After all, were talking about sports here a trivial pursuit in relation to the societal issue of child sex abuse. WebBig Sky school hires former SJSU official involved in sex abuse scandal. She said Szauder was a father figure who elevated her career to Olympic status and described his coaching style as completely normal.. Because USA Swimming (and therefore its Code of Conduct) was not in existence in 1975, the organization legally had no recourse in the matter. 3 talking about this. She is an alumna of San Jose State where she served as executive editor for the "Spartan Daily." State Supreme Court Brings Muchnick v. UC Regents to an End. Later, on April 18, Muchnick posted a blog that named the plaintiff, calling him the "co-sex assault perpetrator" in the incident. Five swimmers came forward to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and accused Szauder of making inappropriate sexual remarks and shaming athletes about their weight to the point that they had panic attacks. (The letter, addressed to parents and friends of NBAC, went into some detail about how complaints within the program are handled, as it was originally geared toward that audience, as compared to the audience that has been closely following the story through the news and would already be familiar with many of the concepts. "I'd really like to know how he did it and where the videos have ended up, if they're on the internet or if he put them through Limewire or if they were just sitting around for his personal use," Rutkowski, who is believed to have been 12 or 13 when she was taped, told ABC News. All Non-athlete members of USA Swimming are also required to complete athlete protection training. I give USA Swimming credit for not discriminating between a large or small clubthe organization seems to ignore complaints from all concerned. Read more , They (USA Swimming) do state, however, that they passed the complaint and information to the Baltimore County Police Department, Precinct 1.. , a California blogger whose posts on his concussioninc.net website regularly level broadsides at alleged abuses in the world of swimming, last year started honing in on what he reported was foul play at North Baltimore Aquatic Club (NBAC), famous for training world-class swimmers like Olympic gold-medal winners Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt. She wrote an award-winning six-part narrative series Hanging: the mysterious case of the boy in the barn, and narrated a companion podcast. | Privacy Settings | Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Katie Grimes Swims 15:56.27 LCM 1500 Free, #5 for 17-18 Age Group All-Time, Weekend Windup: Age Group Stars Head To Sectionals, VA Senior Champs & Southern Premier, SPIRE Academy Swim Team Makes Huge Impact at the 36th Annual Black History Invitational, Boulder Swim Team Hires Jordan Brown as New Head Coach, Reina Liu, New WAVE Boys Lower LSC Records At North Carolina Age Group Championships, LIACs Gormsen, Howley & Baldwin Shine At 2023 Senior Mets Championships, Do You Love Swimming? * Multiple sources confirm that no lifeguard was in sight at an outdoor practice pool on the morning of October 28, 2012, when 14-year-old NBAC swimmer Louis Lowenthal drowned at Meadowbrook. At least NBAC handled their business. 9, 2010 — -- In a sex abuse scandal that some victims compare to what happened in the Catholic Church, at least 36 swimming coaches have been banned for life by the USA Swimming organization over the last 10 years because of sexual misconduct. "It was a sense of betrayal," Indiana swimming star Brooke Taflinger told ABC News chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross for a report to be broadcast Friday on "20/20.". Subscribe to our newsletter and receive our latest updates! This is an ugly situation. Food | This restaurant is one of the hardest reservations to get in HawaiiNews | Wealthy Bay Area town grapples with 'attack on whiteness' controversyLocal | How Red Rock became the only privately owned island in SF BayTahoe| 'Are we going to love it to death? 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. Upon hearing one such complaint in October of 2011 of the once-celebrated coach engaging in sexually abusive activity, NBAC immediately relieved him of his duties and followed the correct protocol. In some cases, the swimming coaches found to have been sexual predators were able to move from town to town, one step ahead of police and angry victims and their parents. A former student ofa high-level coach with ties to the North Baltimore Aquatic Club recently came forward with sexual abuse allegations against that coach. The first investigation and its conclusion were largely kept quiet by campus leaders and Shaw continued treating female athletes unfettered as the Department of Justice put it for the next decade. 