The Washington Spirit and Chicago Red Stars will face off in the NWSL championship game on Saturday, Nov. 20, at 12 p.m. ET, capping off a tumultuous and transformative year for the nation's only professional women's football league. While the athletes have always had to fight for fair wages [1] and better working conditions, an explosive report from The Athletic in September revealed that the NWSL had repeatedly failed to protect players from harassment, abuse, and discrimination.
The story centreed on former Portland Thorns head coach Paul Riley [2], who had continued to find work in the league — most recently, as head coach for the North Carolina Courage — after being accused of verbal and sexual abuse. The Athletic's report set off a wave of protests from players who were outraged by the "institutional betrayal" of their own league. A lot has happened since then, including a number of high-profile resignations, the launch of three investigations, and finally, a victory for the athletes demanding meaningful change. Keep reading for a complete timeline.
Before 2015: Paul Riley Allegedly Establishes a Pattern of Misconduct and Abuse
In a story published by The Athletic on Sept. 30, former NWSL players Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim — along with a number of other athletes, who preferred to remain anonymous — alleged that Riley had verbally, emotionally, and sexually abused athletes [3] for more than a decade. Prior to Shim filing a complaint with the Portland Thorns in 2015, Riley had reportedly established a pattern of inappropriate behaviour across the teams he had coached.
The Athletic's story details the party culture Riley allegedly created, with himself at the centre. There were mandatory team retreats at his home on Long Island and a lot of drinking, the players recalled. Riley is also accused of sexual misconduct. Farrelly alleges that she was first coerced into having sex with her coach in 2011. The following year, she and another player were reportedly forced to have a threesome with Riley. Then, in 2014, when Farrelly began dating one of her teammates, Riley allegedly harassed her, saying she was "too hot to be a lesbian," among other homophobic remarks.
In 2015, Riley began targeting Shim, allegedly inviting her to his hotel room or out to dinner under the guise of coaching her, sending her inappropriate photos, and making comments about her sexual orientation. One night at his apartment, Riley reportedly told Shim and Farrelly that if they kissed, the team wouldn't have to do the dreaded "suicide mile" in practice that week. By July of 2015, Shim had confided in her sister about her coach's behaviour. After talking to her then-partner, Shim emailed Riley and told him to leave her alone.
Sept. 16, 2015: Mana Shim Formally Reports Paul Riley to the Portland Thorns
In addition to her sister and partner, Shim (bottom row, centre) also confided in Portland Thorns teammate Alex Morgan about Riley's behaviour. According to The Athletic, the two tried to find a way for Shim to file an anonymous complaint with management, but there were no options to do so at the time. Finally, on Sept. 16, 2015, Shim sent an email detailing the accusations to four major players in the organisation: Thorns owner Merritt Paulson, general manager Gavin Wilkinson, human resources director Nancy Garcia Ford, and Riley. She also forwarded the email to then-NWSL commissioner Jeff Plush.
A week later, the Thorns announced that Riley's contract would not be renewed for a third season. However, the organisation failed to mention that there had been an investigation into Shim's claims, which ultimately led to the coach's dismissal. Instead, Riley's firing seemed to be a result of the team's poor record that season, as well as a desire to return home to family.
Feb. 16, 2016: Paul Riley Is Hired by the Western New York Flash
Five months after being released from the Thorns, Riley was hired as the head coach of the Western New York Flash. In 2017, the team relocated to North Carolina and became known as the Courage. According to The Athletic, Riley "laid low" for the next few years, though he hosted a team retreat in Long Island in 2016, and allegedly continued to comment on players' weight and bodies.
March 9, 2021: 240 Players Sign a Letter to NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, and with the NWSL's culture of silence beginning to shift, former teammates Farrelly and Shim reconnected with each other and then with Morgan, who began to dig deeper into the league's policies.
Concerned with the lack of protections for athletes in the eight-page player handbook, Morgan organised a group of 240 players, who signed a letter to NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird asking for nine specific policies that would help make the league safer and more inclusive for athletes, including better routes for reporting misconduct.
The following month, on April 13, the NWSL publicly announced its new workplace policy, which explicitly prohibits all forms of harassment, discrimination, and misconduct [4].
