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 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.