To complain is to risk losing funding and a spot on the team. by Alison Williams, 31, a former elite artistic swimmer, indicated that nearly two-thirds of American national team members between the 1990s and 2019 who responded to her survey had been professionally diagnosed or self-diagnosed with depression. Wielgus says the local swim clubs, not the national organization, bear the responsibility to check the full backgrounds of swimming coaches they hire. According to USA Swimming, the organization only checks for criminal convictions and does not include background interviews or investigations with local police. Look for a formal announcement and some format changes here shortly. All Rights Reserved. The coach wasnt removed by USA Swimming, he resigned his membership. Now that this cancer-like scandal has spread to the most important swim club in the country, will there be calls for the entire leadership of Colorado No one at McDonogh will comment on why Stephens, who is unofficially banned from being seen on the deck at his own aquatic center, has been allowed on the deck at the McDonogh natatorium to coach his son. Exactly what I needed: Los Gatos teachers move into affordable units, Christian high school basketball team forfeits tournament rather than play against transgender player, Opinion: Gov. She got her start at The Mercury News, her hometown paper, and has covered everything from plane crashes to presidential campaigns, murder trials to NBA Finals and nearly every major wildfire in Northern California for the past decade. Some told of being pushed into uncomfortable stretching positions, like splits, until they cried. Szauder also did not respond to previous attempts to reach him. Due to the pasage of time less than two years. As a parent, what can I do about Safe Sport? Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? Kiss, now 26, described the coachs tactics as emotional terrorizing.. Competitive swimming in the U.S. has been scandal-ridden in recent years, with sexual-abuse prosecutions of coaches and civil lawsuits against USA Swimming prompting widespread media coverage, including of the recent Maryland conviction of well-known coach Rick Curl, who pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse suffered by one of his swimmers 30 years ago. ", "I teach media law," McKenna continues, "I get it-the internet, the First Amendment, I wrote the book on wiretapping and electronic privacy-so it's unusual that I come out ever wanting to limit speech. The report is attached to this email for your review. He went to practice and was being as positive as he could, even though I knew he was struggling, Mullendore, the senior, said. "It's something that coaches talk about all the time," Stopkotte told ABC News. SJSU administrators say they were first informed of these allegations by Spartans swimming and diving coach Sage Hopkins, after students on Hopkins team reported the alleged misconduct. Katie Spada, 28, of the United States said that she was sometimes called a dying whale by a former coach and, at 13, was told I had boobs like Marilyn Monroe and they were getting in the way.. ", Chicago police officer fatally shot on Southwest Side in exchange of gunfire: officials, Chicago police Superintendent David Brown to exit CPD this month in the wake of mayoral election, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Later, on April 18, Muchnick posted a blog that named the plaintiff, calling him the "co-sex assault perpetrator" in the incident. A hundred is even more. A subsequent search of Hindson's home turned up more locker room footage and a large selection of child pornography. All Non-athlete members of USA Swimming are also required to complete athlete protection training. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); What is most concerning is the accused coach of alleged sexual abuse did not leave NBAC until 2011. Because USA Swimming (and therefore its Code of Conduct) was not in existence in 1975, the organization legally had no recourse in the matter. State Supreme Court Brings Muchnick v. UC Regents to an End. * WBAL Radio last year disappeared its own series on sex abuse in swimming by my colleague Tim Joyce, after Joyce started zeroing in on allegations against Murray Stephens, founder of Michael Phelps and Bob Bowmans North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Founded Investigative journalism is not peer-reviewed scientific literature. It is a contact sport. Canada Artistic Swimming and Szauder have denied wrongdoing. Hey big guy, do you know how those work? Muchnick's post reprints the apologies written by the two alleged perpetrators of the incident and, citing unnamed "swimming sources," says it is still the subject of a USA Swimming probe. Tuite will serve as the schools deputy athletic director of external relations. Ask Rick Curl for starters. Madilynne Medina , SFGATE. Williams later researched depression among artistic swimmers. Nations Capital Swim Club (Potomac Valley) 68,604. Aug 15, 2022. She was part of the team that won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in breaking news for coverage of Oaklands Ghost Ship fire and has been a Pulitzer finalist in feature writing. A few years after competing in synchronized swimming at the 2012 London Olympics, Szofi Kiss of Hungary began working with a coach from Russia, whom she would identify only by her first name as Natalia. Although the trainer had been told to stay away from the swim team, as Hopkins had demanded, he treated some of the athletes, along with the womens golf team and others. In this case US Swimming did what it could. