An independent review has concluded that Canada Soccer 鈥渕ishandled鈥� sexual harassment allegations in 2008 against then under-20 women鈥檚 coach Bob Birarda, who is currently awaiting sentencing on sexual assault charges.
The 125-page report by McLaren Global Sport Solution, commissioned by Canada Soccer, paints a picture of a governing body 鈥渄escribed by many as being dysfunctional and inefficient,鈥� with 鈥渟ignificant leadership upheaval and transition at the highest levels鈥� in 2007 and 2008.
It concludes a 鈥渃omplete lack of familiarity鈥� with the harassment policy amongst Canada Soccer senior officials in 2008 and that 鈥渉arassment was not a priority issue amongst the senior CSA (Canadian Soccer Association) leadership team鈥� at the time.
It also says there was a lack of oversight over the women鈥檚 under-20 team and that Canada Soccer did not follow its own harassment policy.
And it suggested that Canada Soccer just wanted the issue to go away at the time.
鈥淭he CSA press release that characterized Birarda鈥檚 departure (in 2008) as being in the mutual interest of both parties without so much as addressing the harassment was a gross mischaracterization of the circumstances and failed the victims of the harassment, their teammates, and the organization as a whole,鈥� the report says.
鈥淭he leaders of Canada Soccer acknowledged to the IRT (independent review team) that mistakes were made in how the Birarda complaint process was managed and communicated including regrets that 鈥渨e had taken a silent position on this,鈥� it added.
With virtually no oversight, the review says Birarda 鈥渁bused his position of power to groom, intimidate, threaten, and sexually harass certain players.鈥�
鈥淏irarda鈥檚 behaviour went unchecked because of the siloed nature of the U-20 WNT in Vancouver, poor comprehension of harassment policies and reporting procedures amongst the players on the team, and Birarda鈥檚 facade. He was considered 鈥榰ntouchable鈥� because of his power and influence over the players.鈥�
The review looked into Canada Soccer鈥檚 handling of Birarda, who doubled as a women鈥檚 Vancouver Whitecaps and national youth team coach.
Birarda is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in February to three counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual touching while in a position of authority. A sentencing hearing is expected to resume in September.
The charges, which involve four teenage soccer players coached by Birarda, span 20 years between 1988 and 2008. Birarda left both the Whitecaps and Canada Soccer in October 2008.
The McLaren report says with little direction or oversight, Birarda ran the team 鈥渁s he saw fit,鈥� and engaged 鈥渋n what should have been identified by CSA as highly questionable if not flatly proscribed relationships, communications, and activities with his female players.鈥�
Given the young age and vulnerability of players on the under-20 Canada roster, 鈥渆ducating and training national team players and staff about harassment issues should have been a greater priority for the CSA,鈥� the report said.
While as many as 25 players listed on a 2008 roster for the Whitecaps women鈥檚 team were affiliated with the U-20 national side, there was no formal agreement between Vancouver and Canada Soccer.
And within Canada Soccer there appeared to be confusion over who supervised Birarda.
The men鈥檚 under-20 team coach reported to a technical director, who reported to the general secretary. However the women鈥檚 U-20 team did not have a technical director and 鈥渁ll supervisory authority 鈥� on paper 鈥� rested with the WNT (women鈥檚 national team) head coach.鈥�
The review concluded this lack of reporting 鈥渨as also a product of the CSA鈥檚 perceived, if not established, lack of interest and oversight into the U-20 WNT at the time.鈥� Even Pellerud, the senior women鈥檚 team coach at the time, disputes that he supervised Birarda.
That lack of interest in the youth team was shown by the fact most Canada Soccer executives and staff members 鈥渃ould not recall or were unfamiliar with the hiring process for Bob Birarda. The IRT received conflicting accounts of who hired Birarda.鈥�
McLaren鈥檚 brief in this case was to review 鈥渢he institutional response and processes of鈥� Canada Soccer with respect the departure of Birarda in 2008. It was also tasked with conducting a 鈥渞eview of all current safe sport and related policies to identify gaps that may require action.鈥�
鈥淭his review spells out in black and white how the CSA mishandled the 2008 harassment allegations. It provides a timeline of actions, details how policies were not followed, and outlines a pattern of not documenting decisions that has ultimately resulted in frustration and anger by players that continues today,鈥� McLaren wrote.
In 2008, Canada Soccer announced a 鈥渕utual parting of ways鈥� with Birarda despite a vote by its executive committee to terminate Birarda following the recommendation of the investigator at the time that Birarda should no longer be coaching, the report said.
