The Red Stars announced the dismissal of general manager Michelle Lomnicki a little more than a year after her hiring.
“Yesterday the Board of the Chicago Red Stars ended Michelle Lomnicki’s employment effective immediately after learning about a lapse in judgment to not share important information with club leadership,’’ the club said in a statement Friday. ‘‘The Board determined that it is in the best interest of the players, staff and organization to part ways at this time.”
The lapse in judgment, according to a report by The Athletic, was Lomnicki failing to inform the Red Stars that youth soccer club Empire FC had hired former Utah Royals coach Craig Harrington. Lomnicki has ties to the youth club.
Harrington, who is serving a two-year suspension from the NWSL for inappropriate behavior and sexual comments made to players, was serving as club director of Empire FC. The club was a youth affiliate of the Red Stars until 2021.
Lomnicki played for the Red Stars in 2009 when the team was part of Women’s Professional Soccer and again from 2012 to 2015. Lomnicki’s husband, Wes, is Empire FC’s sporting director. Harrington served as an assistant coach on Rory Dames’ staff before being hired by the Royals in 2020.
The Red Stars did not comment on who will serve as the interim GM and have not begun any kind of search to fill the vacancy.
