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135-611: The Yates Report , officially titled Report of the Independent Investigation to the U.S. Soccer Federation Concerning Allegations of Abusive Behavior and Sexual Misconduct in Women's Professional Soccer , is the official report documenting the findings and conclusions concerning abusive behavior and sexual misconduct in women's professional soccer, with a focus on the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The 173-page report

270-409: A "lay term" which represents a boundary that has been broken, dictated by a moral set of conduct, particularly where the situation is normally non-sexual and therefore unusual for sexual behavior, or where there is some aspect of personal power or authority that makes sexual behavior inappropriate. A common theme, and the reason for the term misconduct , is that these violations occur during work or in

405-533: A European-style rooting section for the club, complete with drumming, flags, scarves, smoke bombs and constant chanting and cheering. By 2002, the group had changed its name to the Timbers Army in order to lose any perception of partiality toward Scottish soccer club Rangers and because the Timbers uniforms at the time resembled those of Rangers rival Celtic . By 2012, the Timbers Army numbered more than 4,000 people in

540-404: A boundary violation but if no one mentions the red flag, this is seen as standard conduct, and a potential abuser can move on to more touching after having normalized it with the students and also the observers. She's seen that abusers are often well-regarded and liked in the school, and that other school staff are reluctant to report boundary crossing in a way they wouldn't be if they found a gun on

675-556: A broader definition of what constitutes harassment as well as less hesitation about discussing their experiences". A literature review of educator sexual misconduct published by the US Department of Education in 2004 written by researcher Carol Shakeshaft found that 9.6% of high school students have experienced some form of sexual misconduct. Black, Hispanic, and Native American Indian children are at greatest risk for sexual abuse . Also at increased risk are children with disabilities;

810-439: A century educated the upper crust. The writer Alex Shoumatoff wrote two books on the history of private schools and saw them as microcosms of society. Shoumatoff, an alumnus of St. Paul's, did not like the press treatment his school received after the controversies over financial impropriety, hazing, a student drowning, and allegations that dozens of teachers sexually abused students from the 1940s to early 1990s. He reported that

945-539: A classroom even if it with student art since it means behavior inside can't be observed, an educator spending alone time in a classroom with a student, an educator giving a student rides home, as well as becoming close with the students' family to build trust. In their 2002 survey, the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation reported that, of students who had been harassed, 38% were harassed by teachers or other school employees. One survey that

1080-487: A consensus on it, either", "...except that there are three key considerations. First, a power imbalance. Second, coercion, whether implicit or explicit. Third, predatory behaviour." Ally Crockford, a public educator at the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre, states that "[s]exual misconduct is... a catch-all for behaviour that is not OK, but it's unclear how it should be classified. It could be any number of things—someone

1215-940: A contract non-renewal and thanked him for his service to the team. The report also noted that Thorns and Portland Timbers then-general manager Gavin Wilkinson endorsed him for a new role as manager of the Western New York Flash . More broadly, the report noted a systemic lack of communication between teams, the NWSL, and USSF of misconduct, and a lack of independent reporting functions for players to effectively escalate their concerns without fear of inaction or retaliation. The report alleged that players who reported abuse and misbehavior were traded, released, threatened, or otherwise retaliated against, including Mana Shim , Samantha Johnson , Christen Press , and other anonymous players who feared further retaliation if their names were attached to

1350-416: A cost to taxpayers of $ 38.5 million—for soccer", and that in exchange, he would spend $ 40 million for the franchise fee to bring a new Major League Soccer team to Portland. MLS was in support of the proposal, wanting to continue to expand the number of owners in the league (for a while, all of its teams were owned by three men: Philip Anschutz , Lamar Hunt , and Robert Kraft ). Though supporting

1485-641: A culture of misconduct at clubs, such as then-Thorns head coach Cindy Parlow Cone reporting allegedly sexually harassing comments from Thorns head of business Mike Golub , and Thorns owner Merritt Paulson allegedly attempting to discuss the illicit distribution of a United States women's national team player's nude photographs with Thorns players. The report alleged that the USSF took no action after United States national team players submitted allegations of abusive behavior by Riley directly to then-USSF president Sunil Gulati and then-manager Jill Ellis , who had forwarded

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1620-402: A dozen players from every team Riley had coached since 2010 spoke to the publication and two named players, both former Thorns, went on the record with allegations against him. In the article, Riley denied the allegations. The investigation led to widespread fan discontent, focused primarily on the fact that Riley was both hired and fired by Timbers/Thorns owner Paulson and GM Wilkinson. Wilkinson

1755-531: A formal resolution in just 8 percent of all the cases it investigated during that period. ... SafeSport has also instituted an appeals process unlike that even afforded criminal defendants. Rather than reviewing sanctions imposed by the Center for an abuse of discretion, as is required by the SafeSport Code, SafeSport gives respondents the right to what is effectively an entirely new fact-finding process, requiring

1890-513: A goal from Columbus striker Kei Kamara , the Portland Timbers held on to win their first MLS Cup and in doing so became the first team in the Cascadia rivalry to win the championship. Portland's 2016 offseason consisted of transfers of key players including Jorge Villafaña, Will Johnson, Maxi Urruti, and Rodney Wallace. For the Timbers' 2016 campaign as defending champions, the season began with

2025-512: A hotline for anonymous reporting of relevant information, and conducted more than 200 interviews of current and former coaches, front office staff, owners, and players from eleven current and former NWSL teams, NWSL employees, player labor union representatives, USSF personnel, and representatives from the United States Center for SafeSport . The report included detailed allegations of systemic sexual and emotional abuse by former managers of

2160-536: A lack of job security that enabled retaliation and further chilled player reports of misconduct. The report also suggested that the entities' focus on sustaining the league financially blinded them from addressing these systemic player safety problems. The report alleged that Portland Thorns FC, Racing Louisville FC, and Chicago Red Stars impeded Yates' investigation, with the Thorns interfering with witness access and using legal arguments to impede access of relevant documents,

2295-530: A list of states that did have "Don't Pass the Trash" laws. In 2024, a Harvard educator wrote that states and districts were still struggling to implement the Every Child Succeeds law's requirements. After the 2016 USA Today investigation piece was published, there were reforms put into action. The article found "9,000 disciplined teachers were missing from the national teacher misconduct database operated by

