SAN DIEGO — Several individuals formerly employed by San Diego Wave FC are blowing the whistle on what they claim is a toxic, abusive and discriminatory work environment that ignores employees’ mental health needs and are calling for the removal of club President Jill Ellis.
On Wednesday morning, Brittany Alvarado, a former Wave video and creative manager, posted a statement on X stating that the club, founded in 2021, was discriminatory toward its female employees and fostered a culture that was harmful to her and her colleagues’ mental health under the leadership of Ellis.
Alvarado said despite being in her dream job at the Wave FC, she found herself “trapped in an environment where my mental health was relentlessly compromised.” She also included a screenshot of an email that she said came from a senior leadership member in mid-June, soon after her resignation, calling her “pathetic,” among other insults.
“On behalf of myself and other former colleagues, the treatment we endured under club President Jill Ellis has been nothing short of life-altering and devastating to our mental health. She has compromised countless lives to advance her narcissistic personal agenda, fostering an environment where abusive behaviors among her subordinates are allowed to flourish,” Alvarado said.
For those who have endured abuse.
For those who are afraid to speak up.
I see you and I will fight for you.This is for you.
The time for accountability in the @nwsl is now. pic.twitter.com/ljdC1XUHCQ
— Brittany Alvarado (@bavacado2) July 3, 2024
A few hours later, Wave immediately went on the defensive with its own statement on X, calling Alvarado’s allegations “defamatory” and stating that the club is “pursuing all legal avenues available” to respond. The club also said that the email from senior leadership was fraudulent.
However, additional former Wave employees began to post about their own experiences in the hours after, calling for accountability from the National Women’s Soccer League.
Former Wave FC photographer Jenny Chuang said she was placed on suicide watch while working for the club in 2022 and was pressured to resign after seeking help. While the individuals involved in the situation no longer work at Wave, she said it is still important to speak out.
“I’ve stayed silent after I got a taste of retaliation and I’m still fearful since I still work in women’s soccer, but my silence has contributed to more people enduring the same abuse. We need to protect people on and off the field,” Chuang said.
Later, former senior communications manager Bernadette O’Donnell shared her own story, saying that the unhealthy work environment at Wave FC made her not want to be alive anymore.
“After opening up to my boss about my mental health as well as the unhealthy work environment, plus alerting her to an ongoing investigation at the time, I was put on forced leave the next day ‘to address personal issues and work performance.’ I was terminated from my job three days later,” said O’Donnell, who worked at the club from mid-2022 to late 2023.
This is all I can say, but please know that NWSL employees deserve protection and safety, and we deserve to be believed.
– Former Senior Communications Manager of San Diego Wave FC (June 2022-Oct. 2023) pic.twitter.com/hPIsR1Oh43
— Bernadette O’Donnell (@odonnell_bern) July 4, 2024
Ellis, who coached the National Women’s Team from 2014 to 2019 and led them to two World Cup wins, called Alvarado’s allegations “personally damaging” in a Wednesday statement and said the club prioritizes mental health for employees.
“What we do is all about fostering a culture of respect, inclusivity, and excellence,” Ellis said. “When allegations of mistreatment have been made, we have taken them seriously and investigated them thoroughly. In addition, when appropriate, independent third parties have assisted us in evaluating our workplace. At no time have those evaluations uncovered any wrongdoing by the club.”
The women’s statements call for changes not only at Wave — including the removal of Ellis — but within the NWSL as a whole. The league has previously faced criticism for failing to protect players from harassment and abuse, as detailed in a 2022 joint investigative report.
An NWSL spokesperson said Monday that the league fully investigates reports of misconduct but does not comment directly on the outcome of investigations related to Wave FC.
“The safety, health, and well-being of everyone associated with our league is our highest priority. We take seriously any and every report of potential misconduct, hire qualified independent investigators to review those allegations thoroughly, and act when allegations are supported by the facts uncovered. We have mandated corrective action in every instance where reports have been corroborated, up to and including the removal of individuals who do not live up to our values and standards,” NWSL said.
Wave FC striker and longtime U.S. women’s national team star Alex Morgan, who has worked with Ellis for years, said she was “disappointed” to hear allegations of such negative experiences from multiple past employees.
“As players, we have worked hard to build a team that is surrounded by an inclusive, positive and safe environment. But it’s important to me that we are creating that environment for both players and staff throughout the entire organization,” Morgan said on X. “I want to be proud of what we are building at the Wave but it is clear that there is so much work to be done.”
The allegations continue a tumultuous two weeks for the San Diego club, after head coach Casey Stoney was fired on June 24. The team is currently 10th in the league after its 1-0 loss to the Portland Thorns on Friday.
