Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake, owners of NWSL’s Utah Royals, have been accused of maintaining a toxic and deeply sexist culture, according to current and former employees who spoke with SB Nation blog RSL Soapbox.
Real Salt Lake’s Chief Business Officer, Andy Carroll, was specifically named as one of the top executives who harbored this culture, and in multiple instances allegedly discouraged certain stars from being promoted because of their looks.
Per RSL Soapbox’s report, Carroll preferred that only Christen Press, Amy Rodriguez and Kelly O’Hara be used on billboards and advertisements because he felt they were the most attractive players on the team.
Other key players, such as Gunny Jonsdottir and Becky Sauerbrunn – the latter of whom was a captain for the USWNT World Cup champion team in 2019 – were not to be promoted because they were deemed “too ugly.”
Carroll also allegedly discouraged the team’s media department from promoting goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart’s accomplishment of tying the NWSL record for most shutouts in a season because she was not attractive enough.
Upon seeing the story, Sauerbrunn sounded off on Twitter.
“Anyone else sick of this narrative? That a woman’s success can only be defined by what a man deems valuable? It’s bulls—t,” she said. “Our accomplishments are worthy of recognition, in and of themselves.
“Also, if you can’t ‘sell’ excellence, can you actually sell anything?”
According to the Royals’ former team photographer, Roscoe Myrick, Carroll wanted players to pose for the specific purpose to look “sexy” during a shoot at the team’s media day in 2019. The staff refused to fulfill his request.
Rebecca Cade, a former sideline reporter for the Royals, said a co-worker once told her that Carroll was “very inappropriately” discussing her body during a management meeting that included only men.
“I was told, by a coworker, that there was a management meeting one Friday after work that only included the men in management — like the marketing guys and PR guys, all the guys I work with,” Cade said. “(Carroll) passed around scotch, was talking very inappropriately and was discussing my body with the other men. I didn’t really ask for specifics, but I know for sure they were talking about my boobs.”
RSL Soapbox said another person present in that meeting was able to corroborate Cade’s story.
Cade was fired from the organization in 2018 and raised this specific, as well as other behavior she witnessed, to the Royals human resources department but never received a response.
Cade summed up the workplace as “toxic.”
In addition to claims of sexism, Carroll is also accused of belittling staff members. Hourly employees were often tasked with pulling all-nighters and never receiving additional compensation for their work.
These issues also stem from the recent report that team owner, Dell Loy Hansen, reportedly used racist language is essentially being forced to sell the team.
The Royals released a statement following the most recent allegations.
“Utah Soccer prioritizes gender equality and has worked diligently to support and empower women both on and off the field,” it said. “This is exemplified in its various women’s initiatives and in the devotion it has shown to the sport of women’s soccer more broadly. Utah Soccer does not tolerate and has never tolerated language or conduct that is prejudicial or discriminatory against women, and has made it a central part of its mission to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all of its employees and players. Likewise, any belittling or threatening behavior is wholly counter to the culture of Utah Soccer and such conduct is never permitted or condoned.”
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