{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://ross.house.gov/2021/11/congresswoman-ross-applauds-nwsls-commitment-meet-players-demands-after-sexual", "Congresswoman Ross Applauds NWSL\u2019s Commitment to Meet Players\u2019 Demands After Sexual Abuse Allegations", "2021-11-03", "2021", "2021-11", "Democrat", "House", "NC", "Deborah K. Ross", "R000305", "ross.house.gov", "ross", "https://ross.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.\u2014Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) released the following statement after the National Women\u2019s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA) announced that the NWSL has agreed to meet all the union\u2019s demands for cultural changes and transparency following instances of verbal abuse and sexual coercion of players reported last month:\n\n\u201cI am glad the NWSL has agreed to meet the demands of the players\u2019 union and will soon introduce protocols to create a safer environment for players and staff,\u201d said Congresswoman Ross. \u201cThis news is an important first step by the NWSL leadership to show they are truly committed to protecting the health and well-being of their players. However, it is just that\u2014one step. I pledge to continue working with my colleagues in Congress and the NWSLPA to ensure these changes are fully implemented and the root causes of this toxic environment are addressed.\u201d\n\nOn October 20th, Congresswoman Ross led a letter with 41 House colleagues urging the National Women\u2019s Soccer League (NWSL) and U.S. Soccer Federation to conduct a thorough investigation into harassment and abuse claims made by NWSL players. Egregious reports of consistent abuse directed at women soccer players, including by former North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley, revealed a clear pattern of systemic harassment that raised serious safety concerns for players in the league.\n\nAfter former players bravely recounted the abuse and harassment they endured during Paul Riley\u2019s tenure, he was fired from his position as the head coach of the North Carolina Courage, a NWSL soccer team based in Congresswoman Ross\u2019 district. In addition to Paul Riley, three other NWSL coaches have been fired in recent months for inappropriate comments, creating a toxic environment, and verbal and emotional abuse.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://ross.house.gov/2021/11/congresswoman-ross-applauds-nwsls-commitment-meet-players-demands-after-sexual"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9663079399615526, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}