All 23 USWNT soccer players seek Congress’ help to fight abuse
All 23 players on the United States women’s World Cup team, U.S. Soccer’s entire athletes council and dozens of other current and former members of the country’s men’s, women’s, youth and extended national squads signed a letter sent Wednesday to members of Congress imploring lawmakers to enact changes to the U.S. Center for SafeSport – a nonprofit organization created to protect athletes from sexual predators – in the wake of former acting Attorney General Sally Yates’ damning 2022 report outlining systemic abuse up to the highest levels of women’s professional soccer.
"SafeSport is the only formal mechanism to keep bad actors out of our sport," the letter reads. "But the Yates report laid bare deep flaws in SafeSport’s process. SafeSport was created with noble and important intentions, but we believe that as it stands today, SafeSport is failing in what it was meant to achieve."
The more than 100 signatories, including FOX Sports soccer analysts and former national teamers Stuart Holden, Lori Lindsey and Danielle Slaton, outline three areas where they’d like to see changes made. The first would reduce the number of cases that are closed without a ruling in favor of either the accuser or the accused, which the athletes contend occurs the majority of the time.
"We understand that not all cases can be resolved," the letter says. "However, we believe that administrative closure happens too often, and that it jeopardizes our colleagues’ safety and the safety of young athletes across the country.
"SafeSport’s standards require only a preponderance of evidence to ban or otherwise restrict participation in sport," it continues. "SafeSport should be expected to properly investigate claims and be held accountable for taking action based on those investigations."
Also at issue is the fact that cases that have been closed can’t be reinvestigated by a third party, including the U.S. Soccer Federation.
"In the wake of the Yates report’s shocking revelations, U.S. Soccer wants to do the right thing and take proactive steps against suspected abusers," the letter says. "Our federation has tools and resources to investigate reports of abuse, but SafeSport is preventing them from participating in any way."
Even in cases where SafeSport concludes abuse has occurred, the current appeals process undermines those findings and re-victimizes those who report abuse, according to the letter.
"The appeal triggers an arbitration process that requires victim participation, including new interviews," it says. "If the victim decides not to go through the process again on appeal, the decision is automatically overturned, and the perpetrator is free to enter back into the sport."
The athletes also point out that whistleblowers can’t appeal decisions that go against them, while alleged perpetrators can.
"We need to create an efficient, fair, and effective system for athletes to report," the letter concludes. "We urge you to work with U.S. Soccer and other stakeholders to create lasting change in our sport. Together, let us work to create a safer future for all athletes."
Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
