The North Carolina Courage have fired head coach Paul Riley following allegations from former players, spanning multiple teams and leagues since 2010, that he coerced them into having sex with him.
The allegations, which came to light Thursday morning in a bombshell report by Meg Linehan published in The Athletic, detailed the experiences of two players, Sinead Farrelly and Meleana "Mana" Shim.
"The Courage support the players who have come forward and we commend them for bravely sharing their stories," the Courage said in their statement announcing the firing of Riley. "The North Carolina Football Club is united together in our commitment to creating a safe, positive, and respectful environment, not only within our club but across the league and our great sport."
Farrelly played for Riley while a member of three NWSL clubs, Philadelphia Independence, New York Fury and Portland Thorns, and recounted multiple incidents to The Athletic in which she felt coerced into having sex with the coach. Shim played for Riley with Farrelly in Portland and recounted similarly harrowing experiences, including one in which, after a night of drinking, Riley led both her and Farrelly back to his apartment and asked them to kiss each other. In exchange, the team would not have to go through a grueling conditioning exercise.
According to The Athletic's reporting, Riley claimed the majority of the allegations are "completely untrue."
Sean Nahas has been named the Courage's interim head coach, North Carolina said, and will be in that role for the remainder of the season.
In a statement released after the Courage announced Riley's firing, U.S. Soccer said his coaching license had been suspended effective immediately.
"These are serious allegations and these athletes -- and all the players in the NWSL -- have our unequivocal support," the U.S. Soccer statement reads in part. "U.S. Soccer is in communication with the NWSL as they review this matter and will work with them to ensure meaningful steps are taken to ensure a safe and supportive environment across the league."
North Carolina wasn't the first club associated with The Athletic's reporting to issue a statement.
Portland acknowledged it had received a harassment complaint from a player about Riley in 2015, after which the team conducted an investigation and placed Riley on administrative leave. The Thorns pledged to cooperate, too, with any further league investigations into the former coach's conduct.
The NWSL players association, the union which represents the league's players, released a statement saying "words cannot adequately capture our anger, pain, sadness, and disappointment" about The Athletic's story and a Washington Post report detailing the "old boys' club" culture that exists within the Washington Spirit's organization.
The NWSLPA also called for further investigation into the allegations, and said it had provided a sports psychologist for players who need support.
News of the coercion allegations shook the soccer world, with high-profile stars expressing their rage and disdain over the acts detailed in the story.
U.S. women's national team star Megan Rapinoe commended Farrelly and Shim for their strength, and then chastised "everyone in a position of power who let this happen," calling them "monsters."
Chrstine Sinclair, the Canadian soccer icon who also plays for Portland, urged the NWSL to take action, too.
"Protect the players. Protect women. It’s everyone’s responsibility to hold the standards and enforce accountability," Sinclair wrote on Twitter. "Why are we still dealing with these mostly male transgressions? This is unacceptable."