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. It is dangerous for the media of any town or city, no matter how big or small, to be more concerned with protecting the powerful interests in their community rather than with the citizens they are supposed to serve. Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott. Speaking publicly for the first time, the coach and whistleblower on Saturday described thepersonal toll of his decade-long fight to protect female athletes from trainer Scott Shaw, the resistance he encountered from university officials nearly every step of the way, and the relief he felt when the U.S. Department of Justice this week commended his tireless efforts and excoriated the university for largely ignoring them for so long. The coaches have molested, fondled and abused dozens of swimmers, according to court records and interviews conducted by ABC News for reports Friday on "World News with Diane Sawyer" and "20/20.". With the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics approaching in July, artistic swimming, as the sport is now known, finds itself awash in scandal that burst into public view recently in Canada and in a handful of other countries. Congress is looking into more alleged sexual assault of Olympic athletes beyond gymnastics this time involving USA Swimming and other sports. 2020 Concussion Inc. - Author Irvin Muchnick. It probably has a lot to do with who you are and who your friends are. Every time I look at it, it just brings unpleasant memories, Zhang said. Kiss, the Hungarian swimmer who was coached by Szauder during her teenage years, said she experienced none of the behavior that Canadian swimmers have alleged. On July 19, after a settlement agreement between the parties had been reached, the lawsuit was dismissed. "I don't want to be the one to sit here and say 36 is not too many, one is too many, but this is not just a problem that's isolated to one sport," said Wielgus. King's lawyer, Jamie Harley, said some of the responsibility belongs to the swimmers' parents whose ambition for their children blinded them to the problem. This is not true. Here are just a few questions the beholden media should ask Mr. Phelps, who also happens to be the co-owner of NBAC: Are you aware of why founder Murray Stephens resigned form NBAC? But when Muchnick started publishing posts about it in December-about 10 months after it occurred-and as he continued to do so in the subsequent months, his reporting morphed the incident into something sensational and alarming. I applaud the fact that USA Swimming is now out in the open about it.Read more , The only thing USA Swimming has a legal right to do is not allow this person to be a USA Swimming member if and only if he is convicted.. If this is urgent, please call us at 408-289-1417 and ask to speak with an attorney. Its a Fitting Capper to Wide Official Cover-Up in the Ted Agu Football Conditioning Death at Cal. Today, as government investigators circle the sports many Here is the story as it appeared on WBAL. The Spartans lost their first meet Saturday against a formidable team, but Hopkins told the swimmers he was proud of them. SAN JOSE San Jose State Swim Coach Sage Hopkins remembers the very worst day of his career. I know of at least two people on the list who were not convicted by law. Despite sex abuse allegations, former California high school coaches continue to work with children, young women At least NBAC handled their business. Synchro taught me that I could never be enough, to hate my body and that my sanity was less important than my performance, she wrote. Being a member of USA Swimming is a privilege, not a right. My version of it favors transparent and interactive relationships with readers and sources. In terms of whether or not NBAC heard rumors of prior abuse and didn't act, there is no evidence yet to state such a claim. Meadowbrook Swim Club became a favorite spot for Baltimoreans to escape the summer heat. "We want to have the gold standard and I think we do an awesome job," said USA Swimming executive director Chuck Wielgus. As to USAS, ugh. WebSAN JOSE San Jose State Swim Coach Sage Hopkins remembers the very worst day of his career. According to the lawsuit, what actually happened was that, during a swimming practice, the two swimmers who Muchnick accused of assault "accidentally bumped or contacted" a third swimmer who "was stopped purposefully and was blocking the wall" of the pool. She announced her resignation from SJSU altogether in an email to some staff members in the athletic department Aug. 29, 2021, but the university did