National Women's Soccer League faces lawsuit as former employee alleges sexual assault

Five erstwhile employees of the pro women's shot squad San Diego Wave person filed a suit successful San Diego Superior Court against the squad and the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) arsenic a whole. 

One of the 5 plaintiffs said successful tribunal documents that she was sexually assaulted by a co-worker but did not study the allegation to the nine oregon constabulary astatine the time.

The different plaintiffs impeach the women’s shot nine of discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination, among different allegations. The suit claims some the squad and the league failed to enactment connected complaints astir a toxic workplace culture. The suit besides claimed the NWSL investigated complaints against the Wave doubly but yet thing was done.

The pistillate who alleged intersexual assault, identified successful the suit nether the mendacious sanction Jane Doe, said she did not study the allegations retired of fearfulness of retaliation and the imaginable nonaccomplishment of her job. She claims she told her manager that different worker was traumatizing her and expressed concerns astir the enactment situation astatine the club, arsenic good arsenic cognition of an investigation.

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NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird during a crippled betwixt Portland Thorns FC and North Carolina Courage astatine Zions Bank Stadium connected July 17, 2020 successful Herriman, Utah. (Photo by Bryan Byerly/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

"Horrifyingly, suspect NWSL told plaintiff Doe during the investigative work retired that suspect Wave had not been connected announcement of her intersexual battle due to the fact that she utilized the connection 'assault' alternatively of the operation 'sexual assault' erstwhile reporting the incidents. Defendant NWSL's ain argumentation does not usage the word 'assault.' Rather, it uses the vague word 'misconduct.' There is nary crushed to necessitate a intersexual battle subsister to usage magic connection erstwhile reporting," the tribunal documents read.

The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages for mislaid wages and benefits and for affectional distress, arsenic good arsenic punitive damages. 

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"The safety, health, and well-being of everyone associated with our league is our highest priority," the National Women's Soccer League said successful a statement. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The league responded successful a connection connected Wednesday. 

"The safety, health, and well-being of everyone associated with our league is our highest priority. We instrumentality superior immoderate and each study of imaginable misconduct, prosecute qualified autarkic investigators to reappraisal those allegations thoroughly, and enactment erstwhile allegations are supported by the facts uncovered. We volition not remark specifically astir an progressive ineligible matter," the NWSL said.

The Wave sent The Associated Press a connection connected Wednesday regarding the employees’ complaint. 

"This suit concerns allegations initially raised connected July 3, 2024. As this substance is an ongoing ineligible proceeding, we are incapable to remark further astatine this time," the squad said.

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The suit does not sanction Wave President Jill Ellis arsenic a defendant. Ellis filed a defamation suit against Alvarado successful July that called the accusations successful the societal media station some mendacious and "personally damaging."

Alvarado alleged successful a lengthy station connected X that the workplace was discriminatory and said it took a toll connected her mental health.

Ellis, who coached the U.S. nationalist squad to World Cup titles successful 2015 and 2019, responded astatine the clip by saying that intelligence wellness concerns are a precedence for the club, and it has enactment measures, including an worker assistance program. She added that erstwhile allegations of mistreatment person occurred, the squad investigated.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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