Major League Soccer on Monday afternoon announced that following a four-month investigation conducted by the law firm Littler Mendelson, Major League Soccer has suspended Philadelphia Union Sporting Director Ernst Tanner without pay through June 1, 2026.

Tanner had been under scrutiny for some time as back in January of 2025, the MLS Players’ Association (MLSPA) filed a complaint that included eight allegations of misbehavior involving Ersnt Tanner’s usage of insensitive & inappropriate comments.

Writer Pablo Maurer of The Guardian, who was the first to report on the initial allegations in November of 2025, confirmed and received (through 17 different sources) detailed misbehaviors spanning the entirety of Tanner’s seven-year tenure with the Union while separately reporting additional misbehaviors involving misogyny, sexism, racism, inappropriate touching (for which he was reporting to the Union’s HR department), and more.

Major League Soccer confirmed to The Guardian that they had run an investigation into Tanner’s conduct that was alleged in the initial January MLSPA complaint but had closed the case after failing to verify the initial claims. The Guardian had noted that both the Union & MLS stated that furthering their investigation into Tanner remained a possibility.

On November 19, 2025, MLS announced that they had reopened its investigation into allegations of inappropriate and insensitive comments and that Mr. Tanner was placed on administrative leave.

Following an investigation that was concluded on March 16, 2026, Major League Soccer stated, “Based on new information obtained during outside counsel’s independent review, the investigation substantiated violations of MLS policies and standards of professional conduct required of League and Club leadership.”

The league announced that Tanner was suspended without pay through June 1, 2026.

MLS did not provide any details about specific allegations the league had substantiated in their new investigation.

“Based on the findings from Major League Soccer’s investigation, the Philadelphia Union supports the league’s disciplinary action and restorative practices program for Sporting Director Ernst Tanner. The Union will evaluate the best and appropriate structure for the organization following the disciplinary process,” the Union said in a statement. “The Philadelphia Union remains committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for everyone associated with our club.”

Philadelphia Union announced that Jon Scheer, Director of Academy & Professional Development, will serve as Interim Sporting Director.

Tanner released a statement of his own on Monday by stating, “I regret the impact that this situation has had on the Philadelphia Union organization and its supporters. I remain proud of my work with the Philadelphia Union and look forward to my return and future work with the team.”

Tanner, 59, first joined the Philadelphia Union as Sporting Director back in 2018. He signed a multi-year contract extension with the club back in 2021. He was named the 2022 MLS Sporting Executive of the Year.

This isn’t the first instance of a Sporting Director being at the center of a league investigation as current San Jose Earthquakes head coach Bruce Arena was also at the center of a league investigation during his time at the New England Revolution back in 2023. Arena was placed on administrative leave and eventually resigned from New England after he was involved in an investigation of “insensitive & inappropriate remarks” which was reported by a member of his own coaching staff. The specifics of that investigation were never publicly addressed due to “legal restrictions”.

In their statement, the league noted that Ernst Tanner must successfully complete a League-approved restorative practices program. This same requirement was also required for Bruce Arena to return to the league as well.

MLS concluded their statement by noting that they are “committed to fostering an environment of respect, inclusion, and accountability. We will continue working to ensure our clubs reflect those principles at every level of the organization.”