NYCFC corroborate sexual harassment claims; Villa reportedly involved
An investigation commissioned by New York City FC found that a group of individuals within the club that reportedly included former captain and World Cup winner David Villa behaved in an "inappropriate and unacceptable" manner toward an ex-intern.
The findings largely corroborate the former employee's sexual harassment allegations from July.
"The allegations made during the course of the investigation were that a small number of players and staff did not act in accordance with the club's standards in their interactions with the intern and with other club staff," NYCFC said in a statement to ESPN's Jeff Carlisle.
"This behavior included unnecessary physical contact, teasing, and comments regarding clothing and appearance. The club found that this behavior was inappropriate and unacceptable."
NYCFC did not name any of the individuals in question. But sources told Carlisle that investigators confirmed Villa - who played for the club for four seasons before leaving in 2018 - touched a former employee inappropriately, making the employee feel uncomfortable.
Villa denied the allegations in July, calling them "entirely false" and asking the media and public to "respect my right to the presumption of innocence in this matter."
A woman on Twitter using the name "Skyler B" wrote that Villa touched her "every day" and that her bosses thought it was "great comedic material." She also alleged that she was groped, mocked, and shoved in the back.
"The harassment I went through at NYCFC was so bad that now the idea of professional sports terrifies me," the woman wrote on July 17. "Staying in the field of athletics terrifies me. I'm changing my entire career because the shit they did to me ruined my dreams."
The investigation took several months to complete and included interviews with 40 people, sources told Carlisle. Villa reportedly agreed to cooperate with the investigation.
NYCFC said it is now implementing a "series of changes within the organization aimed at ensuring that such behavior does not occur in the future, including: enhancing reporting processes for victims of misconduct; instituting enhanced education and awareness training on harassment and workplace conduct for all staff, including interns; improving the onboarding and training process for interns; and instituting clear protocols for investigating workplace misconduct."