2430-805: A litigation-avoidance ploy and bottomless pit into which to dump complaints and disguise inaction." In May 2023, USA Today reporter Nancy Armour noted that six months after the Yates Report' s publication, and after 18 months of investigation, SafeSport had lifted USSF's suspension of Dames' coaching license while continuing to investigate him, and USSF president Parlow Cone said SafeSport had refused to share its findings or reasoning with USSF, contra Yates' recommendations. Armour also noted that SafeSport had obstructed USSF's attempts to reform its licensing and vetting processes over jurisdictional concerns, and also suggested contradictions from SafeSport CEO Ju’Riese Colon on whether anyone from SafeSport had been interviewed for

2565-483: A member of the Western Conference . The Timbers have played their home matches at Providence Park since 2011, when the team began play as an expansion team in the league. The club was founded in 2009, when the city of Portland was awarded an expansion berth to Major League Soccer. The team operating rights are owned by Peregrine Sports under the majority ownership of Merritt Paulson , whose companies had acquired

2700-483: A midfielder in MLS. In the off-season, Caleb Porter resigned as head coach on November 16, 2017, parting ways with the franchise. On Dec 18, the Timbers officially announced former New York Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese as the team's new head coach, making him the third non-interim head coach for the Timbers since entering MLS. Despite starting their 2018 season without a win in their first five games, Savaraese and

2835-443: A new job if they are 'known or believed, with probably cause, to have engaged in sexual misconduct with a student or minor.'” The 2015 Every Child Succeeds Act stated that any K-12 organization that got federal money needed to stop predatory teachers from getting new education jobs. Still as of July 2019, the federal Department of Education lacked authority to ensure district compliance. In July 2019, Frontline Education provided

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2970-406: A new stadium. In October 2007, Paulson was told PGE Park could be upgraded for about $ 20 million, and a new baseball stadium (with 8,000 to 9,000 seats) would cost about $ 30 million. By November 2008, Paulson told The New York Times he expected Portland taxpayers would spend $ 85 million to "build a new baseball stadium for his Beavers and renovate PGE Park—just remodeled in 2001 at

3105-482: A paid membership allowed states to track disciplinary actions on teachers licenses. The database was criticized for only including certified teachers. The Federal Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was known for trying to support female athletes especially at the collegiate level and to "prohibit sex discrimination in any educational program or activity that receives any federal funding," according to

3240-443: A player's detailed report of Riley's behavior, including details omitted by the Thorns from its investigative report, in 2015. The report further alleged that the Thorns conducted an investigation into multiple player reports of Riley's behavior, but that the Thorns internal investigative report omitted significant details reported by players. The report also noted that the Thorns privately fired Riley but publicly described his exit as

3375-493: A road record of 0–11–6 away from home and 12–14–8 (44 points) overall. In 2017, the team made it a priority to improve the team's defense, an issue the previous year, along with adding reinforcements in the midfield. Portland acquired Roy Miller and David Guzmán from C.D. Saprissa . Nat Borchers, who was injured in 2016, was not offered a new contract with the Timbers, and ultimately the veteran defender decided to retire. The Timbers also signed Sebastián Blanco , who had been

3510-526: A separate section of its recommendations to the NWSL's and USSF's intersections with the United States Center for SafeSport . The section suggested that SafeSport's practice of administratively closing most of its investigations without publishing findings or public records or allegations, and a lack of clarity around SafeSport's jurisdictional control, discouraged the NWSL and USSF from taking its own disciplinary actions or sharing details from player allegations internally. Of those (1,509 claims investigated in

3645-458: A sexual way, to sexual intercourse." In the interview, Shakeshaft also states that the problem seems to be increasing from the 9.6 percent figure she found in 2004 to a 17.4 percent of students in public schools who have experienced educator sexual misconduct as found in a study "Title IX Policy Implementation and Sexual Harassment Prevalence in K-12 Schools" by Billie Jo Grant et al published in

3780-505: A situation of a power imbalance (such as sexual harassment ). The alleged misconduct can be of various degrees, such as exposure of genitals, assault, aggressive come-ons, pleading, or even inattentiveness to nonverbal cues of discomfort. The "definition of sexual misconduct is far from clear" and it is a "lay term, sometimes used in institutional policies or by professional bodies", to deal with cases marked by power imbalance, coercion, and predatory behaviour." Educator sexual misconduct

3915-734: A specific meaning in the criminal law context, unlike sexual misconduct, which may cover both criminal and non-criminal conduct." Elizabeth Sheehy, the Shirley Greenberg Chair for Women and the Legal Profession at the University of Ottawa, states that "[s]exual misconduct is a social issue and not a fixed line—it shifts as women gain access to economic and political equality. It's not found under criminal law, in human rights codes, or collective agreements. It might be found under professional disciplinary codes." She states that "we don't have

4050-401: A subordinate, even when the contact is initiated by the latter, is considered unethical by some because of the subordinate's vulnerability to the superior and the inequality of power that characterizes the relationship. In the case of the doctor-patient relationship , having a sexual relationship with the patient even after the professional relationship has concluded is considered problematic for

4185-410: A teacher may be fired and a doctor may have their medical license revoked because of sexual misconduct. In addition, the person in the subordinate position may allege sexual harassment . The University of Iowa defines sexual misconduct as "...unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that is committed without consent or by force, intimidation, coercion, or manipulation." Entering a sexual relationship with

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4320-487: A teammate of Valeri at Lanús, from San Lorenzo. Mid-season the Timbers also acquired center-back Larrys Mabiala from the Turkish club Kayserispor . In the second half of the season, midfielder Valeri scored in nine consecutive games, setting a new MLS record. Portland qualified for the playoffs once more in their second-to-last match of the regular season, a 4–0 rout of D.C. United at Providence Park . The Timbers finished

4455-409: A win in a rematch against Columbus Crew SC. Portland's season in 2016 overall was described by head coach Caleb Porter as "A tale of two seasons." Although the team had a strong record at home, that performance was not reflected on the road, and the team dealt with injuries to key players throughout the season. The Timbers did not win a single match away from Providence Park in the season, finishing with

4590-401: Is a broad term that includes verbal and physical sexual abuse, and in 2004, the first study on the topic "The Shakeshaft Report" found that one in ten students experienced sexual misconduct before graduating from high school, and this may be an underestimation since researchers Carol Shakeshaft found that only six percent of students officially reported educator sexual misconduct. A 2020 study by

