The embattled chief legal officer of U.S. Soccer Federation Inc. has resigned amid outcry over a court filing that asserted players on the U.S. Women's National Team were less skilled than male players.  

Lydia Wahlke was suspended in March and quit her job Thursday, but has agreed to act as an ad hoc consultant for the organization until Sept. 15, according to a statement from the Chicago-based federation. 

"We would like to thank Lydia for all her hard work and dedication during her time with U.S. Soccer, and wish her the best in her future endeavors," the organization stated.

Wahlke has not responded to messages seeking comment. 

She joined the U.S. Soccer Federation in 2017 after having served for more than seven years as an attorney for the Chicago Cubs, first as assistant general counsel and later as GC and vice president. She began her career as an associate at Kirkland & Ellis. 

In March, the federation asserted in a federal filing in California that women players lack the "speed and strength" required to play on the U.S. Men's National Team and that male "players face tougher competition, even on a relative basis." The filing was made in opposition to a class action seeking equal pay for women players. Soccer star and gold medal Olympian Alex Morgan is the lead plaintiff in the suit. 

"There is a significantly deeper pool of competition in men's international soccer than there is in women's international soccer, even when assessing the issue in relative terms," the federation argued in the filing. 

In the wake of the filing, Carlos Cordeiro resigned as the federation's president and Seyfarth Shaw withdrew from representing the organization. Latham & Watkins now represents the federation. 

When he resigned, Cordeiro issued a statement in which he described the filing in question as "unacceptable and inexcusable." 

"I did not have the opportunity to fully review the filing in its entirety before it was submitted, and I take responsibility for not doing so," he stated. 

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