San Diego Wave and USWNT superstar Alex Morgan has broken her silence on allegations against club president and former national coach Jill Ellis.
On Wednesday, Ellis was accused by a former videographer for the NWSL team of “creating an environment that fosters abusive behavior among her subordinates.”
While the team denies the unspecified allegations, captain Morgan has now posted his own statement on social media.
“I am disappointed to hear of the allegations made today by multiple former Wave FC employees,” Morgan wrote on X.
‘As players, we have worked hard to build a team that provides an inclusive, positive and safe environment.
Alex Morgan has released a statement about shocking allegations against Jill Ellis
Ellis won two World Cups with the U.S. national team before moving to the NWSL’s Wave
“But it’s important to me that we create that environment for both players AND staff throughout the organization. Equality in the workplace is something I’ve advocated for and will continue to advocate for.
“I want to be proud of what we’re building at Wave, but it’s clear there’s still a lot of work to do.”
The San Diego Wave called allegations made by a former employee on social media “false and defamatory” in a statement Wednesday.
Brittany Alvarado, who says she is a former video and creative director for the team, called on the National Women’s Soccer League to fire team president Ellis, the former coach of the U.S. women’s national team.
She cited a poor work environment that was discriminatory and took a toll on her mental health in a long post on the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Morgan, 35, arrives for a recent NWSL match against the Chicago Red Stars
Brittany Alvarado (pictured) made her announcement on social media on Wednesday
The Wave responded with a statement saying the team “has been made aware of a recent social media post from a former employee that contains inaccurate and defamatory statements about the club.”
The Wave further said that they were looking into possible legal avenues available to deal with the matter.
“Jill Ellis has no place in this game and she has been forgiven for far too long,” Alvarado wrote of the English-born manager, who won two World Cups with Team USA during her celebrated career on the sidelines.
Alvarado doesn’t blame Ellis for everything she says she’s endured, but does believe Ellis is the driving force behind the team’s massive revenue losses since its inaugural season in 2021.
“Since the team’s inception, more than 30 employees have been fired or resigned, nearly 75% of whom are women. This underscores the deep problems within the club,” Alvarado claimed in her post on X. “Unfortunately, many of these employees are reluctant to speak publicly about their experiences, reflecting the widespread fear surrounding these issues.”
Alvarado believes Ellis has been the driving force behind the team’s massive staff turnover
Alvarado did give an example, but it was not directly about Ellis.
Instead, Alvarado shared a terse email, which she claims was sent to her by a member of the team’s senior leadership team, shortly after her recent firing.
“You are the most pathetic person I have ever met,” read the email, titled 6-17. “You must have no sense of work ethic (sic) or integrity. We are overjoyed (sic) that you are no longer with the club.”
The team continues to maintain that this email was fabricated.
“Not only does the message contain a fabricated email, but the claims made within it are patently false, including those directed at our chairwoman Jill Ellis,” a club spokeswoman said in a statement.