The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has reached a $5 million settlement with attorneys general from New York, Illinois, and the District of Columbia following an investigation into the league’s widespread mistreatment of players.
While prior probes conducted by King & Spalding LLP and the league itself in 2022 exposed extensive sexual misconduct and abuse by multiple NWSL coaches—resulting in firings and reforms—no financial compensation had been provided to the victims until now.
That changed with the conclusion of the attorneys general’s investigation, which found the NWSL was “permeated by a culture of inappropriate and abusive behavior, including sexual harassment and harassment and discrimination based upon gender, race, and sexual orientation.”
$5M Players’ Restitution Fund Established
To avoid litigation, the league agreed to allocate $5 million into a Players’ Restitution Fund, designed to compensate current or former players who suffered conduct constituting Serious Misconduct Involving Player Safety, per the terms of the settlement.
