former North Carolina Courage Coach Paul Riley, who was banned from the National Women’s Soccer League on Monday after several investigations into allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct, called the league “political” and “wake up.”
Riley was among four coaches to receive permanent exclusion from the league In a statement released Monday.
Riley says he plans to fight “a lot of stuff”, and despite being permanently kicked out of the league, he never wants to go back.
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North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley speaks with the team after their defeat by the Portland Thorns in their quarterfinal game against the Portland Thorns in the NWSL Challenge Cup at Zions Bank Stadium on July 17, 2020 in Hermann, Utah.
(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
“We have a lot of plans in the future to fight a lot of things,” Riley told WRAL News on Tuesday. “I had absolutely no intention of coaching in the National Football League again. The political, wake-up, cancellation culture in the league says it all.”
What exactly Riley is fighting against has yet to be determined.
Joint investigation team for nwsl It found that the misconduct was “largely systemic in nature” and made “recommendations on several forward-looking and structural reforms to improve the university’s policies and practices”.
As a result, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman announced the four permanent bans as well as suspensions of coach Craig Harrington and Alice Lahu. and much more.
“The league will continue to prioritize the implementation and promotion of policies, programs and systems that put the health and safety of our players first,” Berman said in the statement. “These actions are fundamental to the future of our league, especially as we build a league that enhances our players’ ability to succeed and thrive on and off the field. As part of our commitment to accountability and deterrence, the league has determined that corrective action with respect to certain organizations and individuals identified in the joint investigation report is appropriate and necessary.”
North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley looks on at the quarterfinal game of the NWSL Challenge Cup at Zions Bank Stadium on July 17, 2020 in Herriman, Utah.
(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
For the Riley case, an earlier report by Sally Yates, a US Department of Justice official, released in October found that he had allegedly experienced harassment and sexual misconduct dating back to 2015 during his internship in Portland, Oregon.
Both the Yates report and the JIT report said NC Courage was unaware of the full extent of Reilly’s actions prior to his appointment in 2017.
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Two former Portland Thorns players called him a “predator,” according to WRAL News, while another called it a “culture of fear.”
The Courage was also fined $100,000 and must employ a worker separate from the Men’s Tea, which is under the same ownership group.
“We stand firmly with the league, the National Soccer League Players Association (NWSL) and its associate clubs in having player safety and well-being as our top priority,” the organization said in a statement on Monday.
Paul Riley during the 2020 NWSL College Draft at the Baltimore Convention Center on January 16, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland.
(Jose Argueta/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
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Five of the 10 coaches in the National Football League last season were either fired or stepped down amid allegations of misconduct. Commissioner Lisa Bird also resigned, making way for Berman.