ORLANDO, Fla. — Following a prolonged investigation into allegations of misconduct within the Orlando Pride, the National Women’s Soccer League on Monday terminated the contracts of coach Amanda Cromwell and first assistant coach Sam Greene, and placed goalkeeper coach Aline Reis on unpaid administrative leave, the league announced.

The decision came after the NWSL and NWSL Players Association Joint Investigative Team investigated allegations of workplace misconduct toward players by individuals in positions of power, as well as systemic issues in the league. 

The joint investigative team found that Cromwell and Greene engaged in retaliation and attempted retaliation against Pride players whom Cromwell and Greene believed had made or supported earlier misconduct allegations against them during an investigation by Pride legal counsel, in violation of NWSL policy, the league announced.

Specifically, Cromwell and Greene were found by the joint investigative team to have engaged in conduct that discouraged reporting and fostered a general fear of retaliation, including by seeking to waive or trade them, the league said.

The NWSL/NWSLPA Joint Investigative Team accused Reis of not fully cooperating with the investigation and pressuring players to share favorable information, the league announced.

In June 2022, Cromwell, Greene, Reis and Assistant Coach Michelle Akers raised complaints that they were subjected to various forms of misconduct. A third-party investigator hired by the NWSL investigated independently from the NWSL/NWSLPA Joint Investigation into those claims. The third-party investigator found their claims to be unsubstantiated, the NWSL said.

The league also mandated “additional training regarding retaliation, discrimination, harassment, and bullying for the entire Orlando Pride organization to establish and ensure everyone is on notice of the League’s expectations for appropriate conduct and behavior within the NWSL.”

Cromwell and Greene had been suspended since June after the findings of suspected retaliation, and Seb Hines was named interim coach for the remainder of the season.

After Monday’s announcement by the NWSL, Pride Chairman Mark Wilf released a statement expressing support for the NWSL’s decision and promising to improve the culture throughout the club.

“Our Club is dedicated to providing a safe, inclusive and respectful environment, and we apologize to our players who may have experienced otherwise,” the statement said. “We are committed to learning from this process as we continue to build and grow the Pride into the premier organization our players and fans deserve. As a step in that process, we will be implementing anti-retaliation training for all Pride staff members, on both the Soccer Operations side and in the front office. As we move forward, we will work with our coaching staff to determine the best next steps for all parties.”

Following the termination of her contract Cromwell took to Twitter to respond to the decision.

“I am saddened and disappointed by the results of the NWSL’s investigation released today,” Cromwell wrote. “I believe the investigation lacked transparency, professionalism and thoroughness and as a result my character and integrity have been mischaracterized.”

Cromwell said further that abusive behavior in the NWSL goes beyond the players and that she would be “reviewing all legal options.”

The Pride finished 10th among 12 teams in the NWSL at the end of the just-concluded season with a 5-10-7 record.

Amid the overall investigation of the league, Merritt Paulson removed himself as the chief operating officer of the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer and the Portland Thorns.

Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler also stepped back from his role.

Five of 10 NWSL coaches were either fired or stepped down last season amid allegations of misconduct. Among them was former Thorns and North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.