Last week, Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler was removed as chairman of the board when the club voted him out of the position. Now, Chicago's players want to take it a step further: force Whisler to sell the team and sever any connection has has with it.

The players' call for Whisler's removal comes on the heels of the team finding out his involvement in protecting former head coach Rory Dames. The U.S. Soccer Federation launched an investigation going through the NWSL's league-wide problem with systemic abuse and misconduct. Led by Sally Yates, the investigation's findings put Dames at the center of the public's scorn when it detailed the degree of his harassment and verbal abuse.

Whisler, who has maintained he had no idea there was any abuse taking place within his organization, was named in Yates' report. According to the investigation, Whisler knew about the claims of abuse and a culture “built on fear.” Dames eventually stepped down from his head coaching position when he found out the Washington Post was going to publish a story about his behavior.

In a statement released on Oct. 10, the Red Stars' players claim Whisler was “shocked” to hear the allegations against Dames at the time.

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“After the departure of Dames, Arnim Whisler assured us that he was shocked to hear the allegations against Dames, claiming that he had no knowledge of the environment Dames cultivated at the club,” the statement read. “While we were dubious about Whisler’s assertion, it wasn’t until the report was released that the extent of his dishonesty became clear.

“We are united with the Board of Directors in their decision to remove Whisler from the organization entirely and look forward to finding a new majority owner who can help us realize the full potential that we as players always knew existed for this club. We have confidence in our Board’s ability to move this club in a direction that is mutually beneficial to players, investors, and our fans.”

While battling with the emotions stemming from Yates' report, the Red Stars kick off the NWSL playoffs on Oct. 16.