, who now plays in Europe. (AP Photo/Will Newton, File) FILE - Portland Thorns head coach Paul Riley talks with the media after a team practice in Portland, Ore., April 9, 2014. An independent investigation into the scandals that erupted in the National Women's Soccer League last season found emotional abuse and sexual misconduct were systemic in the sport, impacting multiple teams, coaches and players, according to a report released Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. U.S. Soccer commissioned the investigation after former NWSL players Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim came forward with allegations of harassment and sexual coercion dating back a decade involving former coach Paul Riley. (Randy L. Rasmussen/The Oregonian via AP, File) FILE - Former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates speaks at Harvard University, in Cambridge, Mass., May 24, 2017. An independent investigation into the scandals that erupted in the National Women's Soccer League last season showed that emotional abuse and sexual misconduct was systemic in the sport, impacting multiple teams, coaches and players. “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 Yates wrote in her report for U.S. Soccer, which was released on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
NWSL abuse was systemic, damning report says