4725-606: Is consistently referred to by American media as one of the best, or very best, supporting groups in the country, with Timbers fans often given the same distinction. The Timbers Army was founded in 2001 as the Cascade Rangers, a reference to the Cascade Range of mountains in the Pacific Northwest region of North America . The group began congregating in section 107 ("The Woodshed") of PGE Park ("The Piggy") to create

4860-458: Is discussed in detail in this article. In the legal sense, for a person in a position of authority it includes in particular any sexual activity between them and one of their subordinates. This commonly includes teachers and their students, clergy and their congregants, doctors and their patients, and employers and their employees. While such activity is usually not explicitly illegal, it is often against professional ethical codes . For example,

4995-543: Is made to feel uncomfortable, or they feel they are being watched or looked at in a certain way." Michelle Cottle wrote in The Atlantic that the "...almost infinite shades of creepy misbehavior on display are challenging the legal and cultural categories used to describe them", as this issue is, in "...some ways, uncharted territory", making it "...hard to tell how the new lines will be drawn, much less where." Cottle states that "[m]illennials and younger Gen Xers seem to have

5130-540: Is that as a society there isn't a will to know. She discusses this in a Harvard Graduate School of Education interview where she stresses the importance of reporting boundary violations and states she hasn't seen a person's life ruined by a report that wasn't of concern. She states, "So sexual misconduct is targeting a student in a sexual way. It could be language. It could be behaviors. It could be sharing pornographic materials. The behaviors can be anyplace from playing with their hair and talking to them about sex, to hugging in

5265-470: Is the area she covers. She writes in the book that more than the perpetrator is complicit in the continuing child sexual abuse by school employees. She states the entire community bears responsibility from teachers who suspected but did not say anything to administrators who ignored the allegations to leadership. In fact, she writes "We are all complicit." Shakeshaft concludes that one of the reasons there haven't been more studies on educator sexual misconduct

5400-621: The 2020 American athlete strikes , voted to strike and not play their game against the San Jose Earthquakes that night. The game was then rescheduled to September 16. In 2021, the Timbers finished fourth in the Western Conference, then upset top-seeded Colorado Rapids and staved off a hot underdog in Real Salt Lake en route to their third Cup final as an MLS club. For the first time since Soccer Bowl '77 , Portland would host

5535-649: The 2020 Major League Soccer season with a loss at home against Minnesota United FC and a win against MLS expansion side Nashville SC . On March 12, 2020, the season then entered a lengthy suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America . On June 10, MLS announced that a bracket format dubbed the " MLS is Back Tournament " would begin July 8 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Walt Disney World , and end with

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5670-586: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that indicates 1 in every 5 women (and 1 in 71 men) will be raped during their lifetime at some point. Despite the prevalence of rape and the fact that false rape allegations are rare, Tuerkheimer reported that law enforcement officers often default to disbelief about an alleged rape. This documented prejudice leads to reduced investigation and criminal justice outcomes that are faulty compared to other crimes. Tuerkheimer says that women face "credibility discounts" at all stages of

5805-572: The National Institute of Justice found that 19.0% of college women and 6.1% of college men experienced either sexual assault or attempted sexual assault since entering college. In the University of Pennsylvania Law Review in 2017, D. Tuerkheimer reviewed the literature on rape allegations, and reported on the problems surrounding the credibility of rape victims, and how that relates to false rape accusations. She pointed to national survey data from

5940-760: The Portland Thorns of the National Women's Soccer League . Providence Park has existed in Portland since 1893 and as a complete stadium since 1926, when it was constructed by the nearby Multnomah Athletic Club, which still borders the stadium on the southern end. Providence Park is the oldest soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer and one of the most historic grounds used by any United States professional soccer team. The stadium has played host to many watershed moments in United States soccer history, including

6075-558: The Soccer Bowl '77 , the 1999 and 2003 FIFA Women's World Cups , the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup , the 2014 MLS All-Star Game , the 2015 NWSL Championship Game , and MLS Cup 2021 . Providence Park has been the home of the Portland Timbers in all of their iterations since 1975. In July 2009, the Portland City Council approved a $ 31 million renovation to make the stadium ready for the 2011 Major League Soccer season , reconfiguring

6210-484: The abuse by priests ." In November 2024, Shakeshaft released a new book called "Organizational Betrayal: How School Enable Sexual Misconduct and How to Stop It. This book largely was researched when she appeared as an expert witness in cases about sexual misconduct and made agreements to be able to use the findings in her research. Otherwise she found it hard to get people to talk about educator sexual misconduct in K-12, which

6345-610: The final , and once again qualified for the Champions League. In 2021, the Timbers won the Western Conference and once again were runners-up in MLS Cup , falling to New York City FC 4–2 on penalties after a 1–1 score at extra time. Portland has long-standing rivalries with nearby clubs Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps FC , with whom they compete for the Cascadia Cup . Professional soccer in Portland, Oregon can be traced to

6480-488: The soccer team that competed in the top-level North American Soccer League (NASL) as an expansion team from 1975 until the club's seventh season in 1982. The club's major achievement was in their inaugural season during the league's playoffs, having won the league's division final, and runners-up in Soccer Bowl '75 losing to the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the championship match. In 1985, F.C. Portland had established and

6615-545: The team that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1975 to 1982. In 2013 , the Timbers finished the regular season in first place in the Western Conference, clinching both their first-ever playoff appearance and a CONCACAF Champions League berth. In 2015, the franchise won the Western Conference Finals in the playoffs , and their first major trophy, the MLS Cup , becoming

6750-422: The "artificial aristocracy" based on wealth and birth was being replaced by what Thomas Jefferson called the "natural aristocracy" of virtue and talent. One rector of St. Paul's in 1996 published an article that stated, ""Although the old-monied families still exert a considerable influence and control over their alma maters, they often do so in ways that reflect their own social and financial insecurities. ... caused

6885-558: The 2010s and into 20s, media reports and school investigations showed that the problem is prevalent in private schools as well. Shakeshaft in "Organizational Betrayal" states that independent/private schools do experience current and historical misconduct, but are unique in that reputation is everything and their students can easily transfer to other schools. She quotes the National Association of Independent Schools that states schools must not interpret reputation as integrity and that

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7020-455: The 2012 media reports, the Boston Globe published an investigation in 2016 on East Coast boarding schools that showed patterns similar to Horace Mann where misconduct was not addressed and added an aspect now called "pass the trash" in public schools where private school teachers were also given good references and sent to other private schools where they reoffended. Educator sexual misconduct

