Alleged Sexual Harassment at NYCFC

[BxLio91]

The whole article is on the NYCFC supporters group on FB.

 

[LionNYC]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1330937545421713410

 

[CCMore]

Can we remove the question mark from the title or is it still a question that it happened? Cause it seems now that sexual harassment has occured.

 

[413Blue]

Im not going to weigh in on the situation itself because I have nothing to add but......


Totally classless to ask Keaton the question in that situation. Totally shows that we only have low-class/wannabe journalists covering this club.

 

[EganSoccerWords]

You're right about one thing

 

[moogoo]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1330937545421713410

Sounds like Fred knows things....

 

[ManhattanValley]

Sounds like Brillant is as garbage off the pitch as he was on it.

 

[413Blue]

Sounds like Brillant is as garbage off the pitch as he was on it.

Why?

 

[LionNYC]

As she approached the ice cream machine, Badillo says an older man approached her from behind, put his hand on her lower back, and said: “How come it’s always the gorgeous girls with perfect bodies who are eating ice cream?” She tried to get away from him, “but the ice cream machine itself was in a corner, and he sort of had me pinned, and it was just very awkward and uncomfortable.”

Who is the old guy in the press box though? Game took place on Thursday, August 8, 2019.

 

[ManhattanValley]

Why?

Because when you're a professional athlete making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, it's usually a bad vibe to publicly call out a former intern and suggest she's a liar for claiming she was harassed by your former colleague, while the rest of your locker room did nothing.

So yeah, fuck Frederic Brillant.

 

[413Blue]

Because when you're a professional athlete making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, it's usually a bad vibe to publicly call out a former intern and suggest she's a liar for claiming she was harassed by your former colleague, while the rest of your locker room did nothing.

So yeah, fuck Frederic Brillant.

But you only have 1 side of the story.

 

[ManhattanValley]

But you only have 1 side of the story.

You're right! So what do you think is the classy, respectful way to handle these kind of allegations, when you're in a position of power like he is? Do you think he maybe should have used TikTok or Instagram Stories instead?

 

[SoupInNYC]

But you only have 1 side of the story.

I think only having one side of the story can be a very legit response sometimes. BUT....

as of now, there have been months to get out "the other side of the story" and nothing there has been provided but empty statements. Furthermore, the club's investigation confirmed many of the allegations, though they haven't confirmed anything at a detailed level.

Almost all items on the "one side" that we do know have basically been (at a high level) confirmed to some detail by the club. No detailed portions of the allegations have been denied by the club or its investigation.

I'm really having a hard time buying a "we only have one side of the story" argument at this point. The "other side" has had a few months to give the "other side of the story".

 

[ZYanksRule]

I think only having one side of the story can be a very legit response sometimes. BUT....

as of now, there have been months to get out "the other side of the story" and nothing there has been provided but empty statements. Furthermore, the club's investigation confirmed many of the allegations, though they haven't confirmed anything at a detailed level.

Almost all items on the "one side" that we do know have basically been (at a high level) confirmed to some detail by the club. No detailed portions of the allegations have been denied by the club or its investigation.

I'm really having a hard time buying a "we only have one side of the story" argument at this point. The "other side" has had a few months to give the "other side of the story".

There is literally photographic evidence in this story of Villa sitting creepily close to her, and there is other corroboration in the article as well.

It sucks, and I hate it because I loved watching David Villa, but this is now more than just a credible accusation.

 

[moogoo]

There is literally photographic evidence in this story of Villa sitting creepily close to her, and there is other corroboration in the article as well.

It sucks, and I hate it because I loved watching David Villa, but this is now more than just a credible accusation.

i haven't seen the article or photo, but how does one sit "creepily close to" someone else? Is there like entire open spaces everywhere but he's squeezed up next to her like it's rush hour on the 4 train?

 

[ALBNYfan]

But you only have 1 side of the story.

A few points to consider:
- NYCFC's investigation found enough for disciplinary action.
- The article indicates that at least parts of her account were corroborated.
- She was offered a settlement which she rejected because of the gag order.

There's definitely enough there.

 

[moogoo]

I think only having one side of the story can be a very legit response sometimes. BUT....

as of now, there have been months to get out "the other side of the story" and nothing there has been provided but empty statements. Furthermore, the club's investigation confirmed many of the allegations, though they haven't confirmed anything at a detailed level.

Almost all items on the "one side" that we do know have basically been (at a high level) confirmed to some detail by the club. No detailed portions of the allegations have been denied by the club or its investigation.

