New revelations into the culture at the Washington Spirit have surfaced following the firing of coach Richie Burke.
Meg Linehan of The Athletic first reported that Burke was removed from his position as Spirit head coach following accounts of alleged abuse from players, detailed in the Washington Post.
Now, The Athletic reports that former Washington assistant coach Tom Torres’ departure from the NWSL club last summer was also due to inappropriate conduct. The team’s statement, issued in July 2020, claimed Torres left the Spirit to “pursue other interests.”
According to The Athletic, sources have since come forward stating that Torres left the team after making inappropriate comments toward players while intoxicated at a post-NWSL Challenge Cup party in 2020.
Torres now works as the senior staff coach for the girls’ academy and travel programs at The St. James FC Virginia, a position he took in April.