FILE PHOTO: Jun 27, 2020; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Chicago Red Stars Sarah Gorden (11) reacts after a play against the Washington Spirit at Zions Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
April 15, 2021
(Reuters) – The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) said on Tuesday it had opened an investigation under its anti-discrimination policy after Chicago Red Stars defender Sarah Gorden said she and her boyfriend were racially profiled by a Houston security guard.
The incident happened after their goalless draw at Houston Dash on April 9 when a security official said her boyfriend “would be arrested if he came close” to talk to her following the match.
“At first I didn’t realize this was a racial issue until I saw white @HoustonDash players surrounding the stadium talking closely to their family and we were the only ones targeted,” she tweeted https://twitter.com/sarahlgorden/status/1380881615107276804 after the game.
“This is just another reason why we kneel.”
The NWSL said in a statement https://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/article/nwsl-initiates-investigation-based-on-anti-discrimination-policy it had opened the investigation on April 10.
“The league will have no additional comments regarding the current investigation prior to its completion and has asked the respective clubs to refrain from commenting further as well,” the league added.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