not make an announcement, the Mercury News previously reported. Education | Asked if he had apologized to any of the young teen victims, Wielgus responded, "You feel I need to apologize to them? The coach was the first to bring the accusations from his swimmers to campus officials in 2009, back when former school President Jon Whitmore and athletic director Tom Bowen were in charge. But "ten months after this incident, Muchnick falsely, maliciously and repeatedly began to publish defamatory statements that Minor John Doe is a 'sexual predator,' a 'child sex abuser],' a 'social deviant' and a 'sexual assailant' who 'digitally penetrated' and was repeatedly 'jabbing fingers' in 'the anus' of another swimmer.". The abuse was alleged to have taken place in 1975, when swimming was governed by the AAU. The story was initially removed from the WBAL website, but has since returned with a note from the editorthat all claims were backed up by unimpeachable sources. WebMeadowbrook Aquatic Center, one of three facilities NBAC uses. Though the alleged crime was never prosecuted, it was investigated, according to court documents-but only after Muchnick's reporting apparently had stirred the alleged victim's family to file complaints with the police and the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. Reached for comment Wednesday, Tuite told SFGATE that she is focused on her new role. Canadas artistic swimming team competed at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. With this piece, Tim Joyce regularly joins ConcussionInc.nets investigations of the sexual abuse and death scandals inside USA Swimming. But not his departure he continues, as owner of the Meadowbrook Aquatic Center, to collect scores of thousands of dollars a month in NBAC pool rental fees. And like all of the other columns in this series of stories about USA Swimming, the important point is not to out an abusive coach. This isnt about me, said Hopkins, a two-time conference coach of the year, standing poolside after the teams first meet of the season. Teresa Ixchel Alonso Garca, 24, who competed for the Mexican national team for 12 years, said that in 2019 she was hospitalized for internal bleeding related to stress from swimming, but was pressured to compete by her coach. Now is not the time, Tuite said. Read more , They (USA Swimming) do state, however, that they passed the complaint and information to the Baltimore County Police Department, Precinct 1.. | Developed by, Super Bowl Special: Reprints of My Trilogy of Damar Hamlin Commentaries at Salon Last Month, Bar Association Assigns Investigator to Misconduct Complaint Against University of California Senior Counsel Michael Robert Goldstein; Lied Repeatedly to Court in Public Records Act Case Over Documents in Ted Agu Football Death Cover-Up. During our annual convention, USA Swimming released a Safe Sport Report evaluating our efforts in this important area. But on this recent case from 76 the group that was the governing body for swimming is still located and in continuos business on W 86th St in Indianapolis. But elite synchronized swimmers who are mostly women, with few men at the elite level routinely endure bullying, harassment and psychological abuse from male and female coaches, more than 100 current and former athletes from more than a dozen countries have said in recent interviews with The New York Times and other news organizations, and in social media postings and blogs. And if you have, what are you feelings about Stephens? USA Swimming offers free online education on the issue of Safe Sport and abuse prevention for parents of our 330,000 athlete members. Meadowbrooks incident report to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene first released in redacted form before I pursued a state public information act appeal was filed late and included questionable representations. The students were two of several who also swim, or used to swim, at NBAC and were at the center of the clique of bullies and harassers of the alleged victim in the February 2012 incident underlying the lawsuit against me. Ah, its the armchair-quarterback lawyer! Im glad were not afraid to talk about problems like this in sports anymore, Siekel wrote. WebIn a series of jarring allegations from several sources, it has been discovered that a former high-level coach with close ties to the North Baltimore Aquatic Club (NBAC) - home to Michael Phelps and other Olympians - was accused of molestation and other inappropriate behavior towards some of his female swimmers while he was coaching elite USA Swimming said they had no ability to investigate a former NBAC coach for allegations of sexual abuse, because the offense happened in 1975. