MLS announces independent review into Whitecaps’ handling of misconduct claims

Major League Soccer says it has hired two lawyers to lead an independent review of how the Vancouver Whitecaps handled allegations of misconduct against two former coaches.

The league says it has hired Janice Rubin and Melody Jahanzadeh of Rubin Thomlinson LLP to lead the review into the allegations against Hubert Busby Jr. and Bob Birarda.

It says Rubin is widely regarded as a leading authority in workplace and institutional investigations and assessments and has conducted workplace investigations in the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

The allegations have not been tested in court. Busby could not be reached for comment.

Related Articles: 

• Former Whitecaps women’s player claims then-coach pressured her for sex during recruitment

• ‘I started crying’: Retired Whitecaps player relieved as former women’s coach charged with sex offences

• Former Vancouver Whitecaps women’s coach charged with sexual offences

• Christine Sinclair, teammates demand change amid sex abuse scandal in women’s soccer

The decision comes after Malloree Enoch, a former Whitecaps women’s team player, accused Busby of pressuring her for sex during his time as head coach.

She says she shared her concerns with Whitecaps officials but no action was immediately taken.

Axel Schuster, the chief executive officer of the Whitecaps, says executives affiliated with the incident have been placed on administrative leave as MLS investigates.

He also apologized to Enoch for how the team treated her initial allegations.

The Canadian-raised Busby was appointed head coach of Jamaica’s women’s team in January 2020 after previously serving as an assistant coach.

Busby previously represented Jamaica at the men’s level from 2001 to 2003.

Busby is the second Whitecaps coach to face misconduct allegations, with Birarda, a former Canadian women’s under-20 and Whitecaps women’s coach, being charged with sexual offences involving four people. He’s facing six counts of sexual exploitation, two counts of sexual assault and one count of child luring.

The alleged offences occurred between January 1988 and March 25, 2008. The allegations have not yet been tested in court.

#BREAKING MLS announces Janice Rubin and Melody Jahanzadeh of Rubin Thomlinson LLP will conduct independent review of how the Vancouver Whitecaps organization handled allegations of misconduct brought by members of the Whitecaps’ women’s team in 2008 and 2011. #VWFC https://t.co/04Y4tXyQWG

— Martin MacMahon (@martinmacmahon) November 4, 2021

MLS says it is committed to a thorough, open, and transparent process.

“The investigation will consider the club’s internal processes and overall culture at the time of the allegations, including what steps it took in response to the allegations. The review will also consider the club’s current policies and procedures and provide any recommendations on preventative measures to ensure that all players and staff within the Whitecaps organization work in a safe environment, free of all forms of harassment and fear of retaliation,” a statement from MLS reads.

Thomlinson has set up a dedicated email address (whitecaps@rubintomlinson.com) for anyone who may want to provide information relevant to the investigation on a confidential basis.

 

– With files from John Ackermann