Ex-San Diego Wave employee accuses Jill Ellis of ‘devastating’ abusive behavior

A former employee of the San Diego Wave has publicly accused club president Jill Ellis of “life-altering and devastating” abuse.

In a lengthy post on X, former Wave video and creative manager Brittany Alvarado also said Ellis has fostered an abusive environment at the NWSL team, adding that the former U.S. women’s national team head coach has “no place” in the sport.

In a statement , the Wave categorically denied the accusations, calling them “inaccurate and defamatory,” while adding that the club would be pursuing all legal avenues.

After a successful run with the USWNT that included World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, Ellis stepped down as head coach. The Englishwoman took some time away from the game before she announced in 2021 that she would take over as Wave president ahead of its expansion NWSL season of 2022.

In her statement on X, Alvarado said she moved across the country to take her “dream job” with the Wave last year. But she quickly grew disillusioned by the behavior of Ellis, whom she said “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 was allowed to flourish,” Alvarado added.

Alvarado said the Wave’s culture has led to over 30 employees being fired or quitting since the team’s inception, with nearly 75 percent of those employees women.

Alvarado also turned her ire on the NWSL, saying that the league was notified of Ellis’s behaviors and “consistently failed to take meaningful action and has instead turned a blind eye to a pattern of profoundly damaging behaviors.”

She continued: “The NWSL must take immediate action to remove Jill Ellis from both the San Diego Wave and the league entirely to finally protect the staff and players they have neglected and ignored for far too long.”

Alvarado also said the NWSL has “failed to fully address and implement” the recommendations from both the Yates report and the joint NWSL/NWSLPA investigations into misconduct in the league.

Those investigations were conducted in 2022 after a series of allegations of abuse and sexual misconduct against multiple NWSL coaches in 2021.

Pro Soccer Wire reached out to the NWSL, and a spokesperson provided the following response:

“The safety, health, and well-being of everyone associated with our league is our highest priority. We take serious 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.

“We encourage anyone with information of potential wrongdoing to report that misconduct to the League Safety Officer. Alternatively, individuals may report anonymously via Real Response, by texting 872-259-6975.”

Another ex-Wave employee responded to Alvarado’s social media post saying she was placed on suicide watch when she worked for the team in 2022.

Alvarado said she resigned from her position in June and received an email from a senior leadership member 10 days later. She posted the email on her X account, with the sender’s name obscured.

“You are the most pathetic person I’ve ever met,” the email said. “You must have no sense of work ethics or integrity. We are ecstatic you are no longer with the club.”

In the club’s statement, the Wave accused Alvarado of fabricating the email that she posted.

“San Diego Wave FC has been made aware of a recent social media post by a former employee that contains inaccurate and defamatory statements about the club. Not only does the post contain a fabricated email, but the claims made therein are categorically false, including the ones directed at our President Jill Ellis,” the statement said.

“San Diego Wave FC is currently reviewing this situation and intends to pursue all legal avenues available to appropriately address this matter.”

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