NWSL abuse allegations: Portland Thorns owner Merritt Paulson steps down as CEO

Merritt Paulson, the owner of the NWSL's Portland Thorns and MLS's Portland Timbers, announced he is stepping down as CEO of both clubs «effective immediately.»

The announcement follows the release of the Yates Report, which detailed systemic emotional and verbal abuse, as well as sexual misconduct in the NWSL, including within the Thorns' organization.

«The Portland Thorns were created to be a beacon of what is possible in women's sports. A successful team is built on trust, equality and accountability, and today I am holding myself accountable for not doing enough,» Paulson said in a statement on Tuesday.

He also apologized to the Thorns' players, the organization and the Portland community «for the mistakes we made [...] our organization's failures and mistakes were ultimately my responsibility, and my responsibility alone.»

Paulson had previously announced that he was stepping aside from the Thorns' day-to-day activities. But his latest statement now makes that move permanent, and the organization will engage in a «global search» for his replacement. His statement made no mention of whether he will sell either the Thorns or the Timbers. For now, the move adds another layer of management between himself and the teams.

The Thorns were featured at numerous points in the Yates report, especially as it related to its handling of sexual misconduct allegations made in 2015 by former players Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly against then-Thorns manager Paul Riley. The allegations were first reported by The Athletic.

«I owe Sinead and Mana, the Thorns players and the NWSL my tireless effort to actively make sure what happened in 2015 never happens again,» Paulson said.

But there was more to the Thorns' involvement than what Riley