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NWSL Portland Thorns FC

Thorns FC Statement Regarding The Athletic Article on Paul Riley

September 30, 2021 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Portland Thorns FC News Release


Today The Athletic published a story chronicling a series of disturbing incidents involving Paul Riley, a former Thorns FC head coach, some of which occurred during his two-year tenure in Portland. There is much in the article that we are first hearing about now.

We take all complaints about harassment extremely seriously. Immediately upon receiving a complaint from a player in 2015, we conducted a thorough investigation advised by an outside law firm and placed Riley on administrative leave. While the findings did not show unlawful activity, they did uncover clear violations of our company policies. Based on this, we chose to sever ties with Riley. The findings of the investigation were fully shared with the NWSL league office.

Throughout the club's existence, we have always encouraged players and staff to freely express themselves on and off the field on any issue and in any context they choose. We are proud of our incredible body of community work and the impact it's had, our long-standing ethos of social justice and inclusion, and of player and employee advocacy.

The article is a difficult read and there are some horrifying revelations. We have grown since 2015 as an organization and will continue to seek to improve and get better. We will fully cooperate with any additional inquiries into this matter and, more importantly, re-examine our own processes and protocol that are intended to ensure a safe space.

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