Sept. 30, 2021: The Allegations Against Paul Riley Are Made Public
On Sept. 30, after the publication of The Athletic's investigation, the NWSL Players Association tweeted its support [5] for the players who had shared their stories, including Farrelly, Shim, and Kaiya McCullogh, whose own public allegations of abuse [6] had recently resulted in head coach Richie Burke being fired [7] by the Washington Spirit. (This came several weeks after he was allowed to step down citing "health concerns.") The organisation listed three demands [8], including an independent investigation into the allegations outlined in The Athletic's story, the immediate suspension of anyone accused of misconduct, and an explanation as to how Riley was rehired after being let go by the Thorns.
Sept. 30, 2021: Alex Morgan Fact-Checks NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird
Morgan, who had been advocating for her teammates since 2015, retweeted Baird's statement, writing that the league was notified of the allegations against Riley multiple times. In two follow-up tweets, Morgan shared Farrelly's April 28 email to Baird, asking that the league take steps to rectify this "apparent failure [12]," as well as Baird's May 5 response, which claimed that the initial complaint from 2015 was "investigated to conclusion [13]."
Oct. 1, 2021: New Details Emerge About Yet Another Head Coach's Departure
The Washington Post reported that, like Riley and Burke, former OL Reign head coach Farid Benstiti had been accused of verbal abuse before he resigned in July 2021. A formal complaint alleged that Benstiti made "inappropriate comments to players regarding their fitness and nutrition [14]," following a pattern that had been reported even before he was hired by the Reign. Still, the team's statement in July thanked Benstiti for his contributions to the program, noting that his resignation was the result of "a collective agreement that new leadership was required [15] to achieve the performances and results needed to satisfy our ambitions."
Oct. 1, 2021: Lisa Baird and Lisa Levine Are Ousted by US Football
In a statement on Oct. 1, Baird announced that the NWSL games scheduled to take place that weekend would be paused [16]. "This week, and much of this season, has been incredibly traumatic for our players and staff, and I take full responsibility for the role I have played. I am so sorry for the pain so many are feeling," Baird said. "Recognising that trauma, we have decided not to take the field this weekend to give everyone some space to reflect."
Later that day, the league announced that Baird had resigned as commissioner [17]. General counsel Lisa Levine was also removed by the board of directors [18].
Oct. 3, 2021: Multiple Investigations Are Announced
On Oct. 3, the US Football Federation announced that it had hired Sally Yates, the former deputy attorney general for President Barack Obama, to lead its investigation into the abuse and misconduct reported by The Athletic [19].
Meanwhile, the NWSL released a statement explaining that the league had hired law firm Covington & Burling [20] to oversee multiple investigations and a review of the league's policies. The investigators would report directly to the NWSL's newly formed executive committee, which included Orlando Pride executive vice president Amanda Duffy, Kansas city co-owner Angie Long, and OL Reign's NSWL board representative Sophie Sauvage.
Two days prior, FIFA announced that it too would be investigating [21] the alleged abuse and misconduct within the league.
Oct. 4, 2021: Portland Thorns Owner Merritt Paulson Writes an Open Letter
"Ultimately, we could have done more [22], which is particularly hard to say as the team that we have held as the highest standard in women's professional football in the world," Paulson wrote, acknowledging that what had transpired after Shim filed a formal complaint with the Thorns was a "systemic failure" across the league. "I apologise to Mana, Sinead and everyone else who is hurting as a result." He outlined eight steps the team was taking to improve, including creating an anonymous reporting system.
He also noted that the lack of transparency surrounding Riley's release from the Thorns in 2015 was out of "respect for player privacy," a point that former Thorns player Kat Williamson took issue with on Twitter [23], sharing a screenshot of a tweet from Paulson, in which he congratulated Riley on his success with the Courage in 2017.
Oct. 4, 2021: Lisa Baird Releases a New Statement, Saying She Is "Proud" of Her Work in the NWSL
Just a few days after resigning, Baird released another statement in which she distanced herself from Riley's actions in 2015 and listed her accomplishments while in the league. She concluded by saying, "I am proud of what I did to make the League better [24]."
