Leadership at the club is weak, but TW has an axe to grind. If you look at the timeline it seems the club went out of house to hire the director of soccer just about a year ago. That matches up with the falling out of the TW/DCSC relationship. This isn’t a “cultural” issue or something the club needs to bring to the “community”. The dude had a chummy relationship with the cxo and used that to try to retaliate against the club. This lines up. He was not retaliated against. He’s the one retaliating. You don’t bring that to the wider community if you’re in DCSC’s shoes. You solve that through a legal process internally. My guess is the legal process is complete and TW didn’t get what he wanted and decided to try to burn the house down to spite the club. He’s in a dangerous spot if that’s what happened. |
I did not know that. When was that? I have my complaints about DCSC but minority representation among the coaches is really high. |
FWIW, my kid was on a regular DCSC team, not a Brookland team, and they were also practicing on Fort Stevens in the dark/dust, for basically the whole year. I don't think this was specifically a failure to live up to whatever promises were made to Brookland families. |
This is all interesting and gossipy, but I can't figure out why I keep getting all these e-mails about this. My kids have only ever played DCSC rec soccer, I have no idea who this person is and know nothing about the Brookland club other than the e-mails I got telling me to have my kid join the new version and the e-mails from DCSC telling me that he shouldn't have e-mailed me. It reminds me of all the back and forth e-mails I got from the people fighting in Northwest Little League because someone wanted to coach an all-star team or something. My kids hadn't played in that league for over 3 years and yet I still got every e-mail from both sides.
While the sexual harassment claim should certainly be addressed internally and litigated as appropriate, I can't figure out why I (and it seems many, many others) keep getting roped into their back and forth. |
Here is the letter from Tom Walsh:
“Dear DCSC Travel Families, It comes with great anger and sadness that my relationship with my childhood club has gone down a horrific path. While only one side of the story has been made public so far, there is more to the entire picture at play here. In May through Mid-June of 2024, I was a victim of sexual harassment, and the club's inability to course correct the situation has led us to this very point. Attached is the written complaint made to the DC Office of Human Rights as well as one example of inappropriate messages/behaviors from my boss Michelle Alioto. I am disgusted with the people who hide behind the Chat GPT DCSC Badge and their incapacity to stand up for what is ethically, morally and legally right. Sexual harassment, retaliation, and lack of transparency are disgusting tools used by disgusting people. I am proud to say that I will never be a part of this organization of people again; however, I hope this organization changes course immediately in order to foster a loving, welcoming, and communal environment for KIDS and adults, who happen to love the game of soccer because I too love soccer. I am a 4th Generation Washingtonian, born in Brookland, proud creator of a soccer club, and I stand by everything in the below statement in regards to my experience with DC Soccer Club in regards to the sexual harassment claim. Best, Tom Walsh” |
Right, and as someone who has kids in rec and nothing to do with this guy, why am I getting copied on his sexual harassment claim e-mail including the details of his compliant and the screenshots of text messages? |
[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Here is the letter from Tom Walsh:
“Dear DCSC Travel Families, It comes with great anger and sadness that my relationship with my childhood club has gone down a horrific path. While only one side of the story has been made public so far, there is more to the entire picture at play here. In May through Mid-June of 2024, I was a victim of sexual harassment, and the club's inability to course correct the situation has led us to this very point. Attached is the written complaint made to the DC Office of Human Rights as well as one example of inappropriate messages/behaviors from my boss Michelle Alioto. I am disgusted with the people who hide behind the Chat GPT DCSC Badge and their incapacity to stand up for what is ethically, morally and legally right. Sexual harassment, retaliation, and lack of transparency are disgusting tools used by disgusting people. I am proud to say that I will never be a part of this organization of people again; however, I hope this organization changes course immediately in order to foster a loving, welcoming, and communal environment for KIDS and adults, who happen to love the game of soccer because I too love soccer. I am a 4th Generation Washingtonian, born in Brookland, proud creator of a soccer club, and I stand by everything in the below statement in regards to my experience with DC Soccer Club in regards to the sexual harassment claim. Best, Tom Walsh”[/quote] Right, and as someone who has kids in rec and nothing to do with this guy, why am I getting copied on his sexual harassment claim e-mail including the details of his compliant and the screenshots of text messages? [/quote] Please post the screenshots/text messages if you can. |
Because he’s an idiot. His attorney should be negotiating a settlement between the parties. I can only imagine the headache this public spectacle has caused for his case. Obviously we’re all getting spammed with this drama. I feel like I’m back in high school. |
The allegations are directed toward the CXO, and the ED who are involved in all aspects of the club, including the Recreation program. That’s likely why the communication was shared with all families, not just those connected to the individual making the claim. |
Same here. I'm not a lawyer and want TW to prevail because I distrust all things DCSC leadership and think BFC was good for soccer in DC. But I think this is the right answer. DCSC's handling of the CXO's (real) sexual harassment was base-level acceptable, the bare minimum. Smart? No, but just enough so they could later claim they did something. However how this has been entwined with TW's departure and the family contact info and databases is where things get messy and unclear. The real sexual harassment, and how it was swept under the rug, doesn't add up to this messy business breakup. |
Understood! But if Michelle A. did nothing wrong, why should there be a settlement at all? |
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It's interesting that you believe TW shared this with all families out of a concern for them. He shared it (presumably against his attorney's instructions because no attorney would sanction this kind of thing) to burn down the house on his way out. It's so transparent. |
Ding ding ding! Now you're catching on. It seems pretty clear that the real dispute between Tom and DSCS has nothing to do with the alleged sexual harassment last year--which, by Tom's own account, was addressed by the club so I'm not sure it's accurate to say it was swept under the rug. |
Cost to defend, risk of tw getting nothing. Meet somewhere in middle. This is the way the world works buddy |