San Diego Wave’s Jill Ellis Denies Workplace Abuse Accusations

San Diego Wave president Jill Ellis called accusations of an abusive work environment made by a former National Women’s Soccer League employee “false” and “personally harmful.”

Ellis issued a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday in response to a social media post by Brittany Alvarado, the team’s former video and creative manager. Alvarado called on the NWSL to remove Ellis, a former U.S. women’s national team coach.

Alvarado alleged that there was discrimination in the workplace, which affected her mental health, posting a lengthy post on Portal X, formerly Twitter.

Ellis said mental health issues were a priority for the club, noting it had support measures in place, including an employee assistance program. She added that when allegations of mistreatment were made, the team conducted an investigation.

“In addition, where appropriate, independent third parties have assisted us in assessing our workplace. At no point did these assessments reveal any wrongdoing by the club,” Ellis said.

Ellis, who coached the U.S. national team to World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, added that the Wave aims to build a strong and unified club.

“What we do is intended to promote a culture of respect, inclusivity and excellence. The false accusations in (Wednesday’s) post not only harm me personally, but also take away from the incredible work and progress we have achieved together as a team,” Ellis said in a statement.

Wave called Alvarado’s accusations defamatory. The band said it is exploring possible legal avenues to resolve the matter.

Alex Morgan, who played for Ellis on both of his World Cup-winning teams, posted a statement on social media saying she was disappointed with the accusations.

“As players, we’ve worked hard to build a team that is inclusive, positive and safe,” Morgan said. “But it’s important to me that we create that environment for both players and staff across the organization. Equality in the workplace is something I strive for and will continue to strive for.”

An NWSL spokesperson told ESPN on Thursday: “The safety, health and well-being of everyone associated with our league is our highest priority. We take every report of potential misconduct seriously, employ qualified independent investigators to thoroughly review these allegations and act when allegations are supported by facts that have come to light. We have mandated corrective action in all cases where reports have been substantiated, including removing individuals who do not live up to our values ​​and standards.”

“We encourage anyone with information about potential misconduct to report the misconduct to the League Safety Officer. Alternatively, individuals can report anonymously through Real Response by texting 872-259-6975.”

An investigation commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation in 2022 and led by former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates revealed issues within the NWSL regarding accountability, player safety and a system that failed to respond to player complaints.

This report was prepared using information provided by the Associated Press.