Sally Yates, Former Acting Attorney General and NAFUSA member, recently concluded a year-long investigation into the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The investigation was commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), the official governing body of soccer in the United States. The USSF retained King & Spalding, the law firm in which Ms. Yates is a partner, to conduct an independent investigation into allegations of abusive behavior in women’s professional soccer. Ms. Yates, who led the all-women investigation team, filed a 172-page report revealing a deeply rooted pattern of verbal abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual misconduct involving multiple teams, coaches, and victims.

Although the investigation focused on the NWSL and National Team players, the report, released October 3, 2022, identified systemic abuse beginning in youth leagues, which, the report contends, results in normalizing verbally abusive coaching. Ms. Yates and the investigative team conducted over 200 interviews, including more than 100 interviews with current and former NWSL and National Team players. These interviews revealed a pattern of degrading and relentless tirades by coaches an disturbing accounts of sexual misconduct. Furthermore, the report revealed that teams, the NWSL and the USSF repeatedly failed to respond appropriately to reports of abusive behavior.

The report made recommendations on how to change the culture of the league, including holding coaches accountable and better vetting of hires. U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone called the findings in the report “heartbreaking and deeply troubling.” She promised changes to improve the league, including implementing recommendations from the Report.

Ms. Yates was United States Attorney from 2010 to 2015 for the Northern District of Georgia. President Barack Obama appointed her Deputy Attorney General in 2015.