Another day, another NWSL scandal. Ever since the Yates report exposed a disgustingly large amount of wrongdoing in the NWSL, more and more team personnel are getting the boot for inappropriate behavior. The latest NWSL investigation concluded Tuesday afternoon with disciplinary action for four personnel: Kris Ward, Sophie Clough, Dr. Breanne Brown and Pierre Soubrier.
Content warning: Some readers may find topics discussed in this article to be distressing. Please read with caution.
Kris Ward
When Richie Burke was removed as head coach of the Washington Spirit in 2021, Ward took over. Ward led the Spirit to their first NWSL Championship win in 2021, then started off the 2022 season with a baffling 17-game winless streak. Washington cut ties with Ward in August 2022 after an “incident” in practice. Ward claimed that he had raised his voice at a player and said he wished he had handled the situation differently. The latest NWSL investigation confirmed the altercation between Ward and an unknown player. According to the investigation report, Ward “engaged in overly aggressive behavior and harassment through negative racial stereotyping towards a player in violation of league policy.” The NWSL has banned Ward from any kind of work in the league without the commissioner’s approval.
Portland Thorns personnel
Clough, Brown and Soubrier are the Thorns’ personnel facing disciplinary action. Clough, an assistant coach, kissed a player’s neck without her consent during the championship celebrations last season. She has also been accused of bullying behaviors, but those claims were found to be unsubstantiated. Brown, the team physician, self-reported her conduct of administrating controlled substances to players. She also raised concerns about Soubrier, an athletic trainer, giving two Thorns players medication containing codeine without a prescription. One of the players was administered the drug without informed consent.
The NWSL has suspended Clough through the rest of the 2023 season. The Thorns also fired her. Brown has to report regularly to the NWSL Chief Medical Officer and will have increased oversight by the Chief Medical Officer for three months. After three months, the Chief Medical Officer will send an assessment of Brown to the commissioner. She will also have to review the American Medical Association Code of Ethics. The Thorns put Soubrier on administrative leave in December and fired him on Tuesday. The NWSL suspended him without pay through the end of the 2023 season. The NWSL will also report Soubrier to the Oregon Board of Athletic Trainers and Board of Certification. Soubrier is Thorns player Crystal Dunn’s husband. Dunn posted the following statement of support on Thursday night:
— Crystal Dunn | Soubrier | (@Cdunn19) January 26, 2023
Many NWSL fans have wondered why there seems to be such a problem with personnel now. The answer may be that the problem has always been there, but the league is just now getting organized enough to have reporting procedures in place. Now that all of the rot is being exposed, it is crucial for the NWSL to take precautions to hire safer candidates around the league.
NWSL fans, what do you think about the latest investigation report? Let us know in the comments below. Follow me on Twitter and check out Beyond Women’s Sports for more women’s sports coverage. Want to start watching the NWSL and WSL? You can do that here.
