On Monday afternoon, United Women’s Soccer (UWS) announced that it had carried out sanctions against FC Austin Elite and the club’s ownership led by Danny Woodfill following the conclusion of an investigation that was led by the league’s Executive Committee and reviewed by a legal council.
The investigators concluded that Elite’s owner engaged in verbal, financial, and procedural misconduct.
In turn, the UWS Executive Committee has recommended the following sanctions, which will take immediate effect for Woodfill regarding both Elite and involvement in the UWS.
- The current ownership of FC Austin Elite led by Danny Woodfill can no longer serve as an owner, General Manager, or in any other capacity of any team in the UWS.
- Danny Woodfill will be removed, in all capacities, as a member of the UWS.
- FC Austin Elite and all organizations within the UWS which Danny Woodfill is partial/full owner of, director, investor, coach, and/or holds any leadership or involvement in will be allowed to continue as a member organization only after he removes himself or divests himself of ownership and the removal is vetted and approved by the UWS, AND the new ownership is vetted and approved per our existing guidelines.
UWS also announced that the league will review its policies and procedures in order to have better contingency plans in place in case of any similar incidents that occur in the league.
A statement from the league's website read:
"The UWS remains committed to building respectful, inclusive, and professional workplaces. In the immediate future, this means providing DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) training and continuing to promote a culture of transparency by making the reporting protocols for any situation of bullying, discrimination, or harassment more accessible."
The investigation was launched after players from the club boycotted a league match and made a public statement about the behavior of Woodfill on Friday July 1. That same day the Elite players filed a complaint with UWS, and the same day the league launched an investigation into Woodfill. Woodfill stepped down from his role as Elite general manager on Saturday, July 2.