Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who is the parent putting together the lawsuit against DC Soccer Club? Is it a Brookland Family? This is getting crazier by the minute!

Really regretting my clueless choice to make the jump from rec to travel with them for next year!

Maybe you can get out of it, given the turmoil? But I doubt it’ll affect your kid.

Anonymous wrote:Who is the parent putting together the lawsuit against DC Soccer Club? Is it a Brookland Family? This is getting crazier by the minute!

Really regretting my clueless choice to make the jump from rec to travel with them for next year!

Who is the parent putting together the lawsuit against DC Soccer Club? Is it a Brookland Family? This is getting crazier by the minute!

You guys are incredible. How do you know it wasn't reported to SafeSport? We wouldn't have known publicly that there was a report to the DC Office of Human Rights if Tom hadn't emailed out his intake form.

If DCSC representatives were aware of the situation and the nature of the allegations, they may be held responsible for failing to report to SafeSport, especially if they are mandatory reporters under the law.

Who Is a Mandatory Reporter?

Under the SafeSport Act of 2017, any adult who is authorized by an amateur sports organization (like DCSC) to interact with minor athletes is a mandatory reporter. This includes:
• Executive Directors
• CXOs and other club leadership
• Coaches
• Program Directors
• Board members
• Any adult working or volunteering in the organization

Their Responsibility:

If they are made aware of:
• Sexual harassment or misconduct
• Abuse of power or authority
• Inappropriate communications between staff
• Any conduct that could create a hostile or unsafe environment

…then they are legally and ethically obligated to report it to the U.S. Center for SafeSport within 24 hours.

Failure to Report:
• Failing to report may be considered negligence under SafeSport rules.
• In some cases, it can lead to disciplinary action, including suspension or permanent disqualification from participating in U.S. Soccer–affiliated programs.
• It can also expose the club to legal liability if the environment led to harm or retaliation.

⸻

So yes; if DCSC representatives knowingly withheld a reportable concern, they may bear both ethical and legal responsibility. It’s not just about protecting the individual involved, it’s about protecting the club community and ensuring proper oversight.

That interpretation is not entirely correct and underestimates the scope of SafeSport jurisdiction.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport has authority over:
• All adults affiliated with NGBs (e.g., US Soccer), including executives and directors
• Any misconduct involving power imbalance, sexual harassment, or grooming, regardless of location (it doesn’t have to happen at a field or event)
• Any interactions between members of the same organization if tied to their roles or professional relationship in sport

So, if the CXO and the director were in roles connected to youth soccer, and the alleged behavior occurred as a result of that working relationship, it can and should be reported to SafeSport, especially if:
• There is abuse of power
• There are inappropriate communications
• There is a potentially hostile work or club environment affecting others

You do not need to prove it happened at a practice or game. The law and SafeSport policy are clear: employment or affiliation with a youth sport organization is enough to establish jurisdiction.

If in doubt, SafeSport encourages reporting, they will assess whether they have jurisdiction. When it involves leadership figures in a youth club, reporting is the responsible and appropriate step.

Anonymous wrote:Yes! If the allegations involve sexual misconduct, abuse, harassment, or other forms of inappropriate behavior by an adult toward a minor or another adult in a sport-related context, they should absolutely be reported to SafeSport.

But arguably this didn’t happen in a sport-related context. They just happen to be employed by an organization that organizes youth soccer. It didn’t happen at a game or practice. Maybe that’s sufficient for Safe Sport—I don’t know—but it doesn’t necessarily seem like the type of situation that would fall under Safe Sport.

Yes! If the allegations involve sexual misconduct, abuse, harassment, or other forms of inappropriate behavior by an adult toward a minor or another adult in a sport-related context, they should absolutely be reported to SafeSport.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The CXO at DC Soccer Club (and any board member or executive in regular contact with youth players) is required to complete SafeSport training annually.

Should these allegations be reported to SafeSport?

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The CXO at DC Soccer Club (and any board member or executive in regular contact with youth players) is required to complete SafeSport training annually.

Anonymous wrote: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🤪🤪🤪

Hmmmmm EL?

People are gossiping that Greg Andrulis received a letter from Tom Walsh regarding a lawsuit. Does anyone have any updates on this?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Many staff members have observed her rapid rise from Field Coordinator to her current position, which understandably raises questions, especially given the context of how that advancement occurred. Now, with the recent allegations, regardless of their outcome, it’s even more concerning that she retains the full support of the Executive Director after admitting fault and completing a “class” as a response.

Personal circumstances, such as being divorced or female, should not be used to deflect from professional accountability. This situation deserves a closer look; not as part of a smear campaign, but because these patterns reflect serious concerns about leadership, decision-making, and the overall culture at the club.

There is no evidence (other than TW’s filing/his side only) to suggest there was a lack of accountability.

In fact his filing stated there was actual accountability.

People screw up and not everyone’s actions need to result in a death sentence. Tw included…why on earth did he not just negotiate a settlement? Why would this guy violate a TRO in this way? Nobody looks good but TW is acting irrationally and it’s not looking good for his case.

Oh and it sounds like dcsc is still paying him per the TRO filing, and he’s stealing data and starting a rival business as an employee. Come on, this is slimy stuff.

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Many staff members have observed her rapid rise from Field Coordinator to her current position, which understandably raises questions, especially given the context of how that advancement occurred. Now, with the recent allegations, regardless of their outcome, it’s even more concerning that she retains the full support of the Executive Director after admitting fault and completing a “class” as a response.

Personal circumstances, such as being divorced or female, should not be used to deflect from professional accountability. This situation deserves a closer look; not as part of a smear campaign, but because these patterns reflect serious concerns about leadership, decision-making, and the overall culture at the club.

Anonymous wrote: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!

Jerry Springer, yes. But I don't think most commenters know any of the key players personally. This is just a public mess with lots of juicy info on display. That's all.