(NEW YORK CITY) - New York State Attorney General Letitia James, together with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Washington, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, has announced a landmark settlement with the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) after numerous players came forward with allegations of harassment and sexual misconduct, and an independent investigation subsequently found emotional abuse and sexual coercion were systemic across the NWSL.

Following these reports, the Attorneys General launched a joint investigation that found widespread violations of Players’ fundamental rights.

As a result of the Attorneys General’s action, NWSL will create a $5 million fund to compensate Players who were abused and continue implementation of comprehensive reforms to improve Player safety and well-being, giving the Attorneys General the ability to oversee and enforce new league protocols and protections for Players.

“For too long, the hard-working and talented Women of the National Women’s Soccer League were forced to endure an unacceptable culture of abuse, harassment and retaliation,” Attorney General James said. “This settlement sends a clear message that such misconduct will not be tolerated and ensures Players receive the compensation and protections they deserve. Every Athlete should be able to compete in a safe, supportive environment, and I thank the brave individuals who came forward to share their experiences.” 

In 2021, Players from across the NWSL went public with allegations of misconduct and abuse at the hands of coaches and officials - dating back over 10 years.

Many of these complaints had been reported to the NWSL, but were largely ignored. 

After the reports were made public, two separate investigations 0 one commissioned jointly by the NWSL and NWSL Players’ Association (NWSLPA) and one by the United States Soccer Federation, conducted by former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates - found systemic, league-wide failures that contributed to verbal abuse, sexual assault, harassment, coercion and discrimination by coaches, with no clear mechanisms in place for Player safety.

By the end of the 2021 season, in the wake of Player complaints and media reports, five of the NWSL’s 10 existing teams had fired their coaches. 

The Attorneys General launched a joint investigation into these allegations in 2022, which revealed the NWSL was permeated by a culture of abuse and neglect.

Coaches verbally abused players, sexually assaulted players and coerced them into inappropriate relationships, retaliating against those who resisted or spoke out.

The investigation further uncovered some teams failed to conduct background checks, allowing coaches previously terminated for misconduct to be rehired by other teams.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Story, Go To: Attorney General James Secures Historic Settlement With National Women’s Soccer League for Mistreatment of Players