. ", NBAC's attorney, Frank Morgan, declined to comment for this article or about Muchnick's allegations of unaddressed problems at NBAC. Investigative journalism is not peer-reviewed scientific literature. It is a contact sport. Concussion Inc. has reported that Hall of Fame swimming coach Murray Stephens is back as the operator of the Meadowbrook Aquatic Center, home of Michael Phelps original base, the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, after having disappeared as the face of the center in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct. Actually, NBAC is the one who did everything right, not USA Swimming. "I think had they been minding the store had they been watching what's going on with their own children this opportunity never could have presented itself.". I give USA Swimming credit for not discriminating between a large or small clubthe organization seems to ignore complaints from all concerned. Alice Ciobanu, a 19-year-old sophomore swimmer, agreed. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The toll, however, has been profound, Hopkins said Saturday, on myself, on my family, on many others. He said he had not yet received the written apology from SJSU that was mandated as part of the settlement. Looking for a job in swimming! Former San Jose State University Athletic Director Marie Tuite began a new role at Southern Utah University on Wednesday, two years after she was named in multiple lawsuits and investigations at SJSU. 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. "A simple phone call to Oak Harbor, his prior stop, or to the East Bay would have revealed much about this man's propensity to abuse and molest kids.". Reached for comment Wednesday, Tuite told SFGATE that she is focused on her new role. What is the status of the complaint and investigation arising from NBAC? | Developed by, Murray Stephens Flashback 1: Baltimore County Police Acknowledged Letter From USA Swimming About Alleged Incident at Michael Phelps Club, Murray Stephens Flashback 2: Police Searching For USA Swimmings 2010 Letter About Sex Abuse Allegation That Led to Departure of North Baltimore Aquatic Clubs Hall of Fame Coach, Murray Stephens Flashback 3: Public Documents on North Baltimore Aquatic Club Sex Abuse Allegations Dangle in the Unhelpful Ozone, In His First Column As Concussion Inc. Collaborator on Swimming Scandals, Tim Joyce Reviews the WBAL Fiasco and the Medias Endlessly Trivial Michael Phelps Coverage, In recent days, coverage of Michael Phelps has served up such gems as the all-important identity of his latest girlfriend and promotion of his stint of golf instruction on the NBC-owned Golf Channels program, 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. Im under no illusion that Phelps or his coach, Bob Bowman (now in the employ of a very powerful Olympic consulting group, TSE) will be forced to answer such questions in the immediate future. Fourteen different LSCs are represented in the Gold Medal level. WebProfile: How Michael Phelps put scandal behind him to become an Olympic legend. In April, in an attempt to generate local coverage of his findings, he emailed. Its a Fitting Capper to Wide Official Cover-Up in the Ted Agu Football Conditioning Death at Cal. 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.. Meadowbrook is best Ill put it right out there. Swimmings world governing body, known as FINA, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit or to multiple requests to comment on the troubled state of artistic swimming. The Department of Justice said in its report that there are potentially many more. Shaw, who has declined to talk to the media and is under criminal investigation by the FBI, resigned in August 2020. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? Established in 1968, the North Baltimore Aquatic Club (NBAC) continues to do what it does best - provide quality instruction for swimmers and The report is attached to this email for your review. Aside from his life on the InterWet, . Olivia Zhang, 30, who formerly competed for the Chinese national team, said her coach used a metal rod to hit her knee when her leg wasnt fully extended out of the water in training, leaving a scar. A hundred is even more. 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.". When I embarked on these investigations 15 months ago, beginning with the tragic suicidal death of Sarah Burt, I never thought Id stumble into such a morass of institutional failure; from the cover-ups in Colorado Springs to the abuse history of legendary coach Rick Curl; from USA Swimmings retaliation against whistle blowers to new cases of coach abuse in Alaska, Missouri, and elsewhere. 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. She is also a Bay Area native. According to other sources with direct knowledge of this story, the police were in fact called and that USA Swimming was indeed made aware of this complaint. Wheres the smoking gun? All the athletes have experienced some level of emotional abuse, Williams wrote. Look for a formal announcement and some format changes here shortly. More than a dozen had complained that Shaw, an athletic trainer on campus since 2008, massaged them under their bras and underwear without justification and made them feel uncomfortable. Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. Really? The North Baltimore Aquatic Club (NBAC) is a swim club based in and around Baltimore, Maryland. An initial investigation conducted by SJSU, which began in December 2009 and concluded in May 2010, cleared Shaw of any wrongdoing and deemed his therapy method as a bona fide, per the university fact page. The abuse was alleged to have taken place in 1975, when swimming was governed by the AAU. Its a very good first step in the healing of dozens of survivors.. 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.". Ask Rick Curl for starters. 2023 Swim Swam Partners, LLC. That external investigation found that the allegations of Shaws sexual misconduct were substantiated according to the investigation summary. Have you spoken to the members of NBAC about why hes no longer at the club? They do state, however, that they passed the complaint and information to the Baltimore County Police Department, Precinct 1. Note: Award-winning columnist Tim Joyce provided exclusive coverage of the USA Swimming scandal to WBAL. Tuite was demoted from her athletic director role amid widespread criticism and reassigned to a newly created fundraising position in May 2021. As I said in yesterdays post, Baltimores City Paper published a rather pointless, painting-by-numbers story on the Doe v. Muchnick lawsuit settlement. Founded in 1967, Incorporated in 1968, America's #1 Age Group Team In what has tragically been the standard operating procedure of USA Swimming, there was no follow-up investigation from Colorado Springs. Swimmers increasingly appear less willing to subject themselves to degrading treatment from coaches, whose behavior is often described, in part, as a remnant of tactics employed in the former Eastern bloc and in China, another artistic swimming power. 