Swim Coaches in Trouble

I'm not too familiar with the details of all of these cases, but if coaches and USA Swimming brass are aware of these cases of abuse, aren't the parents also aware of what is going on? As a parent of two young swimmers, if I were to learn that there was some sort of sexual abuse going on within our team, I wouldn't waste my time contacting anybody at USA Swimming. They will find out what they need to know soon enough. Matters like these should be taken to law enforcement, IMHO.

yesterday regarding Golden West www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../34507.asp today open letter from Weilgus www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../34518.asp

unfortunately scyfreestyler abuse victims are often ignored, accused of lying, or deemed "irrational" when making allegations against an authority figure---and that even goes for the law enforcement agencies---I think USA Swimming needs to clean house or disbanded, their claimed ignorance is no more than tacit approval

Kelley Davies Currin response to the sentencing of child molester Rick Curl yesterday---thank you Tony at SCAQ BlogSpot for posting this----as a former age group coach I am happy not to be associated with this shameful organization scaq.blogspot.com/.../kelly-currins-official-statement-after.html

USA Swimming chronology seems pretty suspicious to me: Rick Curl Investigation Chronology 1. April 2011: USA Swimming receives a report from a former swimmer who had heard from his roommate that Mr. Curl had an inappropriate relationship with a minor female swimmer in the 1980s and that a confidential legal settlement had been entered into. USA Swimming initiates an investigation. 2. April 2012: USA Swimming locates Kelley Currin. USA Swimming’s Director of Safe Sport contacts Ms. Currin who agrees to file a complaint. USA Swimming’s investigator interviews Ms. Currin. Investigation ongoing. See www.usaswimming.org/ViewNewsArticle.aspx So Weilgus expects us to believe it took them one year to locate Kelley Currin? Wow, that's some crack investigative work. :shakeshead:

April 2011: USA Swimming receives a report from a former swimmer who had heard from his roommate that Mr. Curl had an inappropriate relationship with a minor female swimmer in the 1980s and that a confidential legal settlement had been entered into. USA Swimming initiates an investigation. and this In the spring of 2011, I came forward and, with the assistance of an attorney, presented a claim against Rick Curl with USA Swimming. We provided USA Swimming with a copy of the settlement agreement signed by Curl which constituted an admission of his guilt. Still nothing was done. In July of 2012, Curl was sitting prominently and generally treated as royalty during the United States Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. Incensed, I hired attorney Robert Allard to present another claim in July of 2012. I am not certain what should be done with/about the pre-2011 information. But there seems to be some agreement that SOMETHING started in April 2011. The question is: Did the seriousness of the evidence presented in April 2011 (not the seriousness of the alleged crime) match the seriousness of the launched investigation? Mr. Weilgus says the information came 2nd hand. Ms. Currin says it came from a lawyer. Mr. Weilgus says they received a report of a settlement, Ms. Currin says they received a copy of the settlement. Ascertaining the facts on these two issues determines if USA Swimming's response level was appropriate. Quite plainly if a lawyer came to USA swimming with a copy of a legal settlement signed by Rick Curl, he needed to be removed from practice that very day. Since USA swimming did not do that, either Ms. Currin is misrepresenting or Mr. Weilgus needs to be fired immediately.

I would venture to say that if I were a club team director, I would always want another female employee present (coach or otherwise) if we are talking a dynamic of only or primarily teenage female swimmers and a male coach. The athlete/ coach relationship is always complicated...a mix of friend/parent/teacher rolled into one authoritative figure. I spent countless hours with some of my age group coaches both in and out of the pool. While I had nothing but positive experiences, I can see where the same situation with different people could be ripe for dangerous consequences

Unwelcome sexual advances or other inappropriate sexually oriented behavior or actions are not acceptable in U.S. Masters Swimming just in USA Swimming; USMS rule 402.4.6. so welcome sexual advances or other appropriate sexually oriented behavior or actions are acceptable? USMS Rules Part 4: Participation, Conduct, Hearings and Appeals 402.4 Unsporting Conduct 402.4.5 Any nonconsensual physical contact, obscene language or gesture, or other threatening language or conduct directed toward meet personnel, in connection with a USMS event. 402.4.6 Any nonconsensual sexual conduct, pattern of unwelcome sexual advances or other inappropriate sexually oriented behavior or action by a USMS member toward a member or any other person participating in any capacity whatsoever in the affairs or activities of USMS.

so welcome sexual advances or other appropriate sexually oriented behavior or actions are acceptable? Acceptable, yes. Which I guess can be a good thing, since I married my Masters swim coach 29 years ago, this Sunday.

Oh great there's a swim meet in Mission Viejo this Sunday. Then again its US Masters not USA Swimming. However, these issues are not limited to USA Swimming. I know that on a particular USMS team, any new female member will get hounded by one of the coaches, until she usually leaves. The team praises the coach, oh how great, how wonderful, and lets the now former member slip away.