Washington Spirit majority owner Steve Baldwin announced Tuesday his plan to resign as the CEO and managing partner of the team, effective immediately.
Baldwin shared the news in a letter, writing that he hopes "stepping back removes me as a distraction and allows the club to thrive."
Last week, the Spirit announced they had fired coach Richie Burke for cause after he was suspended for allegations of verbal and emotional abuse in August. The league's investigation into Burke eventually expanded to include allegations by multiple female employees of a toxic “old boys’ club” culture, including the use of degrading nicknames for female players by a male executive, according to the Washington Post.