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Bowman, Phelps' coach, is the CEO of NBAC. If the rumors Ive heard were correct, the reason was pressure from both NBAC and the U.S. Olympic Committees broadcast partner, NBC. It has come to our attention that a local AM radio station has been broadcasting unfounded accusations about USA Swimmings handling of a complaint to our Safe Sport team related to NBAC involving an alleged incident that occurred 37 years ago. Seems to me USA Swimming did everything they could for an alleged abuse that took place 37 years ago. And swimmers sometimes have skewers for roasting marshmallows taped to the back of their legs during workouts. I am pleased to be joining Irv Muchnick in reporting and commentary on the multitudinous USA Swimming scandals. The operative question when is enough enough? "I certainly violated common corporate journalistic convention by deciding to publish names of minors," Muchnick says in an interview after the settlement, "and I have dialed that back" since he was ordered to do so by the court. Founded in 1967, Incorporated in 1968, America's #1 Age Group Team "He was a monster," said Santa Clara County prosecutor Ray Mendoza. First go to the police, then go to USA Swimming. My version of it favors transparent and interactive relationships with readers and sources. So if a coach has sexual relations with a swimmer (regardless of age) as a high school or NCAA level coach, he or she can later join USA Swimming since he or she was not registered with USA Swimming at the time? The letter begins by referring to the claims as unfounded,in stark contrast to the statement made by the editors at WBAL who claim tohave verified Joyces sources. Southern Utah University Athletic Director Doug Knuth told SFGATE that the department is aware of Tuites history at SJSU but is excited about her hire. Canadian artistic swimmer Gabriella Brisson, center, said a coach suggested she move to Africa to lose weight. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). FTC Disclaimer | Terms of Use & Privacy Policy Before being hired to coach Canadas national team in November 2018, Szauder coached Slovakias national artistic swimming team for five years. He always has your best interests at heart, she said. After I broke the story of past sexual impropriety, involving multiple victims at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club (NBAC), Irv proceeded to uncover other episodes of abuse and negligence at NBAC the countrys most famous swim club that will surely become even more disturbing as more details emerge. The coach, Kiss said, separated some members of her training group into what she called the Chubby Team, sometimes withheld dinner from them and told them, You disgust me, and Im nauseous looking at you, when the swimmers exited the pool after workouts. But one does have to wonderif NBAC, arguably the most respected swim club in the world, contacts the national organization to tell them of a former coachs actions and doesnt get a response, then what would incite Colorado Springs into action? Now its a matter of accountability, Hopkins said. Go here to see 4,114 Swim Jobs. In a series of jarring allegations from several sources, it has been discovered that a former high-level coach with close ties to the North Baltimore Aquatic Club (NBAC)home to Michael Phelps and other Olympianswas accused of molestation and other inappropriate behavior towards some of his female swimmers while he was coaching elite athletes over a period of decades. The operative questionwhen is enough enough? Now that this cancer-like scandal has spread to the most important swim club in the country, will there be calls for the entire leadership of Colorado Springs to step down? They did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the lawsuit. The highest penalty USA Swimming can invoke is the permanent suspension of membership. Get more information about Safe Sport here (http://www.usaswimming.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=1955&Alias=rainbow&Lang=en). * After reporting that a coach at NBAC had been so accused, the Baltimore Sun failed to add that Baltimore County police claimed to me to have lost a report on all this by USA Swimming. Anton Siekel, president of the Slovak Olympic Committee, said in an email to The Times that complaints about Szauders behavior and strange attitude toward training had been lodged by multiple parents and swimmers there, helping to prompt an initiative for providing safe sport. And lest anyone at USA Swimming headquarters in Colorado Springs or at any of the member clubs around the country get the wrong impression, this site is dedicated to covering every story related to the USA Swimming scandal, not just at NBAC. He was one of the only adults who stood up for us when there were a lot of other adults that should have been standing up as well, but were not and enabled this to happen, said Shelby Mullendore, a 21-year-old senior swimmer. Potomac Valley ) 68,604 is the permanent suspension of membership, then go to the back their. For breaking stories about interest Games in Lima, Peru if the rumors Ive heard were,! They imply my husband is a freak of at least NBAC handled their business, Siekel wrote look a! Not include background interviews or investigations with local police can invoke is the story as appeared... Lawsuit was dismissed it favors transparent and interactive relationships with readers and sources agreement the! 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