DC Soccer Club

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone give a TLDR? I swear I’ve read this thread from page 1 and I’m still lost. Now there’s a TRO? Against the new club?

Two years ago, Tom Walsh’s Brookland FC (BFC) entered a two-year partnership with DCSC to expand opportunities for the NE-based club he founded and developed. DCSC overpromised and underdelivered. About a year ago, Tom began experiencing workplace harassment, which DCSC seemingly failed to address appropriately.

With his contract set to expire at the end of this season, Tom notified DCSC months ago that he did not intend to renew—based on multiple factors, including DCSC’s broken promises and the ongoing harassment—and planned to leave with the NE families who had followed him there. DCSC pushed back.

Following legal negotiations, Tom agreed to delay tryouts for his new club, Brookland Athletic Club (BAC), until late May. But on the day of tryouts, DCSC filed for—and was granted—a temporary restraining order, blocking BAC from proceeding. Kids were literally showing up ready to try out, and Tom was left to explain the situation to confused and frustrated parents on the spot. That TRO has since been extended to August 19.

Anyone familiar with travel soccer knows the seasonal year begins August 1. By August 19, players need to be rostered and practices should already be underway. This TRO is making that impossible. The kids are the ones being hurt—caught in the middle of DCSC’s power grab. It’s shameful.

Did Tom agree to a non-compete? Presumably the judge would have found that there with a likelihood that DCSC would succeed on the merits if he or she granted the TRO. It would not be surprising if one of the conditions of the original merger agreement was that Tom couldn't just leave and start another soccer club that competed with DCSC.

(Also small note: based on Tom's official complaint, the harassment is not ongoing. He says it stops after the original complaint to DCSC and he received an apology and agreement to change behavior. The ongoing aspect of his complaint is that he had to continue to work with the person who he has accused of harassment (albeit he was promoted out of her line of authority).)

TW stole the contact information of (travel and recreation) DCSC families and marketed his new club to them. He contacted many families who had no prior exposure to nor knowledge of his Brookland club. He most likely had a no-compete and the TRO was requested and granted because he stole DCSC participant information (action leads to reaction). Sounds like he shot himself, his new club, and his Brookland families in the foot because of his poor decisions. I can't imagine his attorneys approved of this nor of his mailing past text and email exchanges to the same list of parents.

[Anonymous]

II believe it is essential for the administration and TD to stay informed about their safesport status. The first step should be reaching out to safesport and then involving the appropriate authorities. It is important to remember that this organization focuses on youth programs and operates as a non-profit. Unfortunately, the Executive Director and board members seem to be ineffective, as evidenced by their lack of transparency and leadership.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Executive Director will not terminate the Chief Experience Officer. She was recruited based on her inappropriate relationship/connection with the Executive Director at DCSC. It is evident that she lacks the necessary skills to effectively manage a club, and the current Executive Director is infatuated with her and also lacking in this area. Despite multiple coaches bringing this issue to the attention of both the former and current presidents, no action was taken. Quite disappointing.

Such a weird smear campaign... Should she be terminated because of the alleged sexual harassment and hostile work environment or should she be terminated because she's incompetent? DCSC also doesn't have a "president" title listed anywhere on their website so I am not sure who this is referring to. Chair of the Board?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:II believe it is essential for the administration and TD to stay informed about their safesport status. The first step should be reaching out to safesport and then involving the appropriate authorities. It is important to remember that this organization focuses on youth programs and operates as a non-profit. Unfortunately, the Executive Director and board members seem to be ineffective, as evidenced by their lack of transparency and leadership.

How does this have anything to do with safesport? None of this is alleged to have included any interactions with any kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone give a TLDR? I swear I’ve read this thread from page 1 and I’m still lost. Now there’s a TRO? Against the new club?

Two years ago, Tom Walsh’s Brookland FC (BFC) entered a two-year partnership with DCSC to expand opportunities for the NE-based club he founded and developed. DCSC overpromised and underdelivered. About a year ago, Tom began experiencing workplace harassment, which DCSC seemingly failed to address appropriately.

With his contract set to expire at the end of this season, Tom notified DCSC months ago that he did not intend to renew—based on multiple factors, including DCSC’s broken promises and the ongoing harassment—and planned to leave with the NE families who had followed him there. DCSC pushed back.

Following legal negotiations, Tom agreed to delay tryouts for his new club, Brookland Athletic Club (BAC), until late May. But on the day of tryouts, DCSC filed for—and was granted—a temporary restraining order, blocking BAC from proceeding. Kids were literally showing up ready to try out, and Tom was left to explain the situation to confused and frustrated parents on the spot. That TRO has since been extended to August 19.

