San Diego Wave president Jill Ellis has responded to what she called “false accusations” from a former team employee, who alleged that Ellis has fostered an abusive environment at the NWSL club.
Former Wave video and creative manager Brittany Alvarado made explosive allegations on X this week, calling the former U.S. women’s national team coach “devastating to our mental health.”
The Wave strongly pushed back on Alvarado’s claims in a statement on Wednesday, even saying that they would consider legal action against their former employee.
After Alvarado’s statement, three other former team employees have corroborated her description of an environment at the Wave that is damaging to mental health.
On Thursday, Ellis released a statement through the Wave that conceded there had been allegations of mistreatment made at the club. The 57-year-old said that all of those claims had been investigated, sometimes through an independent third party, and the club had been cleared of all wrongdoing every time.
The statement from Ellis is below:
Mental health is a priority at our club for everyone, and we have support measures in place to help those in need. Our staff and I will always honor how someone feels. Over time, we have actively responded to employees who have shown or expressed needs related to their mental health. I want to reinforce that Wave FC has a robust Employee Assistance Program that is promoted regularly to employees.
I will continue to protect former and current employee confidentiality. When allegations of mistreatment have been made, we have taken them seriously and investigated them thoroughly. In addition, when appropriate, independent third parties have assisted us in evaluating our workplace. At no time have those evaluations uncovered any wrongdoing by the club.
What we do is all about fostering a culture of respect, inclusivity, and excellence. The false accusations in today’s post are not only personally damaging but also take away from the incredible work and progress we’ve achieved together as a team. It’s important to address this information promptly and effectively.
Our focus remains on moving forward and continuing to build a strong, unified club.
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