Former Whitecaps coach pleads guilty to sexual assault, exploitation

Bob Birarda, a former coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps women’s team and U20 Canadian national team, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation and three counts of sexual assault today.

“These charges relate to four separate complainants,” the BC Prosecution Service told Daily Hive. “The matter has now been adjourned to February 15 to allow for the preparation of pre-sentence reports and to fix the date for sentencing.”

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In an email, the BCPS says it will not be making any other comment since this matter remains before the court.

“Our thoughts continue to be with the courageous women who have come forward,” said Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster.

“Whitecaps FC is cooperating with the investigation led by Janice Rubin and Melody Jahanzadeh of Rubin Thomlinson LLP, who were engaged by MLS to conduct an independent review. We look forward to the results of the findings and welcome any recommendations that will further ensure that we have the appropriate preventative measures in place to foster a safe environment for all athletes and staff.”

Birarda was charged following allegations first raised publicly by former Whitecaps women’s player Ciara McCormack in a blog post nearly three years ago that alleged misconduct and inappropriate behaviour by the former coach.

“In 2005-2008, if you were female and wanted to play for Canada, you essentially had to play for the Vancouver Whitecaps,” McCormack explained in the blog. “This gave the coaches and the organization an unhealthy amount of power.”

She outlined some of the alleged behaviour by the coach, which included witnessing him “bully a friend into hysterical sobbing” and saying he would make “inappropriate sexually charged comments to players.”

McCormack alleged that some of the players had meetings in their bikinis sitting on his bed at the CONCACAF qualifiers in Mexico in June 2008 and that the coach would allegedly send “sexual innuendo-filled text messages” to her teammates.

Of concern was not only the alleged abusive behaviour by Birarda, but also a perceived lack of response by people in power.

Multiple Whitecaps executives have been on leave since October, following a separate scandal involving sexual misconduct allegations.

In April 2019, 13 women from the 2007-2008 U20 Canadian national team pool released a joint statement outlining specific damning allegations concerning Birarda.