MLS to open investigation into Vancouver Whitecaps after players call for accountability
CBC
Major League Soccer said Friday it will hire independent counsel to oversee an investigation into the Vancouver Whitecaps' handling of the misconduct allegations against former coach Hubert Busby Jr.
It comes after a former player went public with claims of sexual impropriety against him last week.
Malloree Enoch told the British publication the Guardian she was coerced and sexually assaulted by Hubert Busby Jr. a decade ago, when Busby was recruiting her for the team.
"I think [Whitecaps] leadership needs to change," said Enoch, speaking to CBC. She says the soccer club needs to be held accountable for not protecting players.
"We can't support these types of behaviours. We can't pretend that they didn't happen. And we can't tell people that they need to be quiet and it's inappropriate to speak about it."
Busby Jr. denied all of Enoch's claims to the Guardian. The Whitecaps have not responded to CBC interview requests.
MLS said the investigation into the club would include "a review of internal processes and overall culture" at the time of the alleged incidents.
"The league and club will publicly release the findings and recommendations of the investigation," a league spokesperson said.
In a statement on Friday, Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster apologized for how the club handled the situation.
"The club's leadership was made aware of allegations against Busby at the end of the 2011 season and promptly secured the services of an independent ombudsperson to oversee an investigation into the matter," he said. "We have since learned that the investigation did not reveal certain allegations that were disclosed this week."
Schuster says any members of the executive leadership involved with the incident have been put on administrative leave, and the club is "committed" to co-operating with the league's review.
Busby Jr. was the Whitecaps women's head coach for two seasons before being quietly let go in Oct. 2011. At the time of his departure, players were asked not to speak publicly about it by club executive Dan Lenarduzzi.
Busby Jr. moved to another job coaching women at the Seattle Sounders. He is currently the head coach of the Jamaican national women's team.
Enoch shared details of Busby's behaviour with Whitecaps executives and club owner Greg Kerfoot in an email dated Aug. 10, 2011.
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