By Amy Tennery
(Reuters) – Merritt Paulson said on Thursday he would sell the three-time champion Portland Thorns, in the wake of a sweeping misconduct investigation into the top-flight National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
The inquiry released in October said that abuse and sexual misconduct were systemic throughout the NWSL and that the Thorns failed to be transparent about the 2015 firing of a former coach who was accused of abuse.
Paulson said the sale would not impact the ownership of the men’s side, the Portland Timbers, who play in Major League Soccer (MLS).
“The past year has been a challenging one for our club and our players. I regret the role our organization played in the failures identified by the investigations,” Paulson said in a statement.
“Despite these challenges, the Portland Thorns have a bright future ahead and a lot left to accomplish.”
Days after the findings of the independent investigation were released the Thorns fired two of their executives, and Paulson later stepped down as CEO and issued an apology.
“It is devastating to me that my goal of creating the shining example of what a women’s sports team could be, has now become synonymous with abhorrent and predatory behavior,” he said in a statement at the time.
NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said she supported the decision to sell.
“The Thorns, its players, its dedicated fan base and the entire Portland community have played a key role in our league’s first decade and are critically important to the future success of the NWSL,” she said in a statement.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