鈥淏y not following through with the vote to terminate Birarda for cause, the CSA did a disservice to the players by not acknowledging his harassment as the reason for his removal,鈥� McLaren wrote. 鈥淭here was no acknowledgment of the complaints or their impact on the players.
鈥淢oreover, failure to terminate Birarda allowed him to continue coaching, putting other players at potential risk.鈥�
The review drew on 28 interviews including 23 current and former Canada Soccer officials. While 23 former players were invited to participate, only three consented to interviews. The report said those interviews 鈥渃orroborated other witness accounts and public statements made by former players in 2019.鈥�
The reluctance by former under-20 women鈥檚 team players to participate was the result of several factors, according to the review, 鈥渋ncluding the passage of time and a complete lack of trust in Canada Soccer.鈥�
Official interviews included former Canada Soccer general secretary Peter Montopoli. who had just taken up his position in 2008, Pellerud and CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, who was chair of the national teams committee in 2008.
Allegations against Birarda surfaced in May and September 2008.
The Whitecaps hired Anne Chopra, an ombudsperson from the Law Society of British Columbia, to investigate the May complaint. Canada Soccer and the Whitecaps jointly hired Chopra to investigate the second complaint.
Following the May probe, the ombudsperson recommended that Birarda complete sensitivity training. Canada Soccer鈥檚 general secretary told Pellerud that told 鈥淏irarda was his concern and that he was responsible to ensure that such behaviour would not reoccur.鈥�
鈥淭here was no additional follow-up between the CSA and players on the U-20 WNT as it concerned the May complaints; the CSA did not make any support mechanisms available to players on the team, nor did they take the opportunity to remind players of the rules and regulations governing harassment or raise any awareness regarding players鈥� rights in the event of any continued harassment by Birarda,鈥� the McLaren report said.
It appears Canada Soccer did little in the wake of the May 2008 complaint other than have a senior executive instruct Pellerud to 鈥渆nsure that this does not happen again.鈥�
Canada Soccer also failed to ensure that Birarda completed 鈥渁ny of the undertakings he had committed to as remedial actions鈥� and did not educate the U-20 players on the rights and processes available to them under the existing harassment policy.
The September investigation was 鈥渓imited,鈥� according to the review with the time spent on the 鈥減layer component鈥� of the probe lasting between 8 1/2 and 17 hours.
鈥淢ost players on the U-20 WNT were not asked or invited to participate in the investigation. There is no written record of the investigation including the terms of reference, final report, and recommendations,鈥� the report said.
The ombudsman found 鈥渁 continuing pattern of harassing emails and a power imbalance between Birarda and the players and recommended that Birarda should no longer be coaching the U-20 WNT.鈥�
The September probe came after former player Andrea Neil heard allegations and took them to a high-performance coach at Canada Soccer.
鈥淎lthough the CSA acted quickly in investigating the concerns brought forward by Neil to Even Pellerud, their haste in doing has fuelled skepticism amongst players and allegations of a cover-up. The IRT has no evidence to support allegations of a cover-up by anyone associated with Canada Soccer,鈥� the report says.
Members of Canada Soccer鈥檚 executive committee at the time said the ombudsman鈥檚 鈥渧erbal recommendations鈥� were the basis for their vote to terminate Birarda. That vote, however, was not documented in any meeting minutes of the executive committee or board of directors.
A letter of suspension was issued to Birarda by the CSA and the Whitecaps on Oct. 3. Five days later, following meetings between the Whitecaps, CSA, Birarda, and their lawyers, Birarda submitted a letter of resignation saying he was stepping aside by 鈥渕utual agreement.鈥�
鈥淎lthough the executive committee acted swiftly to provisionally suspend Birarda and voted to terminate him, they allowed him the opportunity to resign from his position without acknowledging his harassment,鈥� the report said.
While the report says Canada Soccer has 鈥渃learly made noteworthy progress since 2008 to improve its policies and procedures concerning harassment,鈥� it makes 38 recommendations ranging from governance to code of conduct and player relationships.
Canada Soccer has retained ITP Sport and Recreation, a safe sport consulting and program agency co-founded by former Olympian Allison Forsyth, to help implement the McLaren recommendations.
The McLaren Group is also analyzing Gymnastics Canada鈥檚 national safe sport policies and procedures after calls for an independent investigation into the sport.
Gymnastics was among several sports that complained to Canada鈥檚 Sport Minister Pascale St-Onge about toxic cultures and maltreatment in their sport in what St-Onge has called a safe sport 鈥渃risis.鈥�
Hockey Canada is also under the spotlight, with investigations launched into two alleged cases of sexual misconduct and how the governing body used its funds to address the cases.
Major League Soccer is conducting its own investigation into how the Whitecaps handled harassment allegations related to Birarda.
鈥� Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
