A Philadelphia Union executive is alleged to have made numerous racist, sexist and homophobic comments and has also been accused of inappropriate workplace behavior during his seven years with the MLS organization.
Union sporting director Ernst Tanner was the subject of a lengthy complaint filed by the MLS Players Association to the league, according to The Guardian, which highlighted a number of instances – including some not in the complaint – in a bombshell report published on Tuesday.
The complaint by the MLS Players Association was filed in January and described as “wide-ranging” in Tuesday’s report.
The Guardian reported that 17 sources have alleged misconduct over the span of Tanner’s time with the club, which began in 2018.
In one instance, which occurred during a June 10, 2023, match in San Jose, Tanner allegedly shouted a homophobic slur toward a referee.
After referee Nima Saghafi touched then-San Jose midfielder Jamiro Monteiro while leading the player to the bench, Tanner allegedly shouted: “Why don’t you just kiss him, you f—-t.”
A witness told The Guardian that “20 people must’ve heard this” and that there “was a woman in the stands who was clearly horrified.”
In another alleged incident, Tanner is said to have told Union academy players in 2018 that the only time they need to worry about a referee is if they are a woman.
“Women should be in the kitchen, not being referees,” Tanner said, according to the report.
Among the issues that were raised in the report, Tanner is alleged to have spoken about black players “like they were subhuman” and suggested that black referees “lack intelligence and capability.”
Tanner is alleged to have inappropriately touched a co-worker “numerous times,” with the report indicating it was on the person’s buttocks, which was reported to Philadelphia’s human resources department.
He has denied the allegations, and a legal representative told The Guardian that Tanner “did not inappropriately touch a colleague.”
Over a dozen current and former Union employees told the outlet that complaints about Tanner’s behavior were made to the club’s HR department. But none had seen any evidence that there was any response.
“I know many people feel that stuff that has gone to HR has a way of getting buried,” one source told the Guardian. “Everybody always said — ‘Guys, all you can do is report things to HR.’ But sometimes it felt like anyone who reported s–t to our HR department just ended up getting pushed out.”
“Ernst Tanner firmly denies these accusations,” Tanner said in a statement to The Guardian. “Some of which are six or seven years old. Over the past seven years as the sporting director of the Philadelphia Union, Mr Tanner’s strong and savvy leadership has helped the Union win two Supporters Shields and an Eastern Conference title.”
In a statement to the outlet, the Union said Tanner had made “potentially insensitive gender-based comments early in his tenure” and that he had “underwent training and had discussions with club leadership.”
The Union denied knowing the allegations made in the MLS complaint.
MLS, the MLSPA and the Union have not immediately responded to requests from The Post.
“The Philadelphia Union takes all allegations of misconduct extremely seriously and is unwavering in our commitment to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all players, staff, and members of our community,” the statement also said.
MLS did not corroborate the allegations, according to The Guardian, but Tanner was made to go through a remedial program on professional workplace conduct.
The report comes as the Union prepare to face New York City FC in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the MLS Cup Playoffs on Sunday at Subaru Park.
