Houston Dash suspends head coach, general manager James Clarkson amid harassment investigation
The Houston Dash suspended head coach and general manager James Clarkson on Tuesday due to an ongoing investigation to “review current and historical complaints of discrimination, harassment and abuse.”
Dash said a temporary coach will be appointed in the coming days. Houston opens National Women’s Soccer League Regular season Sunday against the expansion San Diego Waves.
According to a news release, the club received the initial findings from a joint investigation by the NWSL and NWSL Players’ Associations that began last year. Dash will await a final report before deciding on Clarkson’s future.
“As an organization, our highest priority is to create and maintain a safe and respectful work environment for our players and staff, which we believe is very important to us. with our success on the pitch,” Dash said in a statement. “The club has provided consulting services to all members of the organization interested.”
In a joint statement, the NWSL and NWSLPA recommended that Clarkson be “immediately suspended pending conclusion” of the investigation.
“Players have promised ourselves and future generations to change our Alliance – not through our words, but through our actions,” NWSLPA CEO Meghann Burke said in a statement. An announcement. “This shows that our joint investigation is doing the work on transforming the system. The work continues and we commend the Players for speaking up and speaking out.”
Clarkson, 50, was named Dash’s coach ahead of the 2019 season. Prior to that, he served as academy director for Houston’s MLS partner Dynamo, and was the sentence’s Premier Development League associate coach. club.
Similar problems cover the tournament in 2021 when North Carolina Courage fired coach Paul Riley for alleged sexual misconduct against his players while he previously coached the Portland Thorns. The consequence was the resignation of then-NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird.
The Washington Spirit fired coach Richie Burke that same month after a Washington Post story alleges he created an abusive work environment for his players. And Chicago Red Stars Coach Rory Dames resigned in November amid allegations ranging from verbal abuse to joking about the ethnicity and religion of the players and the unwarranted expectations the players spent time with. outside of practice.
In addition to the joint NWSL and NWSLPA investigation, the United States Soccer League has retained acting former attorney general Sally Yates to conduct an independent investigationis still going on.
