NWSL opens investigation of Bay FC following reports of a ‘toxic’ work environment
March 8, 2025
NWSL opens investigation of Bay FC following reports of a ‘toxic’ work environment
An independent investigation has been opened into the coaching staff at Bay FC following publication of a report that described a “toxic” work environment at the club, National Women’s Soccer League Commissioner Jessica Berman confirmed.
The San Francisco Chronicle published an investigation Friday that said at least two formal complaints had been made about the team under coach Albertin Montoya.
Two former players, who were not named in the Chronicle’s report, described the team environment as toxic and two former Bay FC employees agreed with the assessment.
The team investigated one complaint and found no wrongdoing, while the status of the second was unclear, according to the newspaper. The league on Friday confirmed that it has opened a formal review by a third party.
On a conference call with reporters ahead of Friday night’s Challenge Cup match between the defending NWSL champion Orlando Pride and the Washington Spirit, Berman addressed the report.
“Our goal is to create a safe, healthy work environment for everyone and everything that we’re doing, both proactively and responsibly, is in service of that,” she said. “Based on information that has come to our attention, a review is underway by an independent third party and we’re very confident that the system we have in place will ensure that we surface the issues that need to be addressed, and that we’ll continue to work with all of our clubs, our technical staffs and our players to make sure that we’re achieving our goal of creating a safe, healthy working environment.”
There was no timeline set for the league’s review.
“It’s a distraction,” Bay FC player Emily Menges said. “I understand sometimes things like this have to happen. I think the timing is frustrating for us. But a distraction for sure.”
Menges was one of several Bay FC players who spoke to NBC Bay Area on Friday at the team’s San Jose practice facility who defended their coach.
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“Albertin is very much a player’s coach,” Bay FC player Abby Dahl Kemper said. “He’s going to be there for you. He loves soccer and is very much passionate about it.”
The players said the coach talked to them about the reports making headlines.
“Full transparency,” Menges said. “Nothing has been hidden. We talked about it this morning. No opinions have been forced on us.”
The investigation is the second time this year that Bay FC has come under scrutiny. Bay FC head of domestic scouting Graeme Abel resigned in late February after just a week on the job amid allegations of verbal abuse while he was coach at the University of Oregon.
The NWSL was rocked by an abuse and misconduct scandal in 2021. Five coaches resigned or were fired in the aftermath and it prompted two investigations, one by U.S. Soccer and another by the league and its players’ union.
In response, the NWSL implemented changes to protect players, including enhanced vetting of club employees and an anonymous tipline for players. The NWSL Players Association also negotiated safeguards in the collective bargaining agreement with the league.
The NWSL established a $5 million fund for players who were subject to abuse as part of a settlement announced last month with the attorneys general from Washington, D.C., Illinois and New York. The settlement also requires the league to maintain safeguards already in place.
Four former employees and two former players told the Chronicle they chose to leave the San Jose-based team after its inaugural season last year because of Montoya. Two of those interviewed said the coach would “target and bully” players who questioned decisions.
The Chronicle spoke to more than a dozen former and current players, team officials and league sources for its investigation.
Bay FC provided the following statement to NBC Bay Area:
“We were recently made aware of feedback from the league about our end of season survey that is related solely to communication challenges. We take all feedback very seriously and are working closely with the league to review and will take the appropriate steps necessary based on findings. We were founded as a player-centric club, and we will do what we need to make sure we have a supportive environment for our players.
The feedback referenced in the San Francisco Chronicle article appears to have come from the midseason survey, it is also important to understand that the end of season player survey showed marked improvement in Bay FC’s ranking amongst the NWSL Clubs, improving from 11 out of 14 midseason to 6 out of 14 at the end of the year. The feedback received about the mid-summer player surveys was also related solely to communication challenges. We took the feedback very seriously and implemented new procedures to improve our communications across the team. This included executive coaching, setting a clear framework around our team values and one team culture, as well as team communications and one on one interactions for staff.
Regarding the first complaint noted in the article, as soon as we received it, we took it very seriously and immediately looked into the complaint. Following follow up by a third party, the inquiry did not find any evidence of misconduct.
In the end, roster turnover from year one to year two with NWSL expansion sides is very common. In fact, since 2021 Bay FC has seen the most players choosing to stay as compared to other expansion clubs, with 20 of the 30 players rostered at some point in 2024 returning to this season’s expected opening day roster.”
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