A former San Diego Wave employee called for the NWSL to remove San Diego Wave president Jill Ellis from her post Tuesday afternoon, accusing the former U.S. women's national team coach of fostering an "abusive" environment within the club.
Ellis coached the USWNT to the 2015 and 2019 World Cup titles, then joined San Diego in 2022. She helped lead the Wave to the 2023 NWSL Shield as the regular season champions.
Yet her alleged treatment of employees behind the scenes was "nothing short of life-altering and devastating to [their] mental health," per Brittany Alvarado, a videographer who worked for the franchise during the 2023 season.
Alvarado outlined her experiences with Wave, as well as the factors that led to her June 7 resignation, in a social media post Wednesday . Her allegations come days after the club's controversial dismissal of head coach Casey Stoney, who inked a contract extension earlier this year.
"Ellis' actions have been life-altering," Alvarado wrote. "She prioritizes personal gain over employee well-being, fostering an environment that enables abusive behavior."
The Wave denied the allegations against Ellis and the club in a stern statement Wednesday, calling them "inaccurate and defamatory." In the statement, the team calls Alvarado's accusations against Ellis "categorically false" and threatens to pursue legal action.
pic.twitter.com/mOoZ6lZwGk
— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) July 3, 2024
After Alvarado's post, two additional former Wave employees came forward with similar claims, ESPN reported.
Jenny Chuang, a freelance photographer who worked with the Wave in 2022, claims she was placed on suicide watch during her time with the team. When she asked for mental health support, she was pressured to resign instead, she wrote in a social media post Wednesday .
I was placed on suicide watch during my tenure with the Wave in 2022. I begged for help while my mental health declined rapidly, but was pressured to resign instead. After a failed attempt, I left to save myself. It breaks my heart that nothing has changed in the past 2 years. https://t.co/cmjWcpi7FZ
— Jenny Chuang (@jenkchu) July 3, 2024
Alvarado cited a mass exodus of women staff members from the organization — nearly 75% of the employees who have been fired and resigned have been women, Alvarado claimed in her post.
Alex Morgan, USWNT players respond to Jill Ellis accusations
Alex Morgan, who plays for the Wave and also played under Ellis for the USWNT at the 2015 and 2019 World Cup tournaments, responded to the allegations against the Wave president Wednesday.
The 35-year-old starting striker for San Diego released a statement on X indicating that the franchise has "so much work" to do to create a safe and equitable workplace for players and employees.
I am disappointed to hear about the allegations made by multiple former Wave FC employees today.
As players, we have worked hard to build a team that is surrounded by an inclusive, positive and safe environment.
But it’s important to me that we are creating that environment for…
— Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) July 4, 2024
Sydney Leroux, who won the 2015 World Cup with Ellis and Morgan, praised Alvarado for bringing her painful experiences with Ellis and the Wave and its president to light.
The 34-year-old Angel City FC star has spoken critically of Ellis and her treatment of players. She referred to the former USWNT coach as "not good for people’s mental health" in a podcast appearance earlier this year .
Carli Lloyd, who played on the 2015 and 2019 World Cup teams, offered similar sentiments. On Monday, the retired USWNT star turned Fox Sports analyst noted that USWNT players "hated" their coaches during their World Cup triumphs.
Lloyd responded in support of Leroux's social media post Wednesday.
Ellis coached the USWNT from 2014 through 2019. During her tenure, the team captured two World Cup titles. She was named FIFA World Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2019.
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