Former professional footballer, Mana Shim, will head a new taskforce after a startling report revealed a culture of systemic abuse and sexual misconduct in women's football in the USA.
Last year, the US Soccer Federation (USSF) commissioned former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates to conduct an independent investigation following reports of sexual harassment in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Five of the league's 10 coaches were fired or stepped down in 2021 amid allegations of misconduct, while NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird resigned.
Yates' findings were published on October 3, with the report detailing that abuse in the NWSL is engrained into the culture of women's soccer. Yates recommended a host of measures to help combat the deeply entrenched issues in the NWSL, including the disclosure of termination and discipline by teams to the USSF and the NWSL, a database of complaints and findings, screening of licensed coaches, and an NWSL mandate for annual training of players and coaches on policies involving verbal and emotional abuse, sexual misconduct, harassment and retaliation.
