Merritt Paulson to sell the Portland Thorns to the NWSL team

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Portland Thorns owner Merritt Paulson has announced that he plans to sell the NWSL club, but retain control of Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers.

Poulson has owned the Thorns since their founding in 2012, and didn’t feel the need to relinquish control until the club stood at the center of an NWSL abuse scandal.

Subsequently, the NWSL launched an independent investigation, led by Sally Q. Yates, into several allegations at the university level. The results established that Paulson concealed the reasons for removing former head coach Paul Riley from the team in 2015, allowing him to continue working in the league despite numerous allegations of sexual harassment and coercion.

The misconduct of Paul Riley and the involvement of Thorns in allowing him to continue working in the NFL formed a large part of the findings of the investigation conducted by USA Football.

Paulson resigned as CEO of Portland Thorns and Timbers when information from the investigation became public.

“I think it’s in the best interest of the Thorns to have a new owner so the club can operate at a league level with a new voice and be a driving force for the NWSL,” Paulson said in a statement. “This has been a difficult decision for me to make, but I believe this is the best way to position The Thorns for continued success during this next chapter of the NWSL and sport.”

Paulson also pledged $1 million to create a new player safety office in the NWSL.

He did not specify a timeline for the sale, although several parties have expressed interest in buying a majority stake in Thorns.

But proponents argue that the owner should be removed from the franchise entirely.

“If he is unfit to own one team, why is he unfit to own another?” Gabby Rosas said, president of the 107 Independent Supporters Trust, a non-profit organization representing Rose City Riflers and Army Timbers. “You can’t tell me that one half of the club is broken and the other is fine.”

However, MLS commissioner Don Garber maintained that Paulson had “absolutely no reason” to sell the Timbers.

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