Five former employees of San Diego Wave FC have filed a lawsuit in San Diego Superior Court against the club and the National Women’s Soccer League alleging multiple forms of discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination.
The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages for lost wages and benefits and for emotional distress, as well as punitive damages.
The suit adds additional allegations to those made over the summer by former Wave employee Brittany Alvarado that the club, led by team president Jill Ellis, created a toxic work environment.
The Wave quickly refuted those allegations from July, and a few weeks later, Ellis filed a defamation lawsuit alleging that Alvarado “made false and defamatory statements about Ellis … supported by a fake email.”
Ellis is not named as a defendant in the new lawsuit, although she is mentioned throughout it. The lawsuit alleges that Wave leadership fostered an “abusive and hostile work environment” and that multiple employees “asked for help from the NWSL.”
A San Diego Wave spokesperson provided the following statement to ESPN on Thursday: “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…