Anyone familiar with travel soccer knows the seasonal year begins August 1. By August 19, players need to be rostered and practices should already be underway. This TRO is making that impossible. The kids are the ones being hurt—caught in the middle of DCSC’s power grab. It’s shameful.

This is a very…one-sided take that conveniently omits, among other things, what led to the TRO being filed in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Curiosity got the best of me, here is the TRO. Tom's lawyers cannot be happy about his recent e-mails since they seem to breach the court order. (Note: This TRO expired yesterday but it was extended until Aug in a different filing).

Upon consideration of the Emergency Motion for Temporary Restraining Order (the “Motion”) and memorandum in support thereof filed by Plaintiff Stoddert Soccer League Inc. dba DC Soccer Club (“Plaintiff”), any opposition by Thomas Walsh (“Mr. Walsh”), Brookland Athletic Club (“Brookland AC”), or Brookland C.A.R.E.S (collectively referred to with Mr. Walsh and Brookland AC as “Defendants”), and arguments heard at the temporary restraining order motions hearing on this 20th day of May, 2025, at 4:00 P.M., the Court hereby makes the following findings:

(1) Plaintiff has a substantial likelihood of prevailing on the merits that Defendant Mr. Walsh breached his contractual and fiduciary obligations to Plaintiff, and that Defendants likewise tortiously interfered with Plaintiff’s contracts with its employees and business relationships with its clients, by soliciting Plaintiff’s employees and clients after improperly obtaining Plaintiff’s confidential information, and while Mr. Walsh is still employed by Plaintiff. The Court reaches this determination after consideration of the affidavit of Greg Andrulis, the evidence attached to Plaintiff’s Motion, the argument of counsel at the hearing held on this matter, and any further evidence presented at such a hearing.

(2) Plaintiff will suffer immediate and irreparable injury due to the loss of clients, reputational harm, and goodwill in the soccer community in D.C., such losses which are unable to be or are difficult to ascertain should Defendants not be enjoined as ordered herein. Plaintiffs have further demonstrated that immediate and irreparable harm will occur based on the facts presented that Defendants are actively recruiting Plaintiff’s employees and clients, and that given the nature of Plaintiff’s business, which operates from season to season, it will be unlikely that Plaintiff will be in a position to re-capture lost clients should Defendants be able to improperly solicit and compete for Plaintiff’s clients.

(3) More harm will result to Plaintiff than to Defendants by issuance of a temporary restraining order as Plaintiff stands to lose existing employees and clients absent temporary preliminary relief.

(4) Public interest weighs in favor of granting temporary preliminary relief as the public interest is served by enforcing agreements between parties, protecting against tortious interference between businesses, and protecting confidential information of local businesses.

Based on the foregoing findings, it is by this Court:

ORDERED, that for the duration of this temporary restraining order, which expires on June 11, 2025, Defendants are enjoined, directly or indirectly, for themselves or any other person or entity, from soliciting, diverting, or attempting to provide products or services that are competitive to those provided by DCSC, to any Customer, Prospective Customer (as those terms are defined in Walsh’s Confidentiality and Non-Solicitation Agreement with DCSC) or otherwise encouraging any Customer or Prospective Customer of DCSC to end or alter their relationship with DCSC or to play for any other youth soccer organization; and it is further,

ORDERED, that for the duration of this temporary restraining order, which expires on June 11, 2025, Defendants are enjoined, directly or indirectly, for themselves or any other person or entity, from soliciting or recruiting any current or former consultant or employee (including coaches) of DSCS (as those terms are defined in Walsh’s Confidentiality and Non-Solicitation Agreement with DCSC) to leave, alter or end their relationship with DSCS or otherwise encouraging any Customer or Prospective Customer of DCSC to end or alter their relationship with DC or to play for another youth soccer organization; and it is further,

ORDERED, that for the duration of this temporary restraining order, which expires on June 11, 2025, Defendants are enjoined, directly or indirectly, for themselves or any other person or entity, from retaining, duplicating, altering, using, transferring or disclosing any DCSC Confidential Information (as that term is defined in Walsh’s Confidentiality and Non-Solicitation Agreement with DCSC), including, but not limited to player and family data, contact information or lists and team lists or rosters, or any documents or information derived from the use of DCSC Confidential Information and requiring that Defendants immediately return any documents, whether electronic or hard copy, in their possession or control containing or derived from DCSC Confidential Information to DCSC retaining no copies; and it is further,

ORDERED, that for the duration of this temporary restraining order, which expires on June 11, 2025, Brookland C.A.R.E.S. and Brookland AC are enjoined from encouraging, assisting or facilitating Mr. Walsh and all other DSCS coaches seeking to coach for Brookland AC from breaching their contractual obligations under their respective contracts with DCSC; and it is further, ORDERED, that for the duration of this temporary restraining order, which expires on June 11, 2025, Brookland CAAES and BrooklandAC are enjoined from holding youth soccer tryouts or practices.