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. Hey big guy, do you know how those work? After the Canadian scandal erupted last fall, media reports emerged in Slovakia that described similar complaints there often ignored by swimming officials about Szauders coaching methods. When it disappeared from the office in 2019 a mystery that remains unsolved he sent a copy to the National Collegiate Athletics Association and other outside groups. Coaches around the world in the sport, now known as artistic swimming, are facing accusations that they bullied, harassed and psychologically abused athletes. While I will accept a significant degree of credit for reporting on this story for a bit longer than Irv, the fact is that his tenacious and accurate reporting particularly over the last five months has been nothing short of remarkable. A hundred is even more. 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. 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. 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. Shaw was first accused in December 2009 of touching female athletes breasts and their bikini line when treating injuries, the university said on a fact page about the controversy. We asked for clarification on this issue, but received no response. ", Muchnick's lawyer, Laurie Babinski, puts a positive spin on the lawsuit's outcome, saying in an emailed statement, "We are glad to have reached a settlement that protects Mr. Muchnick's First Amendment rights to report on important matters of public concern involving USA Swimming and its most prominent local organization, the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. WebNot everyone at last weekend's NCAA women's swimming championship raced against Lia Thomas -- but they were all overshadowed by him. Exclusive: San Jose State swim coach and, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements, Exclusive: San Jose State swim coach and whistleblower speaks for first time about sex abuse scandal, San Jose firefighter claims sexual abuse, racism, swastikas drove her out, Bloomingdales: Former employee at Valley Fair mall claims she was forced to delete co-workers request for nude photos, Despite sex abuse allegations, former California high school coaches continue to work with children, young women. Indeed, as my queries into the history of past and present abuse continued, I realized that this story is perhaps too big for just one concerned journalist to investigate. The attorney for the club, Steve Allen, spoke for Cadigan and the club, stating, for privacy reasons we do not make any comment about former and present employees and coaches, period.. Canadas artistic swimming team competed at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Additionally, this same victim approached USA Swimming months prior but was told nothing could be done because she wished to remain anonymous (USA Swimming has apparently changed that policy and now accepts anonymous reporting). 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. WebThe NCAA Swimming Championship Was a National Scandal Swimmer Lia Thomas holds a trophy after finishing fifth in the 200 free at the NCAA Swimming & Diving ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Susan Beachy contributed research. Ken Stopkotte, named Indiana High School Boys Swimming and Diving State Coach of the year for 2009, said the problem is pervasive and has been going on his entire 27 years in coaching. The coach resigned both his position at the club and his USA Swimming membership in 2011. The dossier prompted then-SJSU President Mary Papazian to initiate an external investigation into Shaws behavior and SJSUs handling of the initial probe in 2009. On Saturday, just days after the federal report was released, Hopkins agreed to speak about the abuse and the investigation. The executive director of USA Swimming, Chuck Wielgus, acknowledged the problem, but said "It's "It's not nearly as serious in USA Swimming as it might be in the rest of society.". 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. Im glad were not afraid to talk about problems like this in sports anymore, Siekel wrote. Adam Andrasko, the current chief executive of USA Artistic Swimming, said he took the job in 2018 knowing that the sport as a whole needed to have a different cultural view. Efforts in the United States and elsewhere have included diversity campaigns, nutrition seminars and developing an athletes bill of rights. He adds that, "I don't mind people characterizing me as edgy, aggressive, or unorthodox as I report on the creepy world of coaches who have a certain type of power relationship over very young athletes. