USA TODAY International Edition
Senator: U. S. Soccer ‘ tone deaf’ on Solo
Federation must take stand, Blumenthal says
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, DConn., called U. S. Soccer’s explanation of its handling of Hope Solo’s domestic violence arrest “tone deaf” and “nonsensical” in an exclusive telephone interview Saturday afternoon with USA TODAY Sports.
“I saw the response, which unfortunately and regrettably is really tone deaf,” Blumenthal said. “Most striking in this response is the use of the term ‘ he said, she said.’ Most commonly, that’s the reason given by prosecutors for failing to take effective action in domestic violence cases. That comment reveals a mind- set that is part of a culture that fails to successfully prosecute domestic violence in this country.”
Thursday, Blumenthal, who was outspoken in his criticism of the NFL’s handling of the Ray Rice incident last year, released a letter he sent to U. S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati, calling for the federation to “conduct a thorough investigation into ( the Solo) incident.”
Friday, Gulati responded, saying U. S. Soccer had not talked to the two alleged victims of Solo’s abuse because it was a “he said, she said” situation.
Gulati also said the federation could not act unilaterally against Solo after her arrest because of rights granted to athletes under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. However, Blumenthal questioned why U. S. Soccer didn’t follow those procedures.
“To say she’s entitled to a hearing but that’s the reason we’re not going to investigate, that’s nonsensical,” Blumenthal said.
U. S. Soccer did suspend Solo in January after her husband, former NFL player Jerramy Stevens, was charged with DUI when he was driving a U. S. national team vehicle with a blood- alcohol count nearly twice the legal limit. Solo was a passenger in the car and was suspended for 30 days.
Also, Michael Phelps has been suspended twice by USA Swim- ming, most recently in October, a week after he was charged with DUI. In all three circumstances, there was no conviction before the suspensions.
In this case, Solo pleaded not guilty to two counts of misdemeanor domestic violence. Her case was originally dismissed on procedural grounds, but prosecutors have filed an appeal and arguments are set to begin July 13.
Blumenthal said he was considering his next course of action. “I hope to continue to pursue this issue, after the tournament if not now.
“From a very practical standpoint, I really want this team to win, for them and for our nation,” Blumenthal added. “I’m rooting and cheering for them, with Hope Solo on the field. But at some point, U. S. Soccer needs to face reality and needs to take a stand.
“U. S. Soccer should be on the right side of this issue and the right side of history,” he said. “It could well be that this could raise the visibility of an all- too tragic fact, that domestic violence is an evil whether committed by a woman or a man.”