Oct. 5, 2021: The Fallout Continues as the Unrest in Women's Football Goes Global
On Oct. 5, Shim, Farrelly, and Morgan appeared on The Today Show, bringing the players' stories to a larger audience and demanding institutional change. "I want more justice. I want better policies. I want players to be protected," Shim said. "And, at the same time, I feel like we're on the right path, and I'm grateful for everyone who has reached out and supported us."
The same morning, in response to a letter sent by players the day before, Washington Spirit CEO and controlling owner Steve Baldwin stepped down amid allegations of a toxic workplace culture [25]. This culture included "rage trades," harassment from team administrators, and racist and abusive behaviour from former head coach Burke. The players responded to Baldwin's announcement, urging him once again to sell his stake in the team [26]. (Baldwin has since said that he will sell [27], but he retains ownership of the team.)
Meanwhile, across the world, two dozen members of the Venezuelan national team accused former coach Kenneth Zseremeta of sexual harassment and abuse [28], and two players from Australia also spoke out about the harassment and predatory behaviour they'd seen from older players [29] throughout their careers.
Oct. 6, 2021: Protests Begin as NWSL Players Release Their Demands
On Oct. 6, the NWSL season resumed, setting the stage for protests. As the first three games kicked off that evening, the NWSL Players Association announced eight demands [30], including the opportunity to conduct its own investigation into abusive conduct in the league, a more rigorous investigation from the NWSL itself, and a seat at the table during the hiring process for the next commissioner, among other things.
The Thorns players also shared demands [31], which included that general manager Wilkinson be placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. Wilkinson had been with the Thorns in 2015 when Riley was accused of misconduct, and The Athletic reported that he also attempted to silence Shim in 2013 after she came out as gay. Shortly after the Thorns released their demands, the club announced that Wilkinson would be put on leave [32]. However, he was allowed to continue his work with the men's team, the Portland Timbers.
At each of the NWSL games that night — and in the days to come — players from both teams met at centrefield, locking arms in a display of solidarity. The NWSL Players Association explained the protest on Twitter [33], writing that the players would stop play in the sixth minute in recognition of the six years it took for Shim, Farrelly, and others to be heard. They used the hashtag #NoMoreSilence. Fans around the league also staged protests — often refusing to buy concessions or anything else [34] while in the stadiums — and support began pouring in from college teams [35] and professional clubs [36] around the world.
Oct. 13, 2021: The NWSL Championship Is Moved From Portland to Louisville
The NWSL and NWSL Players Association released a joint statement [37] on Oct. 13, explaining that the championship game scheduled to take place on Nov. 20 would be moved from Portland to Louisville at the request of the players.
While fans speculated that this may be related to the Thorns' handling of the Paul Riley allegations, the players had taken issue with the location for some time. The game was scheduled to take place at 9 a.m. local time in Portland, in order to accommodate a noon Eastern Time start on CBS. It simply wasn't practical, and players saw the move as an act of good faith. "It's a very, very small win for us in many ways — but it's nice for our voices to be heard [38]," said Spirit player Tegan McGrady, as reported by The Athletic's Meg Linehan.
Oct. 29, 2021: The NWSL Agrees to Meet the Players' Demands
On Oct. 29, the NWSL Players Association announced that the league had agreed to meet the eight demands the organisation released earlier in the month. The agreement came after weeks of ongoing negotiations between the union and the NWSL, including the league's new interim CEO Marla Messing.
Among the most significant developments, the parties agreed that the NWSL's investigation announced on Oct. 3 would be overseen by a five-person committee [39], including two representatives from the NWSL Players Association, one from the NWSL, one club representative, and one jointly selected neutral party, as reported by ESPN. Representatives from the Players Association would also meet with any potential commissioner candidates [40].
"This is only the beginning to transforming the NWSL [41]," the Players Association wrote on Twitter. Negotiations for the league's first collective bargaining agreement are still underway, but "each of these demands is seen by the players as one step closer to the goal of taking our league back [42]," said union president Tori Huster, a midfielder for the Washington Spirit.