Sanctions announced: BREAKING: The #NWSL announces fines and punishments stemming from the recent joint investigation into abuse. Among them:- Lifetime ban for former coaches Riley, Holly, Dames, & Burke- $1.5 million fine for Chicago Red Stars- $1 million fine for Portland Thorns— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) January 9, 2023 Paul Riley, Christy Holly, Rory Dames and Richie Burke given 'permanent exclusion' from working in the NWSL again.Craig Harrington & Alysa LaHue given two-year suspensions and others, inc. Vera Pauw, future employment is 'conditional'.6 clubs also given financial sanctions. https://t.co/UNRppMdsDF— Rich Laverty (@RichJLaverty) January 9, 2023
I'm honestly now wondering if a 2024 Red Stars season depends on a successful sale of the club. It's already a low-budget organization, now hit with the biggest fine of all, and they're also lost their entire core of longtime players to free agency. Dead club walking?
I see that two ex-coaches, Binstiti of OL and Pauw Houston, have been disciplined for "weight shaming." What is "weight shaming?" Can you tell a player that she is overweight? Or not? And if, in fact, she is?
The Yates report had more details. I am not sure on Pauw as I did not read up on her. But Binstiti was pretty gross about it. He would hide food from them, and make crass comments. He had a previous history of it that Horan had exposed at PSG, but Reign hired him anyway (only to fire him shortly thereafter for exactly what she had exposed). This is Horan talking: “One of my team-mates, after an away game she had chocolate and the coach heard it in the front [of the team bus] and came back and basically took the chocolate from her, and said, ‘You can’t have this around Lindsey,’ because I was sitting a seat ahead of her.” Horan said that even after she got her weight down significantly, that was not enough for her coach. “[Benstiti] then announced to the team: ‘Lindsey, your weight is not good enough, your body fat is still too high, You’re not going to play in a game until that’s done.’ “[He] said that to the team. I started shaking I was so mad.”
NWSL has released rulings on former Spirit coach Kris Ward as well as two more Thorns staff from new findings: ﹒Kris Ward, former Washington head coach, was found to have conducted "overly aggressive behavior and harassment through negative racial stereotyping towards a player in violation of league policy."He was fired in August 2022.— The Equalizer (@EqualizerSoccer) January 24, 2023 Obviously we already kinda knew about Ward, but - what the heck has been going on in Portland??? Seems rotten to the core there
Pierre Soubrier, Crystal Dunn's hubby, was fired for administering a controlled substance without a doctor's prescription: Another day of significant news following #NWSL investigations, some of which have legal implications:- Thorns assistant Sophie Clough fired- Thorns athletic trainer Pierre Soubrier fired- "verbal abuse and emotional misconduct" substantiated against Kris Ward pic.twitter.com/OKFiGQUzLC— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) January 24, 2023
NWSL investigation leads to discipline for Thorns and Spirit personnel.@NWSL (@afb825)#NWSL #futbol #soccer https://t.co/YweNedZZdP— Beyond Women’s Sports (@BeyondWSports) January 27, 2023