San Diego Wave FC president and former U.S. women's national team coach Jill Ellis has filed a defamation lawsuit against a former Wave employee who recently accused Ellis of creating a toxic work environment.
The lawsuit, which was filed in San Diego County Court on Monday, alleges that Brittany Alvarado, the team’s former creative and video director, made false and defamatory statements about Ellis in recent posts on her social media accounts. The suit further claims those statements were backed up by a fake email — an allegation the Wave organization made in its public denial of the allegations earlier this month.
In her social media posts on July 3, Alvarado claimed that Ellis' treatment of her and her former colleagues “has been nothing short of life-changing and devastating to our mental health” and claimed that Ellis “encourages[ed] an environment in which abusive behavior is allowed to flourish among subordinates.”
Alvarado posted a follow-up screenshot of a worded email titled “Pathetic,” which Alvarado said he received from “a senior leadership member” at Wave FC.
The suit alleges that two other emails were sent the same day from a “fake, unofficial Hotmail account” purporting to be Wave FC vice president of marketing and public relations Justyne Freud. One of those emails, the suit says, was sent to NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman (with a copy to the league’s head of human resources) to indicate that Freud was resigning because she could no longer tolerate Ellis. The disputed email was allegedly sent on June 17; Freud remains employed by the Wave.
Ellis' lawsuit also alleges that what is “believed to be a burner phone” was used to send a text message to a Wave player making “false, inflammatory and highly defamatory statements about Ellis, Wave FC and others.”
Attorneys representing Alvarado said she was exercising her First Amendment rights in an attempt to bring about positive change within the Wave organization.
“Our client, a courageous former employee, has stepped forward to exercise her First Amendment rights, shedding light on widespread gender discrimination and emotional abuse within the organization,” Casey Hultin told ESPN. “Her voice, which echoes the experiences of many, demands immediate and substantive change to protect both staff and athletes from further harm. This is not just a plea for justice; it is a demand for a safe, respectful and equitable environment for all.”
Co-counsel Micha Star Liberty added: “By standing up against systemic gender-based discrimination and the emotional abuse she suffered, our client exemplifies courage and resilience. Her testimony underscores the urgent need for reform within the organization to ensure that no employee or athlete suffers in silence.
“This is a crucial moment for change and we are committed to supporting your fight for a workplace that upholds the dignity, equality and mental wellbeing of all involved.”
Alvarado’s posts on X and Instagram reached millions of people and drew headlines around the world, the suit claims. Three other former Wave FC employees soon came forward, saying they had similarly bad experiences with the organization.
Another former Wave employee, who still freelances for the NWSL, said she was on “suicide watch.” Another said she “had no hope for life and didn’t want to be alive much of the time.” A fourth said the work environment at Wave was “toxic.”
Alvarado filed a complaint with the NWSL on Feb. 5, 2024, according to the lawsuit. On or about April 26, 2024, the third-party investigation was concluded and found “no violation of league policy in relation to the reported conduct,” according to an NWSL spokesperson.
Ellis’ lawsuit claims she and Alvarado spoke and met only once, sometime on or after Oct. 15, 2023, for Ellis to discuss professional boundaries with players. That was “the fourth time in just a handful of months” that Alvarado received the reminder, the suit alleges.
Ellis' damages, according to the suit, include a former sponsor canceling a planned conference, another organization ceasing negotiations with her to be a keynote speaker, and the postponement of an honorary degree from a prestigious university. “These damages continue to mount,” the suit writes.
Ellis joined the Wave as the expansion team's first female president ahead of its inaugural NWSL season in 2022. She is the only coach to win back-to-back Women's World Cups, guiding the USWNT to victories in 2015 and 2019.
Alex Morgan, who is one of the leading scorers for the U.S. women's national team and played for Ellis during those two World Cup titles and currently plays for San Diego, wrote in a post on X Later on July 3 that she was “disappointed to hear about the allegations” and said “it's clear there is a lot of work to be done.”
In a statement earlier this month, Ellis said: “Mental health is a priority at our club for everyone.”
The statement continued: “I will continue to protect the confidentiality of current and former employees. Where allegations of mistreatment have been made, we have taken them seriously and investigated them thoroughly. In addition, where necessary, independent third parties have assisted us in assessing our workplace. At no point have those assessments uncovered any wrongdoing on the part of the club.”
