- Five women – who were not players with the Wave – are involved in the lawsuit
- President Jill Ellis was previously accused of fostering an ‘abusive environment’
The San Diego Wave and NWSL have been sued by five former Wave employees amid claims of racial discrimination and sexual harassment within the organization.
The suit, which was filed in San Diego Superior Court and obtained by Defector, also alleges disability discrimination and a failure to investigate and prevent discrimination.
Jill Ellis, the former manager of the US women’s national team and the president of the Wave, was not named as a defendant but was repeatedly mentioned in the complaint. She was previously accused of fostering an ‘abusive environment’ by ex-employee Brittany Alvarado, who is one of the five women who brought the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, club directors ‘routinely left Ellis’ office in tears.’
A Wave spokesperson said to Defector, ‘This lawsuit concerns allegations initially raised on July 3, 2024. As this matter is an ongoing legal proceeding, we are unable to comment further at this time.’
The NWSL and San Diego Wave have been sued by five ex-employees of the club
Ex-USWNT coach Jill Ellis, who is now president of the Wave, was named repeatedly in the suit
While the NWSL allegedly knew about issues within the Wave organization dating back to November 2022 and investigated on two separate occasions, the lawsuit was branded as ‘biased and discounted by the league, leading to a failure to address systemic issues within the organization.’
The five women who brought the lawsuit were all non-athletes for the Wave, holding jobs such as creative services manager and senior communications manager.
A woman referred to Jane Doe in the lawsuit was allegedly sexual assaulted by a male coworker, which left her ‘bleeding for a week.’
The lawsuit puts blame on Ellis for the club hiring the man, who was regarded as the ‘office creeper,’ and Doe did not report what happened to her supervisors because she feared ‘retaliation and the potential loss of her job.’
The man allegedly continued to harass Doe with ‘additional nonconsensual penetration and threats of consequences at the workplace.’
The lawsuit also claims that Megan Wakefield, the company’s then–vice president of people and culture, wore a Dia de Los Muertos-themed costume for a Halloween party, which former creative services manager Victoria Diaz saw as a ”grossly insensitive act.’
Brittany Alvarado, previously a video and creative manager for the club, also claims the Wave ‘refused to engage’ when she sought special working accommodations and medical attention for her depression and anxiety.
Brittany Alvarado (pictured) is part of the suit and previously accused Ellis of fostering an ‘abusive enviroment’
She was later placed on a ‘clearly retaliatory unpaid leave of absence’ before ultimately resigning in June.
In July, Alvarado also said on social media that, ‘The treatment we endured under club President Jill Ellis has been nothing short of life-altering and devastating to our mental health.’
The Wave replied by calling Alvarado’s statements ‘inaccurate and defamatory’, and Ellis later filed a defamation lawsuit against her.
An NWSL spokesperson said in a statement to Defector, ‘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 will not comment specifically about an active legal matter.’