The league confirmed Friday that Lisa Baird, commissioner of the NWSL, has resigned.
"The National Women's Soccer League has accepted Lisa Baird's resignation on Friday," stated a statement on the Twitter account of NWSL.
Sources confirmed that Lisa Levine, the general counsel of NWSL, is also out.
This decision follows a report detailing allegations of sexual coercion by former North Carolina Courage manager Paul Riley, which spanned his tenure with several teams. On Thursday, Riley was fired.
Riley's dismissal was the latest in a string of managerial resignations, including Richie Burke, Christy Holly, Racing Louisville, and OL Reign’s Farid Benstiti.
The league's failure to act on Riley's allegations on multiple occasions was particularly troubling for its leadership. This led to the danger of players being put at risk. The league did not respond to a request from Sinead Farrelly, Mana Shim and others earlier this year to conduct an investigation into Riley's abuse of his managerial position.
Baird's reply to Farrelly's email was to say in part, "We have reviewed our files and can confirm that the initial complaints were investigated to their conclusion." Unfortunately, I am unable to share additional details.
Friday's games were postponed by Baird. Baird issued a statement saying that "this week and much of the season has been incredibly traumatizing for our players, staff, and I accept full responsibility for the part I played." I'm sorry for the pain that so many are experiencing.
"Recognizing the trauma of this weekend, we decided not to take to the field this weekend in order to allow everyone to reflect."
Baird was soon out of work hours later.
Christie Pearce Rampone, a legendary USWNT defender, announced Friday night that she will delay her induction into the 2021 National Soccer Hall of Fame. This was in response to the allegations against Riley and the NWSL.
Pearce Rampone released a statement saying that he had absorbed all the events over the past few days and decided to postpone his induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame for next year.
FIFA and the U.S. Soccer Federation may also be involved in separate investigations. FIFA stated in a statement that they are "deeply concerned" about the allegations against Riley made by players. FIFA stated that it would be reaching out the U.S Soccer and the NWSL to get more information on the safeguarding concerns and abuse allegations that have been raised.
The USSF stated in a statement that it would immediately launch an independent investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and abusive behavior.
Every person involved in the game has a primary responsibility for player safety and respect. Cindy Cone, U.S. Soccer president, stated that this is true for all ages, competitions and abilities. We owe it each and every soccer fan, as well as each player, to take every meaningful step possible to prevent this from happening again. We look forward to working with all parties on this important task."
In a statement, the federation stated that it was currently seeking an investigator who has extensive experience in investigating high-profile workplace misconduct allegations. The investigator will have full control over the facts and evidence and U.S. soccer is committed to sharing its findings once the investigation is complete."
In February 2020, Baird was appointed NWSL commissioner. She succeeds Amanda Duffy. She was previously chief marketing officer at New York Public Radio.
In June 2017, Levine was appointed general counsel to the NWSL. Levine joined the NWSL as general counsel in June 2017.
