PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A review done by lawyers for Major League Soccer has concluded that the Timbers did not induce or pressure the wife of former player Andy Polo to decline to pursue criminal charges.
The Timbers have been facing allegations that they tried to cover up claims of domestic abuse for Polo.
Polo’s wife, Genessis Alarcon, filed a federal lawsuit against the former Portland mid-fielder saying Polo grabbed her by the hair and arm and pushed her to the ground during May of last year.
The MLS review also concluded the team’s failure to report the incident was due to a lack of understanding of MLS rules, not a deliberate attempt to mislead the league or cover-up the incident. However, the MLS has fined the Timbers $25,000 for failing to “promptly and appropriately report the incident,” MLS said in a statement.
“Although the investigation found no evidence that the Timbers organization influenced Ms. Alarcon’s decision to press charges and that they did not attempt to conceal the incident, prompt reporting is critical to League oversight, addressing potential misconduct, and ensuring that players and their families are referred to appropriate resources, including potentially the League’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program,” MLS said.
“MLS takes allegations of domestic violence extremely seriously and will not tolerate such behavior in our League. Funds collected from the Portland Timbers fine will be donated by MLS WORKS, the League’s social responsibility platform, to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence,” MLS added.
The Timbers released a statement to the review saying “for the past several months, the club has put in diligent work to enact a set of programs designed to improve our accountability, equity and engagement. The full set of action items will be unveiled in the coming days.”
The club added “we strive to be a club this city and our supporters can be proud of. We have more than a decade of outstanding work in the community and off the pitch of which we are extremely proud. However, we are not perfect and will make mistakes occasionally. When that happens, corrections will be made, and we will learn from them.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or go to thehotline.org. All calls are free and confidential.