June 7, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Tide President Gil Ellis watches after the sport in opposition to the Orlando Delight at Snapdragon Stadium. Obligatory Credit score: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports activities San Diego Waves FC president Gil Ellis filed a defamation lawsuit on Monday in opposition to a former group worker who accused Ellis on social media of making a hostile work setting.
Former Wave video and inventive supervisor Brittany Alvarado wrote in a July 3 social media put up that the remedy she and her colleagues obtained below Ellis “utterly modified It has disrupted our lives and brought a devastating toll on our psychological well being.”
Alvarado claimed that Ellis had a “narcissistic private agenda” and allowed “abuse to flourish amongst her subordinates.”
The previous Wave worker urged the Nationwide Girls’s Soccer League to expel Ellis from the league.
“Jill Ellis has no place on this recreation and he or she has been forgiven for too lengthy,” Alvarado wrote.
Ellis, who referred to as Alvarado’s accusations “false” and “personally damaging” in a July 4 assertion, filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court docket claiming Alvarado’s accusations are defamatory and defamatory. Intentional interference with contractual relationships.
“As a direct and proximate results of the publication of false and defamatory statements, Plaintiff suffered basic and particular monetary and emotional hurt, injury, loss and hurt, reputational hurt, nervousness, embarrassment, humiliation, shame and extreme emotional misery,” Eh mentioned Leith Go well with.
Ellis accuses Alvarado of making pretend emails by means of a Hotmail account and forging textual content messages that appeared as screenshots in Alvarado’s social media posts.
The Hotmail account allegedly belongs to Justyne Freud, Wave’s vp of selling and public relations. Ellis’ lawsuit alleges that one of many emails was despatched to league commissioner Jessica Berman saying Floyd’s withdrawal attributable to Ellis’ actions.
The lawsuit additionally alleges {that a} textual content message was despatched to Wave gamers from a burner telephone that contained “extremely defamatory statements about Ellis, Wave FC and different corporations,” ESPN reported.
Alvarado’s legal professionals argued that Alvarado was entitled to free speech.
Legal professional Casey Hultin mentioned: “Our consumer is a brave former worker who got here ahead to train her First Modification rights and expose widespread sexism and emotional abuse inside her group. ”
“Her voice echoes the experiences of many, calling for speedy and substantial adjustments to guard employees and athletes from additional hurt. This isn’t only a name for justice; it’s a demand for a secure, respectful and truthful setting for all.
Ellis’ lawsuit reportedly alleges that Alvarado filed a criticism with the NWSL in February concerning her employment with the Wave, which prompted a two-month investigation by the league that discovered no violations. The lawsuit provides that Alvarado left the membership in early June.
ESPN reported that after Alvarado shared her put up to Instagram and X, three different former Wave workers revealed their dangerous experiences with the group.
Different former workers additionally mentioned they thought-about suicide and felt hopeless, in accordance with ESPN.
“Psychological well being is a precedence for everybody at our membership,” Ellis mentioned in a press launch in early July.
Ellis, 57, has served as Wave president because the group’s first NWSL season in 2022.
–Scene-level media