7155-421: The 2014 MLS season, the Timbers could not replicate the success they had in the previous season. They struggled defensively in the beginning of the season with a 1–3–6 (W-L-D) record over the first ten games. They were able to mount a comeback late in the season, still having a chance on the final weekend to appear in the MLS playoffs but ultimately failing to qualify. The Timbers finished the season in 6th place in

7290-561: The 2023 Educational Policy publication using data from the 2018-2019 year. Shakeshaft uses 132 cases of employee sexual misconduct that she wrote reports on to provide the basis for her research in "Organizational Betrayal." She states that she is often asked why educators would sexually abuse students and her answer is "because they can." She writes that not enough is being done to protect students. Trends that she notices are that boundary violations start small and then become normalized and afterwards increase. For example, she states hugs can be

7425-526: The 2023 season, the Timbers would fire Savarese after a 5–0 road loss to the Dynamo. After narrowly missing the playoffs yet again, the club would go on to hire Phil Neville as coach, which brought ire from fans due to past sexist comments on social media. The Timbers started their 2024 season with a 4−1 defeat of the Colorado Rapids and a new shirt sponsor in the roofing company DaBella. The shirt sponsorship

7560-573: The 2024 Harvard Gazette. In 1992, Title IX was interpreted to also include sexual harassment and assault. The Department of Education has redefined the term sexual harassment in a Dear Colleague letter in 2011 and 2020 during the Trump administration, and again in April 2024 issued more regulatory changes. Before 2021, when the Harvard Title IX coordinator described the general idea as "unwelcome conduct on

7695-496: The CDC replicated part of this study with 8,810 students on 138 college campuses. They examined rape only, and did not look at attempted rape. They found that 20% of women and 4% of men had experienced rape in the course of her or his lifetime. On campuses, it has been found that alcohol is a prevalent issue in regards to sexual assault. It has been estimated that 1 in 5 women experience an assault, and of those women, 50–75% have had either

7830-512: The Conference Final series 5–3 aggregate with a 3–1 win at home and tying 2–2 in the second match in Toyota Park, becoming Western Conference Champions and advancing to their first-ever MLS Cup appearance. The Timbers won the 2015 MLS Cup against Columbus Crew SC 2–1 from the fastest MLS Cup goal from Diego Valeri, followed by a header from Rodney Wallace in the first half. Despite conceding

7965-736: The Expansion Draft, the Timbers announced the trade of their first pick (midfielder Dax McCarty ), from FC Dallas to D.C. United for defender Rodney Wallace . The Timbers and Whitecaps also participated in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft on January 13, 2011, with the Whitecaps having the first pick, and the Timbers having the second pick. Vancouver surprised some by selecting youngster Omar Salgado and Portland swiftly selected Akron midfielder/forward Darlington Nagbe . The Timbers played their first MLS game on March 19, 2011, against reigning MLS champions Colorado Rapids , but lost 3–1. The first goal in

8100-552: The NWSL, as well as failures at team, league, and USSF leadership levels in responding to player reports of abuse. The report alleged that coaches and managers implicated in abusive behaviors were defended or further enabled by owners, and also allowed to continue to work in the sport due to inaction from USSF. The report recognized nine key findings: The report noted that the league did not have an anti-harassment policy until players demanded one in 2021, nor did it have an anti-retaliation policy or an anti-fraternization policy. It cited

8235-582: The Portland City Council approved for construction a US$ 85 million expansion project to increase seating capacity for Providence Park. The project, whose terms were already approved in June of the same year, added an additional 4,000 seats to the near 22,000 seats already built, increasing overall capacity by 20%. The stadium plan was in the works for several seasons as the Timbers had a season ticket waitlist of approximately 13,000. The new remade steel stand

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8370-453: The Red Stars $ 1.5 million, Portland Thorns FC $ 1 million, Racing Louisville FC $ 200,000, North Carolina Courage $ 100,000, OL Reign $ 50,000, and NJ/NY Gotham FC (formerly Sky Blue FC) $ 50,000. It also required North Carolina and Louisville to hire a sporting staff independent of its men's teams. Sexual misconduct However generally, from a purely legal standpoint, sexual misconduct is

8505-411: The Red Stars taking more than eight months to produce relevant documents, and Louisville refusing to provide documents about Holly and using a non-disclosure agreement to justify preventing current and former employee witnesses from answering questions. The report also noted that failures by teams, the league, and the USSF tacitly allowed misconduct to continue, which endangered additional players after

8640-713: The Thorns organization. They were replaced in November 2023 by DaBella, an Oregon-based home renovations contractor with 46 locations. The sponsorship was terminated one game into the regular season by the Timbers on February 28, 2024, after DaBella CEO Donnie McMillan Jr. was accused of sexual harassment. On May 12, 2024, the Timbers announced a multi-year deal with the Tillamook County Creamery Association as their new front of jersey sponsor. Home, away, and alternative uniforms. The Timbers play at Providence Park in downtown Portland, which they share with

8775-580: The Timbers D-2 Pro League squad in 2010 ( Steve Cronin , Bright Dike , and Ryan Pore ), one was signed from D-2 Pro League team Austin Aztex (forward Eddie Johnson ) and one was acquired via trade with New York Red Bulls (midfielder Jeremy Hall ). On November 24, 2010, the Timbers, along with the other 2011 expansion team, Vancouver Whitecaps FC , participated in an MLS Expansion Draft, each selecting 10 players from existing teams. Immediately after

8910-454: The Timbers finished their campaign strong, and would earn their second trip to the MLS Cup on December 8, 2018, where they would be defeated 2–0 by Atlanta United. The 2019 season was overshadowed by the large renovation to Providence Park, which resulted in the addition of 4,000 seats on the east side of the stadium. The extensive construction meant that the Timbers played the first 12 matches of

9045-418: The Timbers' MLS era was scored by Kenny Cooper . In their first season, the Portland Timbers finished in 6th place in the Western Conference and 12th place overall. On July 9, 2012, John Spencer was fired after a 0–3 loss to Real Salt Lake . Gavin Wilkinson took over on an interim basis for the rest of the season. The Timbers finished 2012 with the third-worst record in the league and was 8th out of 9th in

9180-571: The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights based on data from the 2017-18 school year on sexual assault and rape also showed a growing problem. And a 2020 study "The Nature and Scope of Educator Misconduct in K-12" found the number had increased to 11.7 percent. One of the early media articles on the subject was the 2006 Vanity Fair article, "A Private School Affair" that includes multiple controversies at St. Paul's School, an exclusive boarding school in Concord, New Hampshire that for more than