I'm really having a hard time buying a "we only have one side of the story" argument at this point. The "other side" has had a few months to give the "other side of the story".

I think this is a fair assessment, but I don't think the club has any way to tell their story without it blowing up in the face. It would just be seen as victim blaming or attempts to intimidate or twist the story, etc.. For them, it is best to stay silent and just focus on taking the right steps to address the confirmed problems (by their own investigation) and move forward.

 

[ZYanksRule]

i haven't seen the article or photo, but how does one sit "creepily close to" someone else? Is there like entire open spaces everywhere but he's squeezed up next to her like it's rush hour on the 4 train?

From the article:

Late in the 2018 season, it was common knowledge within that club that Villa would be leaving for Japan at the end of the season to finish his career overseas. It was a much-needed glimmer of hope for Badillo. In early October, she found herself seated on a countertop in the training center when Villa entered.

“David came up to me and sat next to me,” says Badillo, “but so close that our thighs were touching. And so I, being so close, thought ‘how do I minimize this without making this a thing.’ I scooted over a couple of inches, and then he scooted over so our legs were almost touching. At that point I gave up and was like ‘I’m just going to give up, i’ll just let it go.’ He was just watching videos on his phone, asking me if I liked dancing.”

Eventually, one of the other interns approached and touched Villa’s arm to get his attention. Villa responded “don’t touch me,” shooing the intern away.

“And I was like ‘hey, how bout we don’t touch me either, then?’” says Badillo. “And then he turned to me and told me that he’d never touched me.”

Badillo retreated to a storage closet to compose herself. Moments later, she received a text message from another staff member, a photo of her and Villa seated on the countertop just moments earlier with a drawing of a heart superimposed around the two.

Badillo showed her supervisor, Melvyn Pamplona, the image. Pamplona, as Badillo remembers it, burst out laughing. Later, as the two sat and ate lunch together, Pamplona told Badillo to get her phone back out, insisting that she show others at the table the image. By the time it made it back to Christen, the head trainer, it was accompanied by a caption: “new office romance.”

Badillo’s texts to a friend that day offer a window into her emotional state. In them, she mentions that former NYCFC head coach Patrick Vieira — who Badillo worked for briefly in 2018 before his departure — used to ask her whether his players were treating her well. That environment had disappeared.

“I curse men on the street out all the time,” Badillo texted a friend in regards to Villa. “But with him I just freeze and feel small.”

And this is that photo. Yes. It's pretty creepy from Villa.

 

[EganSoccerWords]

I think this is a fair assessment, but I don't think the club has any way to tell their story without it blowing up in the face. It would just be seen as victim blaming or attempts to intimidate or twist the story, etc.. For them, it is best to stay silent and just focus on taking the right steps to address the confirmed problems (by their own investigation) and move forward.

You take the L on the chin and own up to your mistakes instead of following the CFG Crisis PR playbook.

Brad Sims should have been out in front of this, so us wannabe journalists wouldnt have to ask Ronny and players about this since they are the only people the team makes available to the media pretty much ever.

I don't blame how Ronny and Keaton answered John's question, but the team put them in that position, not us. This is a story that is bigger than worrying about so a players hurt feelings after a game they lost.

It was also perfectly fair to ask them, anyone (players includes since this incident involves players) connected to the club should have been able to point to changes in how the team has adjusted their policies unless it hasn't actually happened.

 

[ZYanksRule]

You take the L on the chin and own up to your mistakes instead of following the CFG Crisis PR playbook.

Brad Sims should have been out in front of this, so us wannabe journalists wouldnt have to ask Ronny and players about this since they are the only people the team makes available to the media pretty much ever.

I don't blame how Ronny and Keaton answered John's question, but the team put them in that position, not us. This is a story that is bigger than worrying about so a players hurt feelings after a game they lost.

It was also perfectly fair to ask them, anyone (players includes since this incident involves players) connected to the club should have been able to point to changes in how the team has adjusted their policies unless it hasn't actually happened.

I really don't think it is fair to ask the players about it. Unless they are accused of something. This is a question for the coach, for the sporting director, and for the CEO. I do realize that the CEO and SD never talk to the media, but that doesn't mean the players should be opened up to questions like that. They are employees, and when talking about something like this, it's management who should get questions. It is NOT up to the players to talk about what kind of changes have been made at the club. That is not their place to talk about it. You are putting the players in an absolutely impossible and untenable position by asking those questions of them.