NWSL owners and executives knew emotional and sexual abuse permeated the league and they did nothing, an independent investigation found.
The investigation was conducted by former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and yielded a scathing 319-page report, released Monday, detailing the utter failings of the league and certain team owners, including the Red Stars’ Arnim Whisler, to protect players.
In Chicago, accusations of emotional and verbal abuse at the hands of former coach Rory Dames dating back to 2014 were repeatedly dismissed by Whisler. Less than 24 hours before a report was published by the Washington Post last November detailing claims of abuse by Dames, Whisler allowed him to resign.
Three months later, when Whisler spoke to the media for the first time since the Post’s report, he claimed that the decision was made in consideration of the players. He also claimed that the concerns brought to him by players and staff were not on the level of abuse. Every time he heard a complaint he felt comfortable continuing to employ Dames.
Yates’ report not only negates Whisler’s claims, it released new details of Dames’ abuse including calling Black players thugs and other players who were from Kentucky and Ohio trailer trash. One player who was interviewed recounted an experience when Dames texted her to meet him in his hotel room to receive her per diem funds.
When she arrived at his door in the morning wearing a long sleeve t-shirt and pajama shorts, the player said Dames looked her up and down and told her “nice shorts.” Shortly after he texted her saying “I was not joking; you looked really good. Natural beauty is the best beauty.”
According to the report, soon after Dames began coaching in the league several players raised concerns, including Christen Press in 2014. The U.S. women’s national team star reported to Sunil Gulati (then USSF president) and Jill Ellis (then the national team coach) that Dames “created a hostile environment,” verbally and emotionally abused players, had made sexist and racist remarks to players, and had retaliated against her and other players when they spoke out.
Press’ concerns were relayed to Whisler, who claimed that national team players wanted the league to “shut down” and had an “axe to grind” with Dames. Following Press’ concerns, Dames offered to resign but Whisler refused to accept his resignation according to the report.
Among the 37 pages of the report solely dedicated to investigating Dames’ abuse was a section detailing claims against him from the youth soccer level. In March of 1998 the Arlington Heights Police Department opened an investigation into Dames following a report that he touched one of his Eclipse youth soccer players inappropriately on her thigh.
In April 1998, a Department of Children & Family Services caseworker completed an investigation and made a determination that the allegations against Dames were “unfounded,” according to the report. Dames went back to coaching.
Following the Post’s report on Dames last year he resigned from coaching at Eclipse and has been removed from the team's staff page, but his wife Sarah is still listed as the team’s chief financial officer. Questions to Eclipse regarding Dames’ status with the club haven’t been answered.
In the report one player shares the only reason for their participation in the investigation is in hopes of Whisler’s removal from the league.
The investigation was commissioned by U.S. Soccer after the Athletic published allegations of harassment and sexual coercion involving former NWSL coach Paul Riley in September of last year. But the ousting of five male coaches in the league in 2021 pointed to a widespread problem which was detailed in the report.
Whisler loved to tout the Red Stars as the longest-tenured NWSL franchise. When he finally released a public statement last year following the claims made against Dames it was laced with self-adulation.
He vowed accountability, but Yates’ report also found that the Red Stars organization was one of three that failed to fully cooperate with the investigation.
Yates’ report concluded with detailed recommendations that highlighted a need for transparency and accountability. But the NWSL is operated by its owners, further challenging that changes like the removal of owners who cultivated toxic work environments and allowed abuse to fester for years, will actually be implemented.
“No organization took ownership over player safety,” the report said. In the few instances where coaches’ behavior was examined the investigation found it was more in line with checking a box than taking protective measures.
Because teams did not disclose misconduct coaches like Riley were able to move from team to team the report found. The USSF has limited authority to sanction coaches, owners and league executives in the NWSL putting the responsibility of holding people in power accountable with the league itself.
“I’ve talked to [NWSL commissioner] Jessica Berman quite a bit,” U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone said. “Our goals are aligned.”
The Red Stars have not responded to the Sun-Times’ request for comment.
