Five former employees sue the San Diego Wave and NWSL

Five former employees of the San Diego Wave have filed a lawsuit in San Diego Superior Court accusing the women’s soccer club of discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination.

Four named plaintiffs outlined what they allege to be a hostile culture. The lawsuit names the Wave and the NWSL as defendants. It says both the team and the league failed to act on complaints about a toxic workplace culture. The lawsuit does not name Wave President Jill Ellis as a defendant.

One of the plaintiffs, named in the complaint under the pseudonym "Jane Doe" due to "privacy and safety concerns" alleges she was sexually assaulted by a coworker during the first few weeks of her employment.

The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages, as well as punitive damages.

San Diego acknowledged the suit in an official statement released on Friday: “This lawsuit concerns allegations initially raised on July 3, 2024. As this matter is an ongoing legal proceeding, we are unable to comment further at this time.”

The NWSL also put out a statement regarding the legal action: "The safety, health, and well-being of everyone associated with our league is our highest priority. We take serious any and every report of potential misconduct, hire qualified independent investigators to review those allegations thoroughly, and act when allegations are supported by the facts uncovered. We will not comment specifically about an active legal matter."

In early July, a former employee made similar allegations, and accused American soccer veteran Ellis of "life-altering and devastating abuse." Ellis filed a legal complaint against that employee, which is still ongoing.

On the business front, the sale of the Wave to Levine Leichtman Capital partners went through this weekend.

Their next fixture is against Houston Dash on Sunday.