9315-579: The USSF's rushed launch of the league, which deprived it of infrastructure, policies, and planning appropriate for a professional sports league despite incidents of harassment, fraternization, and abuse in previous professional and amateur women's and youth soccer leagues in the United States. The report focused on reports of alleged abuse by three coaches: The report included detailed allegations of abuse and misconduct, extending beyond sexual abuse and harassment to verbally abusive coaching and insufficient boundaries between staff and players. It also described

9450-496: The Western Conference and third place in MLS overall. An important player was Diego Valeri , whom the Timbers had acquired from Club Atlético Lanús on loan with an option to purchase (which they exercised later in the season). In the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament, the club reached the semifinals, where they were eliminated by Real Salt Lake. The Timbers also earned their first MLS playoff appearance in franchise history. They defeated their archrival Seattle Sounders FC in

9585-433: The Western Conference, 11th place overall. For the 2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League , the Timbers were drawn with Club Deportivo Olimpia and Alpha United in the group stage of the tournament. They were eliminated in the group stage on away goals. During the offseason, Portland's main focus was to avoid a slow start as they did in the 2014 season, made more difficult with Diego Valeri and Will Johnson being unavailable for

9720-512: The Western Conference. They did, however, win the Cascadia Cup in MLS for the first time. The 2013 season began with new head coach Caleb Porter , who was previously head coach of the United States U-23 team and the University of Akron Zips men's team from 2006 to 2012. Under Porter, the Timbers achieved immediate success in the 2013 MLS regular season. They finished in first place in

9855-411: The acquisition of an MLS franchise raised numerous issues for Mayor Sam Adams and the Portland City Council, the Timbers were announced as Major League Soccer's eighteenth team on March 20, 2009, by Commissioner Don Garber . The announcement occurred during the first and second-round games of the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament that were held in Portland. The announcement noted that

9990-804: The amount at 833. In public K-12, there has been more focus on educator sexual misconduct in the United States since the 2016 investigation by USA Today "Teachers who sexually abuse students still find classroom jobs." The article states that after a year-long investigation showed, "education officials put children in harm's way by covering up evidence of abuse, keeping allegations secret and making it easy for abusive teachers to find jobs elsewhere." It continued that schoolchildren continue "to be beaten, raped and harassed by their teachers while government officials at every level stand by and do nothing." USA Today found more than 100 teachers who were still working with children despite losing their licenses. The article states abusive teachers make up an estimated one percent of

10125-402: The attacker, the woman, or both, consume alcohol prior to the assault. Not only has it been a factor in the rates of sexual assault on campus, but because of the prevalence, assaults are also being affected specifically by the inability to give consent when intoxicated and bystanders not knowing when to intervene due to their own intoxication or the intoxication of the victim. A 2007 survey by

10260-478: The basis of sex that was severe, persistent, or pervasive, based on the totality of the circumstances" to 2020 where it was change to "severe, persistent, and pervasive" and then in 2024 to "a definition for hostile environment harassment, which is unwelcome sex-based conduct that, based on the totality of the circumstances, is subjectively and objectively offensive and is severe or pervasive." Districts that have had educator sexual misconduct investigations covered in

10395-468: The boarding school to do what it has often been accused of doing ... namely, to serve private rather than public interests." A book written about student sexual misconduct in 1990 at St. Paul's that was met with administrative inaction is Lacy Crawford's "Notes on a Silencing". The 2020 memoir reflects the # MeToo movement that gained prominence in 2017 and Crawford writes about women's uneasy relationships with institutions. The Washington Post's review of

10530-420: The book stated, "The book, which chronicles her assault at a boarding school, is a reminder of how adults willingly and knowingly serve up children to trauma in exchange for maintaining their reputations." Another significant case involving St. John's was a 2014 sexual assault on freshman Chessy Prout during the "Senior Salute" tradition where senior-year males competed for freshman-year females that resulted in

10665-779: The championship of top-flight American soccer as the Timbers faced New York City FC in the final. After a 94th-minute goal from forward Felipe Mora that canceled out a first-half score from league top-scorer Valentín Castellanos , the Timbers and NYCFC finished extra time levelled at 1–1. The Timbers had two penalties saved in the shoot-out and lost the Cup after a 4–2 result, marking their second loss in MLS Cup finals. In late September 2021, The Athletic published an investigation into North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley , alleging that Riley had sexually coerced and verbally abused players on his teams, including during his two-year tenure as Portland Thorns head coach in 2014 and 2015. More than

10800-548: The claimant to go through the process all over again. As a practical matter, respondents use the right to appeal to take another bite at the apple, in the hope that claimants will not want to rehash their claims. The section generated public criticism of SafeSport from journalists who covered the allegations. In October 2022, journalist Sally Jenkins wrote a column in The Washington Post that criticized SafeSport as "a false front … little more than another coverup operation,

10935-500: The club. Paulson announced he, along with general manager Gavin Wilkinson (who was extended prior to the season) and Golub, would step away from the Thorns. On October 5, 2022, Wilkinson and Golub were fired from the club altogether. Ned Grabavoy handled Timbers front office duties in the interim. On the pitch, the Timbers would lose the last game of the season against Real Salt Lake , knocking them out of playoff contention and lifting RSL in their place by one point. Midway through

11070-451: The complaints to USSF then-chief executive officer Dan Flynn , NWSL then-executive director Cheryl Bailey , and NWSL then-general counsel Lisa Levine . It also alleged that Bailey, Gulati, Flynn, USSF counsel Lydia Wahlke , and USSF chief operating officer Jay Berhalter took no action after responses to an anonymous player survey repeated the complaints; and that Plush, Gulati, Flynn, and Levine again took no action after directly receiving

11205-611: The conference semifinals 5–3 on aggregate. The Timbers were eliminated in the conference finals, again losing to Real Salt Lake in a two–game aggregate series (5–2 aggregate). Due to a change by the United States Soccer Federation of how American-based MLS teams can qualify in the CONCACAF Champions League, the Portland Timbers qualified for the 2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League , which was their first international tournament they would later take part in. In

11340-530: The database. In 2022, the Education Department published a "Study of State Policies to Prohibit Aiding and Abetting Sexual Misconduct" that found uneven policies among states with what is colloquially known as passing the trash. The state educational associations reported that the lack of sharing information between states caused problems. The study did discuss the database from the NASDTEC database that with

