RSL Chief Business Officer Takes Leave Of Absence Following Recent Allegations
Sep 1, 2020, 2:49 PM | Updated: 4:46 pm
Photo courtesy: Real Salt Lake
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Dell Loy Hansen’s right-hand man and current Chief Business Officer, Andy Carroll, has informed the club that he is taking a leave of absence from all responsibilities following allegations of sexism made by former and current Real Salt Lake employees.
An “emergency staff meeting” took place on Tuesday where it is believed Carroll informed his colleagues of the news, a source within the club told KSL Sports.
Utah Soccer released a statement at 4:37 p.m. on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 1, confirming the news –
“Utah Soccer was extremely disappointed by the allegations in the recent RSL Soapbox article regarding Mr. Carroll. Mr. Carroll has spent notable time and energy to further the business operations of the organization. Still, Utah Soccer takes these allegations extremely seriously. Utah Soccer prioritizes the safety, well-being, and security of its players and employees above all, and does not tolerate discriminatory or derogatory conduct of any kind. While Utah Soccer endeavors to learn more about the allegations raised in the article, Mr. Carroll will be taking a leave of absence from the organization until further notice.”
Earlier this week, RSL Soapbox released an article depicting Carroll as someone who engaged in sexist behavior.
#RSL’s culture is ‘rotten from the top down,’ according to employees who described incidents of sexism and belittling behavior from members of management.@lucaswmuller is reporting on a problem that has grown under Dell Loy Hansen’s ownership. https://t.co/lHqNUgyZdt
— RSL Soapbox (@rslsoapbox) September 1, 2020
Former RSL sideline reporter, Rebecca Cade, goes on the record by stating Carroll openly talked about her body in front of other men in a meeting with management.
“I was told, by a coworker, that there was a management meeting one Friday after work that only included the men in management — like the marketing guys and PR guys, all the guys I work with,” Cade told RSL Soapbox. “(Andy Carroll) passed around scotch, was talking very inappropriately and was discussing my body with the other men.”
Other allegations against Carroll were spelled out in the RSL Soapbox article but have not been verified by KSL Sports.
The culture of RSL has been heavily criticized and publicly shamed over the last week. Carroll, unlike Hansen, spends the vast majority of his time working alongside the employees of Real Salt Lake. His main office is located within the confines of Rio Tinto Stadium.
Carroll has been in his current role since August of 2015.
According to Carroll’s LinkedIn page, he oversees “all business operations at Real Salt Lake (MLS) and the Real Monarchs (USL), including corporate partnerships, ticket sales and operations, marketing, communications, public relations, media and game operations.”
From #RSL owner Dell Loy Hansen.
“After deep consideration and soul-searching, my wife Julie and I agree that the best way forward for the Real Salt Lake family is to assume new ownership and a refreshed vision.” pic.twitter.com/LrkM03JJ9y
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 30, 2020
Following Hansen’s leave of absence, it was assumed that Carroll would increase his leadership role and make all of the business decisions. However, with the news that Carroll is the second person in Real Salt Lake leadership to fall because of allegations made by current and former employees, RSL will be in search of more than just an owner.
The timeline on Carrol’s leave of absence is not yet publically available.
