This story was updated to add new information.
Former Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames, who was mentioned almost 400 times in Sally Yates’ damning report on abuse in women’s soccer, is no longer listed in the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s disciplinary database.
SafeSport declined to offer any explanations Wednesday, saying, “the Center does not comment on matters to protect the integrity of its investigations.” The office of Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who mentioned Dames in a letter last month to SafeSport CEO Ju’Riese Colon that raised questions about the Center’s effectiveness, said it had not received any information about a resolution in the case.
U.S. Soccer, which took the rare step of going public with its concerns that predators were going unchecked because of the way SafeSport handles cases, said it was “disappointed” to learn of Dames’ disappearance from the disciplinary list. Dames’ coaching license remains suspended by U.S. Soccer, but he could coach without one, particularly at the youth level.
“At U.S. Soccer, the safety of all participants in the sport, from grassroots to the professional levels, is our utmost priority,” the federation said in a statement. “This inaction underscores the urgent need for reform. That is why we are continuing to work with Congress and our fellow national governing bodies to address these deficiencies and ensure the protection of all athletes.”
Paul Riley, another prominent NWSL coach mentioned often in the Yates…