11475-502: The difference between consensual dating and improper behavior. According to Joanne Laucius from the Ottawa Citizen , the "definition of sexual misconduct is far from clear" and the "word 'misconduct' also lacks precision — it can be used as a catch-all for all kinds of behaviour, often obscuring what actually happened". Laucius states that the terms "sexual violence or sexual harassment and assault are much more specific terms that convey

11610-475: The fact and further encouraged retaliation against whistleblowers. The report also noted that it had received reports beyond the scope of its NWSL investigation that suggested the scope of its systemic abuse issues extended into American youth soccer, where many NWSL coaches had previously worked, or owned, operated, or directed youth clubs. The report suggested the culture of abuse and players' reluctance to report misconduct originated in similar power imbalances at

11745-585: The final on August 11. Portland began the tournament drawn with LAFC , LA Galaxy , and the Houston Dynamo in Group F, which was dubbed the "Group of Death" by the media. The Timbers defeated Chicharito and the Galaxy 2–1 to open the tournament, downed Houston by the same score 5 days later, and then, assured of passage to the next round, came back to tie LAFC 2–2 while playing mostly their reserves to finish on top of

11880-424: The first several weeks due to injuries suffered in the final games of the 2014 season. New acquisitions included Nat Borchers from Real Salt Lake and Ghanaian/Norwegian keeper Adam Larsen Kwarasey . The 2015 season, marked the franchise's fifth season as an MLS franchise, and the fortieth anniversary of the Timbers' legacy that traces back to the original North American Soccer League, which has been recognized by

12015-483: The first team in Cascadia to do so. In 2017, the club again finished the regular season in first place in the Western Conference. In 2018 , the Timbers again made the playoffs , advancing in three rounds, defeating archrival Seattle in the semifinals along the way, and made the MLS Cup where they lost 2–0 to Atlanta United FC . In 2020, the Timbers won the one-off MLS is Back Tournament , defeating Orlando City SC in

12150-467: The first time on July 1, 2019, as the Timbers hosted LAFC , selling out the capacity of 25,218. The expansion gave Providence Park the 4th-highest seating capacity of any soccer-specific stadium in MLS. Included in the renovation were the addition of three decks of new seats, two new video boards and a modern edge-to-edge roof, as well as updated LED lighting throughout the park. The Timbers sold out every home game from their transition to MLS in 2011 until

12285-505: The game went 11 rounds, with Sporting's Saad Abdul-Salaam unbelievably missing a potential game winning kick off of both posts. Kwarasey scored the winning goal and made the winning save in the 11th round of penalties. The game has been since dubbed, "The Double Post". The Timbers advanced to defeat Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the second leg of their two-game series, winning the Conference Semifinals 2–0. Portland defeated FC Dallas in

12420-403: The grounds primarily for men and women's soccer. Operational capacity was 18,627 for the 2011 MLS season and expanded to 20,323 for the 2012 season. On February 10, 2014, the Timbers signed a long-term stadium naming rights sponsorship with Providence Health & Services , a non-profit health care provider. The stadium will be known as Providence Park until at least 2028. In December 2017,

12555-486: The group. In the Round of 16, Portland led FC Cincinnati before a late gaffe from goalkeeper Steve Clark forced the Timbers into a tie and penalty kicks. Clark redeemed himself in the shootout and Portland won 1–1 (4–2) to advance to the next round of knockout games. In the Round of 8, Portland fell behind New York City FC after conceding an early goal but scored 3 in a row in the second half to cruise to an easy 3–1 win, which

12690-585: The investigation or subsequent journalistic reporting. The report also alleged that players, staff, and coaches engaged in inappropriate fraternization that chilled reporting of abuse or normalized it to the point of players being unable to recognize it. The report noted that Riley, Dames, and Holly had all married former players, which further "desensitized the system about power imbalances" and systematically normalized power imbalances that fostered abuse. The report noted that many teams lacked human resource departments, and that league roster rules and policies led to

12825-459: The issues that would be replayed in other sexual misconduct inquiries—resistance by the school, alumni activism, press coverage, concern over reputation, and cultural aspects of elite schools that may contribute to these scandals. Horace Mann in the Bronx, NY in 2012 was found to have historical educator misconduct was uncovered in 2012 from as far back as the 1960s and often by serial offenders. After

12960-404: The justice system, including from police, jurors, judges, and prosecutors. These credibility discounts are especially pronounced when the victim is acquainted with the accuser, and the vast majority of rapes fall into this category. The U.S. Department of Justice estimated from 2005 to 2007 that about 2% of victims who were raped while incapacitated (from drugs, alcohol, or other reasons) reported

13095-494: The match with only seven men after three players (including Clint Dempsey ) were given red cards, and Obafemi Martins leaving due to a groin injury. Portland would be defeated by Real Salt Lake in the fifth round. In a highly competitive Western Conference, the Timbers once again qualified for the MLS Playoffs, finishing strong in the final matches of the regular season which included a 5–2 win against LA Galaxy. Portland finished

13230-793: The media include Redlands Unified School District in California that was featured in the 2023 CBS documentary "Pledge of silence." Others are the Coronado School District in California where a 2019 article was published "Investigations into educator abuse vary wildly from school to school" and Long Island, New York where Newsday in 2024 published an investigation into the secrecy of multiple districts. The 2016 USA Today piece on how teachers who abuse find new jobs in education stated that, "Private schools and youth organizations are especially at risk. They are left on their own to perform background checks of new hires and generally have no access to

13365-495: The nature of the allegations." Elaine Craig, an associate professor in the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, states that "[s]exual misconduct is a lay term, sometimes used in institutional policies or by professional bodies. It covers an array of problematic sexual behaviour including sexual harassment, sexual assault and sexual abuse. Two of these terms have specific (and different) legal meanings: Sexual assault has

13500-423: The non-profit National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification [NASDTEC]. The story and subsequent reports outlined widespread inconsistencies in how states handle teacher background checks and how they report problem teaches to NASDTEC." In the follow up article, NASDTEC Executive Director Phillip Rogers said they called for an audit of all 50 state agencies about their submissions in

13635-550: The north-end on match day. In 2019, the Timbers Army made national news as they clashed with the MLS front office over the use of the Iron Front symbol on flags flown by Timbers supporters. MLS banned the anti-fascist symbol along with far-right regalia in a blanket ban of "political signage", which the Army contested, arguing in a statement that opposition to fascism, racism, and sexism was not political. A protracted public battle between

