NWSL Commissioner Baird resigns amid scandal
Last edited Sat Oct 2, 2021, 09:55 AM - Edit history (1)
Source: AP News
National Womens Soccer League Commissioner Lisa Baird resigned after some 19 months on the job amid allegations that a former coach engaged in sexual harassment and misconduct.
Bairds resignation was announced by the league late Friday, a day after The Athletic published the accounts of two former players who claimed misconduct, including sexual coercion, by North Carolina coach Paul Riley.
Riley was fired by the Courage on Thursday and the allegations touched off a wave of condemnation by players that forced this weekends games to be called off.
Additionally, FIFA on Friday opened an investigation into the case. It is rare that soccers international governing body gets involved in a controversy involving a member association. U.S. Soccer also announced an independent investigation on Friday.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/soccer-womens-soccer-sports-sexual-misconduct-a959cd194e569d260996189f2d1d7930
NBachers
(17,120 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(49,005 posts)Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)The abbreviations sometimes drive me nuts and other times cause me to simply scroll by the post.
mahatmakanejeeves
(57,489 posts)Fridays Washington Spirit Game Canceled Following Abuse Allegations
Lori McCue https://twitter.com/lorimccue
The Washington Spirit will not play their previously scheduled game Friday night, after the National Womens Soccer League announced the cancellation of all of this weekends matches. The news comes in the wake of investigations into the leagues handling of abuse allegations against team leaders.
I am so sorry for the pain so many are feeling. Recognizing that trauma, we have decided not to take the field this weekend to give everyone some space to reflect, League Commissioner Lisa Baird said in a statement. Business as usual isnt our concern right now. Our entire league has a great deal of healing to do, and our players deserve so much better. We have made this decision in collaboration with our players association and this pause will be the first step as we collectively work to transform the culture of this league, something that is long overdue.
The Spirit was scheduled to play the North Carolina Courage tonight at 7 p.m. in Cary, N.C. Both teams have faced reckonings in the wake of abuse allegations against their coaches. The NWSL conducted an investigation into Spirit coach Richie Burke, who was accused by former players in August of verbal abuse. The league announced earlier this week that Burke had been fired, following the investigation. The Courages coach, Paul Riley, was also fired this week following multiple players accusations of sexual coercion.
In the wake of the allegations, the leagues union, the National Womens Soccer League Players Association, called for changes that would protect players from abuse and harassment. We will no longer be complicit in a culture of silence that has enabled abuse and exploitation in our league and in our sport, the association wrote in a statement on Thursday. The group also created an anonymous hotline to ensure that any player wishing to submit a report can do so anonymously and without fear of retaliation.
Link to tweet
It was not immediately clear if this weekends games will be rescheduled. Representatives for the NWSL and the Spirit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This post has been updated to include that the NWSL and Spirit have not responded to requests for comment.
SunSeeker
(51,571 posts)Even if he is not punished for the harassment, it will affect the players and ultimately the team's success on the field, which will end up threatening his job nevertheless. Don't shit where you eat.
Reading between the lines, looks like Baird did not do enough to stop the harassment.