Deborah Ross, 2nd Congressional District Congresswoman from North Carolina, led a group of 41 members of the House of Representatives in writing an open letter to the NWSL asking them to thoroughly investigate abuse and harassment within their league.
The letter comes on the heels of the NWSL being rocked by several scandals, including NC Courage head coach Paul Riley being fired when reports about alleged sexual harassment and misconduct came to light.
Harassment claims against Riley were made as early as 2015 when he was head coach of the Portland Thorns, but not followed up on and "this pattern of abuse and inaction constitutes a failure to support and protect the rights and safety of players," the letter reads.
The representatives in the letter echoed the demands of the NWSL Player's Association, which asked for all of its 12 NWSL teams to be adequately investigated to determine how deep some of the abuse goes.
"The NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA) has asked that 1) every coach, general manager, owner, and representative on the NWSL board of governors to submit to the NWSLPA’s independent investigation into abusive conduct; 2) the scope of the NWSL’s investigation be expanded to include each of the 12 NWSL clubs represented on the Board of Governors; and 3) the investigation determine whether any league office staff, NWSL club, or individual in a position of power within the NWSL neglected to investigate concerns of abuse raised by any player or staff," the letter states.
"We urge all parties involved in this matter to work together in good faith as the investigation continues. Thank you for your attention to this matter."
It also praised the league for removing Riley, and praised the U.S. Soccer Federation for opening an independent investigation.
Ross was the primary signature on the letter and she was joined by 40 of her colleagues.
“The abuse and harassment that NWSL players have been subjected to across the league is appalling,” Congresswoman Ross said in a release sent to her office. “The fact that players courageously brought their concerns to the attention of NWSL leadership and received minimal support represents a shocking institutional failure.
"This issue is personal for me. As the aunt of a high school soccer player who hopes to play in college, I find the systemic refusal to protect women from abuse deeply concerning. From unequal pay to harassment and abuse, we need to finally say ‘enough is enough’ — women athletes shouldn’t be forced to endure mistreatment to compete in the sports they love. The NWSL, U.S. Soccer Federation, and the NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA) must work together to conduct a robust investigation into this widespread abuse of power.”
The NWSL replaced its commissioner and several managers have resigned in the wake of the allegations.
The letter is addressed to the league's interim CEO Marla Messing and to U.S. Soccer Federation president Cindy Parlow Cone.