13770-531: The pandemic of 2020–2021, a league-record streak of 163 games. The Timbers cap season-ticket sales at 15,300, and at one point had a waitlist of 10,000 season tickets, larger than almost every college football team. The main supporters group of the Portland Timbers is the Timbers Army . Its members are known for their loud, enthusiastic support and the raucous atmosphere they create at Timbers games, as well as their leftist political positions. The Timbers Army

13905-504: The physician because of the potential for the patient's continuing dependence on and transference towards the physician. Therefore, sexual relationships with former patients are considered unethical by the medical profession when physicians "use or exploit the trust , knowledge , emotions or influence derived from the previous professional relationship" in any way. By contrast, legal ethics permit sexual relations with former client and, in California, with current clients as well so long as

14040-502: The pursuit of perfection. The axe pays homage to the Pacific Northwest 's logging industry, as loggers traditionally used axes to cut down trees. There are three chevrons organized to resemble a pine tree that refer to the Timbers' membership in three separate leagues: the original North American Soccer League , the United Soccer Leagues , and Major League Soccer. The team's colors, ponderosa green and moss green, represent

14175-570: The rape to the police, compared to 13% of victims who experienced physically forced sexual assault. While this issue was often discussed in higher education, K-12 Dive states that before 2016 it was rarely discussed in K-12 education despite being prevalent. K-12 Dive also reported the Office of Civil Rights recorded 350 sexual harassment complaints in 2012. By 2022, the Education Department’s civil rights enforcement arm reported more than double

14310-485: The reason for this may be their greater need for individual attention and their possible problems with communicating. Children who have been victims of educator sexual misconduct usually have low self-esteem , and they are likely to develop suicidal ideation and depression . Because the abuser was a person the child was encouraged to trust, they may experience a sense of betrayal. Shakeshaft also claimed that sexual abuse in public schools "is likely more than 100 times

14445-483: The regular season third in the Western Conference, fifth overall. Portland played against Sporting Kansas City in the MLS playoffs' Knockout round that went to penalties after Sporting's Kevin Ellis scored a late tying goal in the final minutes of regulation ending in 1–1. Maxi Urruti scored late in overtime tying 2–2 after Sporting had the lead from a goal from Kristen Nemeth in the 97th minute. The penalty shootout to decide

14580-677: The release of the NWSL/NWSLPA joint investigative report in January 2023, the NWSL permanently banned Riley, Holly, Dames, and former Washington Spirit head coach Richie Burke ; suspended former Utah Royals FC head coach Craig Harrington and Sky Blue FC general manager Alyse LaHue until 2025; and conditionally suspended former coaches Farid Benstiti of OL Reign , former Houston Dash head coaches James Clarkson and Vera Pauw ; and former Orlando Pride head coach Amanda Cromwell and her assistants Sam Greene and Aline Reis . The league also fined

14715-436: The report as Yates had claimed. After the report's release, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman emphasized the renewed importance of the parallel investigation being conducted jointly by the NWSL and NWSL Players Association . Many of the allegations in the Yates Report reappeared in that investigation's report, which also detailed additional allegations of harassment and abusive or inappropriate behavior by managers. Following

14850-437: The scoring with a diving header from Larrys Mabiala off a pass from Diego Valeri in the 27th minute. Orlando equalized in the 39th minute, but Portland scored again in the 66th minute after defender Dario Župarić scored his first goal as a Timber, and Portland's defense held on to win 2–1, making the Portland Timbers under Savarese the MLS is Back Tournament champions. On August 26, 2020, Portland Timbers players, as part of

14985-458: The season away from home. The team emerged from this extensive road trip with a marginal record of 4–6–2. Portland would largely fail to improve in their remaining home games. The Timbers finished the season with 49 points overall, which placed them 6th in the Western Conference. They went on to face Real Salt Lake in the 2019 playoffs in Salt Lake, which resulted in a 2–1 loss. The Timbers began

15120-538: The season in first place in the Western Conference, also winning the Cascadia Cup for the second time as an MLS team. Portland were eliminated by the Houston Dynamo in the Western Conference Semifinal. For the first time a Timbers player received MLS's Landon Donovan MVP award , given to Valeri for scoring 20+ goals and earning 10+ assists, among other accomplishments; it was the most goals ever scored by

15255-520: The sex is consensual and is not rendered in exchange for legal services. Some activities which are not strictly erotic, e.g. mooning (exposing the buttocks), streaking (running naked through a public area) and skinny dipping (swimming naked), are sometimes also categorized as sexual misconduct. Despite these opinions, others believe that sexual relations in workplace settings is not unethical including between boss and employee. Many companies do not prohibit so-called fraternization but instead recognize

15390-401: The sexual misconduct inquiry started with a student disclosure of past faculty sexual misconduct at a twenty-fifth reunion and some alumni joined a task force to present to the rector (the head). One former student was quoted as saying the board was protecting themselves after hearing first-hand accounts of misconduct. The article also describes changes in the parent community at St. John's from

15525-414: The sole tracking system of teachers who were disciplined by state authorities." The estimated amount of educator sexual misconduct is that one in ten students experiences this between K-12 based on 2004 data largely from public schools. Private schools that do not rely on government money do not need to release information about the rates of educator sexual misconduct. Starting in the late aughts and through

15660-422: The stairwell. She states that there isn't enough education around grooming and boundary crossing behaviors for bystanders to understand and intervene. In addition, she notes administrator resistance, staff and student support for the perpetrator, mass outrage by parents, and punishing of the victim as possible outcomes in the cases she's researched. She states that red flags include covering the windows and doors of

15795-517: The state of Oregon's forests . It was announced in September 2010 that the Portland Timbers' jerseys would be sponsored by Alaska Airlines . On December 9, 2010, the jersey was revealed at a runway show at Portland International Airport . The home jersey was a two-tone halved green shirt, while the alternate jersey was red in honor of Portland being known as the Rose City. On February 23, 2021, it

15930-566: The team would retain the Portland Timbers name. Former forward and Colorado Rapids assistant coach John Spencer was named the first head coach of the Timbers on August 10, 2010. It was also announced that former head coach Gavin Wilkinson of the USL-1 / USSF D-2 Timbers, was promoted as the general manager/technical director of the team. The Timbers signed five players before the MLS Expansion Draft on November 24, 2010. Three were part of

