A Statement from the Ladies of SKC

We, the Ladies of SKC, condemn in the strongest possible terms, the recent hiring of Gavin Wilkinson as Sporting Director for Sporting Kansas City. We believe this appointment is inconsistent with the values and integrity of the club and its dedicated fans.

The hiring of the disgraced former president of the Portland Timbers and Thorns organization reveals a disregard for the safety of women within and adjacent to the Sporting Kansas City organization, including but not limited to staff, wives and girlfriends of players, and all female fans in general. Wilkinson’s knowledge and cover-up of alleged abuse allowed abusers to continue their behavior. From his position of authority, Wilkinson could have ensured safety for the victims, but yet he instead chose to cover up the bad behavior and let the problem continue elsewhere.

The public outcry, of which we are a part, should have been foreseeable to the Sporting KC leadership. There were undoubtedly many candidates for this position who did not have a history of ignoring and covering up abusive behaviors. The hiring of the one candidate who did, shows a stunning lack of prudence and equity. Offering a Q&A session as a response to the backlash shows a similar lack of respect, and insults the intelligence of our fans.

As a club with one of the first female -centric supporter groups in the country, the Sporting organization should have realized this hiring is NOT the right move for SKC. We expect better from our coaches, front office staff, and owners. Shame on them all.

The line of ethics has been crossed.

The only viable solution, in our opinion, is to rescind the hiring of Gavin Wilkinson.