As much as we like to think the local youth soccer scene is a shltshow, far more interesting things are happening up I-5, where a female former coach at Crossfire Premier (one Justi Baumgardt) is in the process of filing a lawsuit against XF for sexual harassment. If the allegations are true (and there's always that if, as I would expect XF to deny it if they plan to fight this), it's fairly gross.
A copy of the summons (the case has not been formerly filed yet, it's in the pre-filing stage) is here: https://www.filemail.com/d/rfgmietcyzdoegv
In addition to that, Ms. Baumgardt apparently filed a "SafeSport" complaint about XF director Bernie James and another male coach at the club, which got them momentarily suspended from their duties. They have been returned to duty pending the investigation but are apparently not allowed to be around players without a chaperone.
One local note--the complaint alleges that Baumgardt was passed over for promotion to girls' ECNL director in February of this year, when XF instead hired a male coach from outside the club. That coach, of course, is Kevin Legg. He's not mentioned by name in the complaint, nor is he accused of any misconduct, as all of the alleged abuses occurred prior to his hire, but he is alluded to.
The allegations, if true, probably would mean the end of Bernie James, who is the godfather of the Puget sound youth soccer scene. He is, if nothing else, a brash, old school iconoclast, the sort who doesn't suffer fools gladly and demands excellence. (In other words, a five-alarm load-bearing a55hole). There really isn't any local analog to James here in Portland. Whether he is the sort who would engage the sort of frathouse behavior alleged in the complaint, especially in front of minors (male or female), I do not know. And Crossfire supporters in the WA forum have been busy giving Baumgardt the Amber Heard treatment.
A copy of the summons (the case has not been formerly filed yet, it's in the pre-filing stage) is here: https://www.filemail.com/d/rfgmietcyzdoegv
In addition to that, Ms. Baumgardt apparently filed a "SafeSport" complaint about XF director Bernie James and another male coach at the club, which got them momentarily suspended from their duties. They have been returned to duty pending the investigation but are apparently not allowed to be around players without a chaperone.
One local note--the complaint alleges that Baumgardt was passed over for promotion to girls' ECNL director in February of this year, when XF instead hired a male coach from outside the club. That coach, of course, is Kevin Legg. He's not mentioned by name in the complaint, nor is he accused of any misconduct, as all of the alleged abuses occurred prior to his hire, but he is alluded to.
The allegations, if true, probably would mean the end of Bernie James, who is the godfather of the Puget sound youth soccer scene. He is, if nothing else, a brash, old school iconoclast, the sort who doesn't suffer fools gladly and demands excellence. (In other words, a five-alarm load-bearing a55hole). There really isn't any local analog to James here in Portland. Whether he is the sort who would engage the sort of frathouse behavior alleged in the complaint, especially in front of minors (male or female), I do not know. And Crossfire supporters in the WA forum have been busy giving Baumgardt the Amber Heard treatment.
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