An investigation has been opened into the technical staff of Bay FC, National Women’s Soccer League commissioner Jessica Berman confirmed on Friday.
The San Francisco Chronicle first reported on Friday that two former Bay FC players described the culture under head coach Albertin Montoya as “toxic.” The report also said the league was made aware of one formal complaint in which a player said she had experienced “bullying” by Montoya.
“A review is underway by an independent third party, and we’re very confident that the system we have in place will ensure that we surface the issues that need to be addressed, and that we’ll continue to work with all of our clubs, our technical staff and our players to make sure that we’re achieving our goal of creating a safe, healthy working environment,” Berman said.
The news comes just weeks after the NWSL reached a $5 million settlement with the attorneys general from New York, Illinois and Washington, D.C., to close ongoing investigations and compensate mistreated athletes following a wave of “systemic” abuse uncovered by a pair of reports conducted in 2022.
The settlement, which Berman referenced throughout answers to repeated questions about investigations and team cultures in a 25-minute news conference on Friday…
