NWSL bans Paul Riley, Christy Holly, Rory Dames, and Richie Burke for LIFE from the league

The National Women’s Soccer League announced a series of fines and punishments stemming from its joint investigation with the NWSL Players Association into abuse and misconduct by club coaches and executives.

Most notably, four former coaches accused of abuse and misconduct have been banned for life and two clubs have received million-dollar fines.

Former coaches Paul Riley, Christy Holly, Rory Dames, and Richie Burke have all been permanently excluded from the NWSL over their actions.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Red Stars and Portland Thorns are both set to pay hefty fines – with Chicago fined $1.5million and Portland ordered to pay $1million.

Both of those clubs are in the process of being sold and Portland owner Merritt Paulson’s fine will be directed to the establishment of an NWSL Player Safety Office.

The NWSL also added that they will work with the owners of both teams to, ‘ensure the club is transferred in an expeditious and appropriate manner.’

The NWSLPA released a statement following the announcement saying, ‘This marks a critical step towards holding clubs and team leaders accountable for their actions, or inactions, that compromised and betrayed player safety.

‘People in positions of power who have perpetrated harm on Players have been relieved of their duties, banned from the league, suspended, or fined.

‘A new NWSL begins today. No sanction will ever be enough to undo the harm that too many Players endured. By taking our power back, Players have achieved a complete and total overhaul of the NWSL ecosystem, from the league office to club ownership and staff, with new policies and systems in place to protect player safety.’ 

An independent investigation into the scandals that erupted in the National Women’s Soccer League last season found emotional abuse and sexual misconduct were systemic in the sport, impacting multiple teams, coaches and players, according to a report released last year. 

One coach called in a player to review game film and showed her pornography instead, according to the New York Times. Meanwhile, another was reportedly known to berate his players and then quiz them about their sex lives. 

Another was said to have coerced multiple players into sexual relationships and was fired by his team for the disturbing behavior but the club failed to warn another franchise when he was hired by a rival team only a few months later. 

US Soccer commissioned the investigation by Yates and the law firm King & Spaulding after former NWSL players Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim came forward with allegations of harassment and sexual coercion dating back a decade involving former coach Paul Riley, who has denied the allegations. 

Their account was first published by The Athletic in September 2021.

Both Shim and Farrelly claim Riley, 58, often took them drinking and used those moments to pressure them into sex, according to The Athletic’s report. In one alleged 2012 incident, Riley, a Liverpool native who was 47 and married at the time, took Farrelly and another player to his hotel room and had sex with both of them.

Riley’s refrain, which Farrelly said she often repeated to herself after having sex with her coach, was that they would be ‘taking this to their graves.’

Among other allegations, Shim told ESPN that Riley invited her to his hotel room one evening.

‘He quickly shut the door behind me,’ Shim said. ‘I saw he was in his underwear.

‘He told me to get on bed and watch film,’ she continued. ‘There was no film pulled up. I knew at that point I had to find a way out and I was not willing to compromise myself for my career or for this person.’

Shim says she first complained about Riley in 2015 when she played for him on the Portland Thorns. But while the team declined to re-sign him when his contract expired, he was still hired by the NWSL’s Western New York Flash the following season and by the Courage in 2017. 

Additional fines and suspensions were levied against executives and clubs who also were found to have committed abuse or misconduct.

Former Utah Royals manager Craig Harrington and former Gotham FC general manager Alyse LaHue have been suspended for two years and any employment following that is conditional. 

In addition, four clubs are facing fines as follows: Racing Louisville is fined $200,000, North Carolina Courage is fined $100,000, OL Reign is fined $50,000, and Gotham FC is fined $50,000.

In addition, Racing Louisville and North Carolina Courage are required to hire a separate staff from the USL teams they are affiliated with (Louisville City FC and North Carolina FC) that is ‘completely distinct’ from the men’s team it shares ownership with.

There were two notable exceptions to penalties, despite both clubs being named in the report.

First, Kansas City Current players raised issue about mistreatment and retaliation by higher ups. The NWSL said while these accusations are ‘concerning’, they concluded that, ‘there is no finding that the club retaliated against players.’

Second, the Washington Spirit were investigated due to the actions of Burke – which led to the league forcing then-CEO Steve Baldwin to sell the club. That deal was finalized in March of 2022, with ownership being transferred to Y. Michele Kang. 

‘Due to the change in club ownership and staffing resulting from the investigation, the league will not impose any further corrective action on the club,’ the league statement read.

‘The league will continue to prioritize implementing and enhancing the policies, programs and systems that put the health and safety of our players first,’ league commissioner Jessica Berman said. 

‘Those actions are fundamental to the future of our league, especially as we build a league that strengthens our players’ ability to succeed and prosper on and off the pitch. 

‘As part of our commitment to accountability and deterrence, the league has determined that further corrective action with respect to certain organizations and individuals identified in the Joint Investigative Report is appropriate and necessary.’ 

Berman later added, ‘The league and its clubs have taken meaningful steps to begin this structural reform, and understand and accept the continual commitment to enhancing league standards that are necessary to build a safe and positive environment for our players, staff, fans and partners. 

‘Our league and clubs are committed to making these changes and will do so with continued input from the NWSL Players Association to make the NWSL a league that sets the standard for the future of sports.’