Portland Thorns CEO Merritt Paulson has announced he is stepping down from his role in the wake of the Yates Report that uncovered abuse at the NWSL club.
On Thursday, USA international Megan Rapinoe called for Paulson – as well as Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler – to stand down from their roles.
“I don’t think Merritt Paulson is fit to be the owner of that team. I don’t think Arnim is fit to be the owner of Chicago,” she said. “We need to see those people gone.”
In a statement posted on the club’s official website, Paulson said: “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.
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Anton Toloui gives the latest update on the stepping down of Merritt Paulson as CEO of Portland Thorns and Portland Timbers.
The report said that under Paulson’s watch, president of business Mike Golub – who was fired along with president of soccer Gavin Wilkinson – created “an atmosphere of disrespect and intimidation towards women and working mothers employed at the club over a span of 11 years.”