Five former employees of the San Diego Wave have filed a lawsuit accusing the NWSL club of discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination, among other allegations.
The lawsuit stems partly from claims made earlier this year on social media by former Wave employee Brittany Alvarado. She was joined by four other plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed on Monday.
The lawsuit names the Wave and the NWSL as defendants. It says the team and the league failed to act on complaints about a toxic workplace culture.
The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages for lost wages and benefits and for emotional distress, as well as punitive damages.
One of the plaintiffs, identified by the pseudonym Jane Doe, says in the court documents that she was sexually assaulted by a co-worker. She did not report the allegation to the club or police at the time, according to the lawsuit. Shortly after reporting to a manager that another employee was “traumatizing” her and that she was struggling with mental health issues, she was placed on leave and later terminated, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit claims the NWSL investigated complaints against the Wave twice but ultimately nothing was done.
“The safety, health, and well-being of everyone associated with our league is our highest priority. We take serious any and every report of potential misconduct, hire qualified independent investigators to review those allegations thoroughly, and act when allegations are supported by the facts uncovered. We will not comment specifically about an active legal matter,” the NWSL said in a statement Wednesday.
The Wave also sent the Associated Press a statement on Wednesday regarding the employees’ complaint. “This lawsuit concerns allegations initially raised on July 3, 2024. As this matter is an ongoing legal proceeding, we are unable to comment further at this time,” the team said.
The lawsuit does not name Wave president Jill Ellis as a defendant. Ellis filed a defamation lawsuit against Alvarado in July that called the accusations in the social media post both false and “personally damaging.”
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Alvarado alleged in a lengthy post on X that the workplace was discriminatory and said it took a toll on her mental health.
Ellis, who coached the US national team to World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, responded at the time by saying that mental health concerns are a priority for the club and it has support measures, including an employee assistance program. She added that when allegations of mistreatment have occurred, the team has investigated.
