The results of the Sally Yates-led investigation into NWSL abuse was released on October 3, 2022. In the 172-page report, investigators wrote that "verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct" had become "systemic" in the NWSL, "spanning multiple teams, coaches and victims." While the report was limited in scope to the NWSL, Yates's team noted that the abusive system was "rooted in a deeper culture in women's soccer, beginning in youth leagues, that normalizes verbally abusive coaching and blurs boundaries between coaches and players."
The report focused on the misconduct of Riley, Dames, and Holly and the failure of the league and US Soccer to investigate their behavior and prevent them from taking on future coaching positions, despite receiving complaints of abuse. Additionally, the report stated that three teams at the heart of the investigation — the Portland Thorns, Chicago Red Stars, and Racing Louisville FC — impeded the investigation in different ways. The Thorns "interfered with our access to relevant witnesses and raised specious legal arguments." Racing Louisville refused to provide documents involving Holly and wouldn't allow witnesses "to answer relevant questions regarding Holly's tenure, citing non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements it signed with Holly." And the Red Stars delayed producing documents "over the course of nearly nine months."
The report made multiple recommendations, including instituting a requirement to report coaches' misconduct to their league so they can't move from team to team. The report also recommended that the NWSL fully vet coaches, look into allegations of misconduct, and conduct training for players and coaches around misconduct and harassment. Notably, the report found that abuse in women's soccer is so deeply-rooted that it "will not be eliminated through reform in the NWSL alone."
