The San Diego Wave has denounced claims of a toxic workplace made by a former employee in a viral social media post. The Wave called the allegations “inaccurate and defamatory” in a statement released on social media. The post, made by Brittany Alvarado, accused Wave president Jill Ellis of perpetuating a toxic work environment. The Wave plans to pursue legal action in response to the allegations. Other former employees, including freelance photographer Jenny Chuang, have supported Alvarado’s claims, citing mental health issues during their time with the club. This is not the first time Ellis has faced criticism, as former USWNT player Sydney Leroux previously spoke out against her behavior. Leroux and other players have expressed support for Alvarado and called for accountability in the NWSL.
— Bernadette O’Donnell (@odonnell_bern) July 4, 2024
I am disappointed to hear about the allegations made by multiple former Wave FC employees today.
As players, we have worked hard to build a team that is surrounded by an inclusive, positive, and safe environment.
But it’s important to me that we are creating that environment for…
— Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) July 4, 2024
The former USWNT coach was also mentioned several times in the Yates Report, an investigation released in October 2022 which unearthed significant abusive behavior and sexual misconduct within the NWSL and women’s professional soccer. Per the report, several USWNT players reported persistent abusive behavior from coaches in the league to Ellis and then-president of U.S. Soccer, Sunil Gulati, but nothing came from the allegations until the Yates Report’s release in 2022.
Ellis also played a role in hiring Christy Holly, one of the coaches under the most scrutiny in the report, to a role on the USWNT staff after not running background checks or reference checks. Holly was accused of repeated sexual misconduct and verbal and emotional abuse throughout the report.
As a result of the report, four coaches (including Holly) were permanently banned from the league, with others receiving conditional suspensions, while several clubs were fined heavily for their role in the alleged systemic abuse. Ellis did not receive any punishment.
The news also comes a couple of weeks after Ellis unexpectedly fired Wave head coach Casey Stoney in June. Stoney, an outspoken coach who led the expansion team to the 2023 Supporters Shield in its second season, was fired after a seven-game winless streak. Despite the recent struggles, the move came as a great surprise to the NWSL community.