Five former employees of the San Diego Wave women's professional soccer team have filed a lawsuit in San Diego Superior Court against the team and the entire National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
One of the five plaintiffs said in court documents that he was sexually assaulted by a co-worker but did not report the incident to the club or police at the time.
Other plaintiffs have accused the women's soccer club of discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination. The lawsuit alleges that both the team and the league failed to address complaints about a toxic workplace culture. The lawsuit also alleges that NWSL investigated complaints against Wave twice, but ultimately nothing was done.
The woman who alleges sexual assault in the lawsuit, using the pseudonym Jane Doe, said she did not report the allegations out of fear of retaliation and possible loss of her job. She claims she told her manager that another employee was traumatizing her and expressed concerns about the club's working conditions and knowledge of the investigation.
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NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird during the Portland Thorns FC vs. North Carolina Courage game at Zions Bank Stadium on July 17, 2020 in Herriman, Utah. (Photo by Brian Byerly/ISI Photography/Getty Images)
“Horrifyingly, Defendant NWSL told Plaintiff Doe during the investigation reading that Defendant Wave used the word “assault'' instead of “sexual assault'' when reporting the incident, and that Defendant Wave had sexually assaulted Plaintiff Doe. Defendant NWSL's own policy does not use the term “assault.” Rather, the vague term “illegal activity” is used. “There is no reason to require victims of sexual assault to use magic words when reporting,” court documents say.
The plaintiffs are seeking punitive damages as well as damages for loss of wages and benefits and emotional distress.
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“The safety, health and well-being of everyone associated with our league is our top priority,” the National Women's Soccer League said in a statement. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The league responded in a statement Wednesday.
“The safety, health and well-being of everyone associated with our league is our top priority. We take all reports of potential misconduct seriously and have hired qualified independent investigators to investigate. NWSL will thoroughly investigate those allegations and take action if the allegations are substantiated by the association.''As the facts have emerged, we will not comment specifically on ongoing legal matters.'' Ta.
Wave sent a statement to The Associated Press on Wednesday regarding the employee's complaint.
“This lawsuit concerns allegations that were first filed on July 3, 2024. As this matter is an ongoing legal proceeding, we are unable to comment further at this time,” the team said. .
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Wave president Jill Ellis is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Ellis filed a defamation lawsuit against Alvarado in July, calling the accusations in his social media posts false and “personally damaging.”
In a lengthy post about X, Alvarado claimed that her workplace was discriminatory and that it had a negative impact on her mental health.
Ellis, who coached the U.S. national team to World Cup victories in 2015 and 2019, said at the time that mental health concerns were a priority for the club and that the club was taking steps to help, including through an employee assistance program. answered. She added that the team will investigate when allegations of abuse arise.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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