The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has agreed to contribute $5 million to a player restitution fund to resolve charges of pervasive sexual harassment and abuse by coaches against players — and the league’s failure to respond appropriately to complaints.
The Feb. 1 settlement involves the attorneys general of New York, Illinois, and District of Columbia, who intervened at the request of the union, National Women’s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA).
A pair of 2022 reports commissioned by the league and the union found that during the league’s 10-year history, a number of coaches verbally abused female players, sexually assaulted players, or coerced players into sexual relationships.
“Coaches exercised enormous control over players, both on and off the field, and those coaches used this power to bully, harass, and abuse players and retaliate against those who spoke out or resisted their advances,” the settlement document says. Coaches would be fired by one team only to be thanked for their service and rehired by another, with no public exposure.
Since the scandal broke publicly in 2021, the league has fined or sanctioned six clubs, including the Portland Thorns, and taken many other steps to prevent the abuses from happening again.
In addition to the $5 million restitution fund, which will be overseen by a retired federal judge, the settlement requires the league to report back to the attorneys general on the progress of those reforms. They include:
- prohibiting teams from investigating themselves regarding coach misconduct and player safety;
- providing an annual training for all players and staff on how to prevent bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct, racism, and retaliation, and what reporting mechanisms are available to players;
- conducting annual, anonymous player surveys about coach conduct and team culture; and
- prohibiting coaches from having exclusive control over player housing or medical decisions.
