San Diego Wave and NWSL sued over ‘abusive and hostile’ environment amid allegations of racism and sexual harassment
- Five women – who were not players for the Wave – are involved in the lawsuit
- President Jill Ellis was previously accused of promoting a ‘climate of abuse’
The San Diego Wave and NWSL have been sued by five former Wave employees amid claims of racial discrimination and sexual harassment within the organization.
The lawsuit, filed in San Diego Superior Court and obtained by Turncoatalso alleges discrimination on the basis of disability and the failure to investigate and prevent discrimination.
Jill Ellis, the former U.S. women’s national team manager and president of the Wave, was not named as a defendant but was mentioned repeatedly in the complaint. She was previously accused of fostering an “abusive environment” by former employee Brittany Alvarado, one of five women who filed the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, club directors “routinely left Ellis’ office in tears.”
A spokesperson for Wave told Defector: “This lawsuit concerns allegations initially made on July 3, 2024. As this matter is an ongoing legal proceeding, we are unable to comment further at this time.”
The NWSL and San Diego Wave have been sued by five former employees of the club
Ex-USWNT coach Jill Ellis, who is now president of the Wave, was repeatedly named in the lawsuit
Although the NWSL was reportedly aware of issues within the Wave organization dating back to November 2022 and investigated on two separate occasions, the lawsuit was labeled by the league as “biased and disregarded, leading to an inability to address systemic problems within the organization’.
The five women who filed the lawsuit were all non-athletes from the Wave and held positions such as creative services manager and senior communications manager.
A woman referred to as Jane Doe in the lawsuit was allegedly sexually assaulted by a male co-worker, causing her to “bleed for a week.”
The lawsuit blames Ellis for the club hiring the man, who was considered the “office creep,” and Doe not reporting what happened to her supervisors because she feared “retaliation and the possible loss of her job.”
The man allegedly continued to harass Doe with “additional non-consensual penetration and threats of workplace consequences.”
The lawsuit also alleges that Megan Wakefield, the company’s then-vice president of people and culture, wore a Dia de Los Muertos-themed costume for a Halloween party, which former creative services manager Victoria Diaz saw as an “extremely insensitive act” .
Brittany Alvarado, formerly video and creative manager for the club, also claims that the Wave “refused to participate” when she sought special work accommodations and medical care for her depression and anxiety.
Brittany Alvarado (pictured) is part of the lawsuit and previously accused Ellis of promoting an ‘abusive environment’
She was later placed on a “clearly retaliatory, unpaid leave of absence” before ultimately resigning in June.
In July, Alvarado also said on social media: “The treatment we have undergone under club president Jill Ellis has been nothing short of life-changing and devastating to our mental health.”
The Wave responded by calling Alvarado’s statements “inaccurate and defamatory,” and Ellis later filed a defamation lawsuit against her.
An NWSL spokesperson said in a statement to Defector: “The safety, health and well-being of everyone involved in our league is our highest priority. We take every report of possible misconduct seriously, hire qualified independent investigators to thoroughly review these allegations, and act when the allegations are supported by the facts uncovered. We will not comment specifically on an active legal matter.”