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Only then, the federal report said, did the university then under the leadership of President Mary Papazian reopen the investigation. Gabriella Brisson, 27, a plaintiff in the current lawsuit, said in an interview that a former Canadian national coach once suggested she move to Africa to lose weight. WebIt has come to our attention that a local AM radio station has been broadcasting unfounded accusations about USA Swimming's handling of a complaint to our Safe Sport team You can contact Susan Woessner, director of Safe Sport, at [emailprotected]or Elizabeth Hoendervoogt, Safe Sport coordinator, at [emailprotected]. The bullying and harassment both preceded and succeeded the incident itself. Analysis of the autopsy report aligns with accounts that Lowenthal was not pulled from the water until many minutes after he was stricken. The person who handled swimming then was an Employee of the AAU and had other duties till the fall of 76 when we began to make progress toward autonomy.Governance was handled by all the sports together. Tuite herself was directly named in three wrongful termination and retaliation lawsuits, including one filed by Hopkins in April 2021, in which she was accused of ignoring reports of continued sexual misconduct in the athletic department and retaliating against whistleblowers, the Mercury News reported. WebNorth Baltimore Aquatic Club: MA YY 2021 YORK-NBAC Spring SC Challenge Meet: 200 IM: 2:00.77: Dec. 15, 2018: Maggie Belbot: North Baltimore Aquatic Club: MD NBAC 44th Annual Christmas invitational: 400 IM: 4:18.90: March 1, 2019: Maggie Belbot: North Baltimore Aquatic Club: Maryland Swimming 14 & Under Championships: 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. Chase Kalisz, a training partner of Michael Phelps at the scandal-laden North Baltimore Aquatic Club back when the Olympic champion was active, last November was named Breakout Performer of the Year at the USA Swimming Golden Goggles Awards. The club representative, John Cadigan, informed the alleged victim that the police would be contacting her and that USA Swimming would be called and an investigation would ensue from Colorado Springs. Harassment, intolerance and violence have no place in sport., Some current and former swimmers remain supportive of Szauder. Madilynne Medina , SFGATE. NBAC acted perfectly. To complain is to risk losing funding and a spot on the team. Ah, its the armchair-quarterback lawyer! In a statement on Sept. 21, 2021, announcing its findings, the DOJ stated it had concluded that SJSU failed to respond adequately for more than a decade to reports of sexual harassment and that the university retaliated against two employees who had alerted officials. Miroslava Germanov contributed reporting from Bratislava, Slovakia. WebNorth Baltimore Aquatic Club. Canada Artistic Swimming and Szauder have denied wrongdoing. Yet following the conclusion of that investigation, Hopkins and other athletes continued to report incidents of sexual misconduct involving Shaw for almost a decade. My version of it favors transparent and interactive relationships with readers and sources. In this case US Swimming did what it could. We strongly encourage all of our parents to participate in this convenient online training by visiting www.usaswimming.org/protect and clicking on Education.. Her mother, who is from Moscow, coached her and their relationship remained strong. Many top coaches are from countries that were once in the Soviet sphere of influence. 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. What's clear from court documents in the case against Muchnick is that something happened between three young NBAC swimmers at Meadowbrook Aquatic Center in February 2012. Myriam Glez and Erika Leal-Ramirez of Australia performed at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. But Muchnick and I are determined to see the task through on the ugly stories behind the successes of our national swimming program. 24 April 2015, 10:00am. 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Just as in the cases Ive uncovered at much smaller clubs in the Midwest and Alaska, and at major swim center likes FAST in Fullerton, California, USA Swimming chose to ignore the charges. According to USA Swimming, that they had no legal recourse because they didnt exist in 1975. An attorney will contact you in the next 24 hours. If the rumors Ive heard were correct, the reason was pressure from both NBAC and the U.S. Olympic Committees broadcast partner, NBC. He was also accused of making Islamophobic remarks like saying all Muslims are extremists and telling the swimmers they should learn how to cook and clean for their men or they would not be wanted. * 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. Gabor Szauder, the national team coach for Canada Artistic Swimming, is under criticism in Canada and Slovakia, where he previously coached. 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. Baltimore police have found no record of any complaint being passed on yet. As the parent of 2 female USA swimmers, I can say that I feel he is our best hope for inciting true change AND accountability within the highest levels of USA swimming. WebSAN JOSE San Jose State Swim Coach Sage Hopkins remembers the very worst day of his career. However, due to USA Swimmings commitment to Safe Sport and the safety of our swimmers, we reported the complaint and information received to the Baltimore County Police Department, Precinct 1. Ill put it right out there. All of us at USA Swimming are committed to fostering that experience for all our members in a safe environment. Founded 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. 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.". 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