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? I am moving ahead with a new opportunity, and that is where my focus is., Big Sky school hires former SJSU official involved in sex abuse scandal, Madilynne Medina is a news reporter for SFGATE. Gloushkov Leventhal called competing in the Olympics a golden dream., Hungarian artistic swimming federations meeting minutes, Female college athletes are making millions. WebBig Sky school hires former SJSU official involved in sex abuse scandal. 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. USA Swimming didnt do anything, because they couldnt. ", 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. Even after confirming, via conversations and voicemails, that my reporting was entirely accurate. Why? An Instagram account, @mental_abuse_nac, was recently created for athletes to express their concerns. FTC Disclaimer | Terms of Use & Privacy Policy Tim Joyce of WBAL in Baltimore has broken another big story on the front of sexual abuse in swimming, as he claims he has been in contact with a victim who claims to have been sexually abused while at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, home to Michael Phelps and Bob Bowman. 01 June 2015, 09:37am. We also require teams to perform additional pre-employment screenings of new coaches. 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. Tess Howley was among the standouts for the Long Island Aquatic Club (LIAC) earlier this month in East Meadow. Education | Glez said swimmers needed to look like a model to compete at an elite level. In another incident, Ormond said that Szauder told her, Sion, zip up your hoodie before I get too excited. Such behavior by Szauder was excused by Canadian officials, Ormond said, as a cultural difference because he was European. Bloomingdales: Former employee at Valley Fair mall claims she was forced to delete co-workers request for nude photos It probably has a lot to do with who you are and who your friends are. Please know that we take the safety of our swimmers very seriously, and through our Safe Sport program we thoroughly investigate issues and quickly and prudently take action. Anyone can read what you share. 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Szauder also did not respond to previous attempts to reach him. He can be reached at [emailprotected]. If this is urgent, please call us at 408-289-1417 and ask to speak with an attorney. Francois-Xavier Marit/Agence France-Presse Getty Images. Canadian artistic swimmers have made it clear that abusive behavior by coaches and body-shaming began before Szauder became head coach of the national team. Otherwise this person can sue for infringing upon his rights. 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. Eventually, Peel wrote, she developed an acute generalized anxiety disorder that required three trips to the emergency room in an ambulance, psychotherapy and medication that she still takes. State Supreme Court Brings Muchnick v. UC Regents to an End. Genevive Peel, 26, a medical student and former elite Canadian artistic swimmer, wrote a series of blog posts in October, describing the despair that left her sitting on the edge of chairs so her thighs would appear thinner, counting the exact number of almonds she had for a snack and developing an overwhelming fear of gaining a single pound. Madilynne Medina , SFGATE. What is USA Swimmings stance on Safe Sport? 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? These allegations resulted in the coach's resignation, the club taking unprecedented action, and USA Swimming seemingly taking steps to protect the coach. It was a spring afternoon in 2010. "I don't think we're perfect. Tuite will serve as the schools deputy athletic director of external relations. As a leader, I am deeply sorry our student-athletes were impacted by Scott Shaw. 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. 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 Merrie Street, WBAL AM News Director. Turns out this might be a lie as well. All of us at USA Swimming are committed to fostering that experience for all our members in a safe environment. by Jason Marsteller. SAN JOSE San Jose State Swim Coach Sage Hopkins remembers the very worst day of his career. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? Taflinger's parents later identified Brooke for the FBI as one of the girls who was taped naked in the locker and shower area. Only then, the federal report said, did the university then under the leadership of President Mary Papazian reopen the investigation. | 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. Greensboro YMCAsReina Liu stole the show by resetting three LSC records and launching up the all-time rankings in the girls 11-12 age group. , 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. NBAC wouldnt comment on the case, though one will recall that there was much coaching turnover in the club in the fall of 2011. 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. Joyces original report (which didnt name Stephens, though Concussion Inc. soon would) led to Stephens departure as the face of the club. Bowman, Phelps' coach, is the CEO of NBAC. 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. Before being hired to coach Canadas national team in November 2018, Szauder coached Slovakias national artistic swimming team for five years. "We have a system that does not encourage the reporting," said Bob Allard, a San Jose, CA lawyer representing sex abuse victims suing USA Swimming. Ormond said in an interview with The Times that Szauder, unhappy with a warm-up at a 2019 competition in China, told the swimmers if we kept swimming like that, he would hit us so hard, we wouldnt know what happened. It was later suggested that Szauder meant he would hit the swimmers with difficult practices, but Ormond said she felt physically threatened. 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. 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? Related Articles The news director offered an explanation for the first removal but not for the permanent removal. 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. Do anything, because they couldnt and ask to speak with an attorney at Cal Cal., NBAC is the one who did everything right, not USA Swimming credit for discriminating. Coach Canadas national team in November 2018, Szauder coached Slovakias national artistic Swimming team for five.. From her athletic director role amid widespread criticism and reassigned to a newly created fundraising in... 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