16065-455: The team. In 2015, the Timbers began their campaign without Diego Valeri and Will Johnson, who were still recovering from their injuries they obtained in the previous season. They would eventually return later in the season. The 2015 US Open Cup pitted Portland against arch-rival Seattle in the fourth round of the tournament, where they would eliminate the Sounders 3–1 in overtime, Seattle finished

16200-479: The then-USL Pro team in 2007 and later established the Portland Thorns women's team in 2012 (all MLS franchises are centrally owned by the league itself, which grants operating rights and privileges to the individual club "owners," who are also shareholders in MLS). The club is a phoenix club , and the fourth soccer franchise based in Portland (second top-level ) to carry the legacy of the Timbers name, which originated with

16335-475: The total number of teachers. Their investigation showed dozens who were accused of abusive behavior, lost that job, and then got hired at another job around students. This phenomenon is known as "pass the trash." US News and World Report reported in 2022 that the federal K-12 Elementary and Secondary Education Act , "requires states to adopt laws and policies that prohibit school employers from assisting or 'aiding and abetting' employees or contractors in obtaining

16470-420: The truest mesasure of institutional strength is integrity, which is tested with preventing and responding to educator sexual misconduct. One of the early disclosures of historical educator misconduct was 2006 at St. Paul's in Concord, New Hampshire that has many times been the center of controversy over student sexual misconduct as well. The 2006 Vanity Fair piece "A Private School Affair" illustrated many of

16605-847: The well-publicized trial where the senior Owen Labrie who maintained the encounter was consensual. Chessy Prout co-wrote the book "I Have a Right to" published in 2018 and her family created a nonprofit with the same name. In 2023, Prout's parents wrote an opinion article in the Citizen Times that described an institutional approach to treating victims of sexual assault as DARVO , a term coined by psychologist Jennifer Freyd that stands for deny, attack and reverse, victim and offender Portland Timbers The Portland Timbers are an American professional soccer club based in Portland, Oregon . The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as

16740-405: The year from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020, SafeSport) administratively closed 515 cases, put 115 cases on administrative hold, and closed 720 claims based on jurisdiction. Of the 1,509 claims, just 122 led to a formal resolution, whereby SafeSport completed its investigation and either closed the matter or issued a decision finding a violation of the SafeSport Code. In other words, SafeSport reached

16875-467: The youth level. The Yates Report recommended several actions for teams, the NWSL, and USSF to take toward improving transparency, accountability, rule clarity, player safety and respect, feedback mechanisms, youth soccer measures, discipline, and its interaction with SafeSport. The report found that the league's and USSF's reliance on the United States Center for SafeSport for player safety instead further exposed players to risks. The report dedicated

17010-632: Was a charter club in the Western Soccer Alliance League and competed until folding in 1990. Professional soccer was dormant in the city until 2001, when the USL Timbers was founded and competed in Division 2 soccer in USL pro until the club folded in 2010. The USL club finished with the best record in the league in both the 2004 and 2009 regular seasons. The announcement of the Timbers' entry into MLS

17145-653: Was also accused of supporting a "toxic workplace environment" for women by several employees, particularly from upper management. In addition, the club terminated the contract of recently re-signed forward Andy Polo following allegations of domestic abuse from his ex-partner. The Yates Report , released on October 3, 2022, found further transgressions by members of the Timbers and Thorns organization, including alleged inappropriate conduct by president Mike Golub. The report and pressure from fans prompted Alaska Airlines, Tillamook, KeyBank, and other corporate sponsors to withhold, redirect, or cancel their financial contributions to

17280-447: Was announced that Portland had made a deal with TikTok , as team's sleeve sponsor beginning in the same year. Part of the deal included collaborative work for the company's 'TikTok for Good' campaign. Alaska withdrew their sponsorship at the conclusion of the 2023 season, a year after it donated a portion of its financial contributions to the NWSLPA in response to allegations of abuse within

17415-451: Was canceled on February 28 due to sexual harassment allegations against the company's owner, which had further implications due to the strained relations the club had achieved with fans in the wake of the NWSL fallout (the Thorns were sold in the 2023 offseason). The Portland Timbers' MLS logo incorporates elements of the former USL design. The primary reference to the original crest is the circular shape that represents unity, wholeness, and

17550-503: Was capped off by a stunning outside-the-box strike from Andy Polo . Playing the Philadelphia Union next in the semifinals, the Timbers rose to the challenge with goals from Jeremy Ebobisse and Sebastián Blanco and held on to score a 2–1 victory and advance to the finals for the club's first title game appearance since the 2018 MLS Cup. In the MLS is Back Tournament championship game against hometown Orlando City, Portland opened

17685-476: Was conducted with psychology students reports that 10% had sexual interactions with their educators; in turn, 13% of educators reported sexual interaction with their students. In a national survey conducted for the AAUW Educational Foundation in 2000, it was found that roughly 290,000 students experienced some sort of physical sexual abuse by a public school employee between 1991 and 2000. In 1995,

17820-488: Was inspired by the legendary Boca Juniors ' stadium La Bombonera as well as the classic raised stage of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre , creating a unique layered appearance that also paid homage to the original, unfinished 1926 Multnomah Field plans. Spelled out across the green seats on the East End in white lettering is "SC USA", a direct nod to Portland's history as "Soccer City USA". The expanded Providence Park opened for

17955-511: Was placed on administrative leave from the Thorns in early October, but retained his positions with the Timbers. (He was eventually replaced by Karina LeBlanc .) Timbers attendance declined during the 2022 season as the team failed to sell out all but five games. The smaller crowds were attributed in part to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as discontent among fans over the club's handling of abuse allegations and other controversies. The organization

18090-703: Was publicly released by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) on October 3, 2022. It is named for Sally Yates , the King & Spalding partner who led the investigation who had previously served as acting United States Attorney General . The independent investigation was commissioned by the USSF on October 2, 2021, following a report by The Athletic about then- Portland Thorns manager Paul Riley 's sexual harassment and coercion of players Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly . Investigators identified and reviewed more than 89,000 relevant documents, created

18225-577: Was the culmination of a nearly two-year-long process for Merritt Paulson , dating back at least to May 2007, when Paulson led a group that bought the Portland Beavers and the USL Timbers . The group included former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson , Meritt Paulson's father. The biggest issue for the city of Portland at that time was that due to league concerns about seating configuration, field surface and scheduling, obtaining an MLS club would require

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