[Anonymous]

Yikes

[Anonymous]

I don't really care about whether Tom broke his contract or whether he should have had access to the club's email list (though I'd like it if he stopped emailing me). It's very unfortunate that this litigation is preventing kids from playing, if that's the case. My kids are either too old for the east/west split or play in the new west setup, so they're unaffected either way.

Maybe the club should just let him go off and form his own thing? And then they can let the kids who are in the east teams decide whether to play for him or play for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:II believe it is essential for the administration and TD to stay informed about their safesport status. The first step should be reaching out to safesport and then involving the appropriate authorities. It is important to remember that this organization focuses on youth programs and operates as a non-profit. Unfortunately, the Executive Director and board members seem to be ineffective, as evidenced by their lack of transparency and leadership.

I've taken the SafeSport training every year for the last four years, and I don't believe there's anything in there that would apply to whether two adults do or don't harass each other. Safesport is about protecting kids.

[Anonymous]

We love coach G and Abdoul but it looks like DC soccer is in massive trouble here if all of this is true. The power imbalance between a superior and a lesser is significant, especially in Washington, DC. Action should have taken place after the first time sexual harassment was reported. Why wait to do an investigation after the director threatened to leave almost a year after the fact…

Everything after that just seems messy. Hope the best for all the parties involved. Looking forward to not having to deal with all of this at PPA!!!

They should create a TV Series called Real Soccer Directors of the DMV🤪🤪🤪

[Anonymous]

Many things can be true at once—Tom Walsh can be in over his head and have made a terrible decision regarding data rights and contracts; DCSC can have over promised and underdelivered to families in NE (despite their alleged commitment to “urban DC” as their one memorable email referred to where the less-white, less-rich among us live); and DCSC can continue to prove incapable of running a tight, professional, effective, and ethical ship.

Both parties look awful right now, and I want to give neither so much as a penny for rec. I would pay them to stop emailing me though!

[Anonymous]

Arlington parent here. SafeSport covers all claims even though the primary focus is children. SafeSport has the jurisdiction to step in if someone were to report the matter. Is SafeSport involved?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't really care about whether Tom broke his contract or whether he should have had access to the club's email list (though I'd like it if he stopped emailing me). It's very unfortunate that this litigation is preventing kids from playing, if that's the case. My kids are either too old for the east/west split or play in the new west setup, so they're unaffected either way.

Maybe the club should just let him go off and form his own thing? And then they can let the kids who are in the east teams decide whether to play for him or play for them.

This. Many families are following him. He was a great coach and my son really enjoyed playing for him. We chose to stay with DCSC due to all the confusion, the unknowns, and timing of everything that was going on with tryouts, etc.

[Anonymous]

It appears this forum has become a back-and-forth between Michelle Alioto, Greg Andrulis, and Dave Wakeman vs Tom Walsh along with his supporters. For those of us from DCSC and BSC observing from the outside, it’s clear how dysfunctional the situation has become. Honestly, this needs to be handled with more maturity right now, it’s starting to resemble a Jerry Springer show. Peace!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many things can be true at once—Tom Walsh can be in over his head and have made a terrible decision regarding data rights and contracts; DCSC can have over promised and underdelivered to families in NE (despite their alleged commitment to “urban DC” as their one memorable email referred to where the less-white, less-rich among us live); and DCSC can continue to prove incapable of running a tight, professional, effective, and ethical ship.

Both parties look awful right now, and I want to give neither so much as a penny for rec. I would pay them to stop emailing me though!

Agree. But primarily, it's clear that DCSC can't manage itself out of a paper bag. How much due diligence did they do on Tom Walsh in the first place? He's one guy - but DCSC is a relatively big organization with checks and balances that are clearly not working. As a rec parent, I don't care in the least. But I would never let my kids do their travel teams where the club's shortcomings will truly have an impact.