WAG Another USAG screw up

[bogwoppit]

http://interactives.indystar.com/ne...l&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Another coach who was allowed to slip through the cracks.

 

[LindyHopper]

Wow... the entire "Out of Balance" series...

http://www.indystar.com/topic/out-of-balance/

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Wow.... undue harm to others because people failed to act....

 

[gymisforeveryone]

This is madness! Why is the USAG so afraid to act? Who are they protecting first, the children or the coaches?

 

[bogwoppit]

This is madness! Why is the USAG so afraid to act? Who are they protecting first, the children or the coaches?

and that is the million dollar question.

 

[sewgood]

This is madness! Why is the USAG so afraid to act? Who are they protecting first, the children or the coaches?

Neither. They are protecting themselves. They wanted to avoid scandal, not because they cared about these disgusting excuses for coaches, but because they wanted protect reputation of USAG. Who cares if children get hurt in process?

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Neither. They are protecting themselves. They wanted to avoid scandal, not because they cared about these disgusting excuses for coaches, but because they wanted protect reputation of USAG. Who cares if children get hurt in process?

Yep folks worrying about coaches don't send their kids to gymnastics.

 

[gymmomx2]

http://interactives.indystar.com/ne...l&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Another coach who was allowed to slip through the cracks.

I wouldn't say he was allowed to slip through the cracks. USAG knew and did nothing. I can't even wrap my head around the fact they they wanted a parent/gymnast complaint - not not act based on multiple gym owners' complaints? They allowed him to stay despite everything. They need to be sued big time over issues such as these, it's the only way anything is going to change.

 

[txgymfan]

Wow! That is horrible!

 

[profmom]

and that is the million dollar question.

Oh, I think when all is said and done, the price tag will be higher than that. I honestly cannot believe USAG seems to be careening toward letting this one go to trial. It's hard to imagine a clearer negligence case.

 

[amiandjim]

OMG! DD went to one of those gyms for rec/preteam/level 1 team! Of course, this was after he had been fired but it's still disturbing. I will tell you right now, if I were the parent of one of the girls abused after USAG had so many complaints against him and they STILL allowed him to open a gym/become a USAG member, I would be absolutely livid and I would not let it go until they were held responsible. Yes, I do agree that someone else should have alerted the authorities as well, but good lord!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

All speculating on USAG aside. How is it that the parents and victims do not press charges?

Who lets their kid be abused and only tells the gym not the police? A criminal conviction gets the person on the offender list. Telling the gym and getting them fired does not.

 

[GymDad9.9]

All speculating on USAG aside. How is it that the parents and victims do not press charges?

Who lets their kid be abused and only tells the gym not the police? A criminal conviction gets the person on the offender list. Telling the gym and getting them fired does not.

I agree. There are other layers of culpability in this matter beyond USAG and I'm curious whether they insulate actual liability on the part of USAG, which may be why USAG never actively pursued these matters with the vigilance one would expect from them.

 

[profmom]

There is some good social science research on why many victims choose not to file formal complaints with the police. A few of the factors: shame; fear of publicity despite rape shield laws; the length of time that passes before some victims can recognize what has happened as criminal sexual misconduct; awareness that some state agents are not receptive or sympathetic to these claims; concern that once the claim is in the hands of the state, the victim will lose control of the process; for victims who are still minors, lack of trust that they are reporting accurately by the adults who opt not to go the criminal route; and the overwhelming desire of some victims just to have the abuse stop.

 

[raenndrops]

All speculating on USAG aside. How is it that the parents and victims do not press charges?

Who lets their kid be abused and only tells the gym not the police? A criminal conviction gets the person on the offender list. Telling the gym and getting them fired does not.

And (not to exonerate USAG), they were waiting for a parent or an athlete to speak up. I understand about 3rd party reports not being acceptable to proceed. If a parent or athlete told the gym, the gym should have called USAG during the meeting and had the parent/ athlete file the complaint... Or have the athlete/parent write a letter at the meeting... Or an email.
False allegations can damage lives, but truth must come from the source. Third party (or 4th, etc) information is like the game telephone. It can change from the start to the end.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

There is some good social science research on why many victims choose not to file formal complaints with the police. A few of the factors: shame; fear of publicity despite rape shield laws; the length of time that passes before some victims can recognize what has happened as criminal sexual misconduct; awareness that some state agents are not receptive or sympathetic to these claims; concern that once the claim is in the hands of the state, the victim will lose control of the process; for victims who are still minors, lack of trust that they are reporting accurately by the adults who opt not to go the criminal route; and the overwhelming desire of some victims just to have the abuse stop.

And abusers count on all that.

I could not in good conscience not report. Knowing that these types of crimes just don't happen once but over and over. I.Just.Could.Not.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

And (not to exonerate USAG), they were waiting for a parent or an athlete to speak up. I understand about 3rd party reports not being acceptable to proceed. If a parent or athlete told the gym, the gym should have called USAG during the meeting and had the parent/ athlete file the complaint... Or have the athlete/parent write a letter at the meeting... Or an email.
False allegations can damage lives, but truth must come from the source. Third party (or 4th, etc) information is like the game telephone. It can change from the start to the end.

Yes if the parent/athlete won't make a formal complaint, what could the USAG do other then fire the person.
If nothing is on record there is no crime.

 

[GymDad9.9]

And (not to exonerate USAG), they were waiting for a parent or an athlete to speak up. I understand about 3rd party reports not being acceptable to proceed. If a parent or athlete told the gym, the gym should have called USAG during the meeting and had the parent/ athlete file the complaint... Or have the athlete/parent write a letter at the meeting... Or an email.
False allegations can damage lives, but truth must come from the source. Third party (or 4th, etc) information is like the game telephone. It can change from the start to the end.

I'll tell you a story about 3rd party reports. My former sister in law, a highly trained social worker and department manager in Southern California, took an innocuous statement from another sister in law to report to authorities in NY that my niece's parents were negligent in feeding her because she looked "a little thin." (Said former sister in law had never met this child) Lo and behold, a Children Services van shows up on the Sunday evening of a Labor Day Weekend to take my niece away. When the officials looked at my niece and saw there was no issue they left, but not before some serious traumatic moments for all involved. My former sister in law should have been prosecuted for making a false report but in fact had legal protections that would have made that difficult to do, besides the reluctance of my sister and her husband to pursue the matter any further.

 

[bookworm]

And (not to exonerate USAG), they were waiting for a parent or an athlete to speak up. I understand about 3rd party reports not being acceptable to proceed. If a parent or athlete told the gym, the gym should have called USAG during the meeting and had the parent/ athlete file the complaint... Or have the athlete/parent write a letter at the meeting... Or an email.
False allegations can damage lives, but truth must come from the source. Third party (or 4th, etc) information is like the game telephone. It can change from the start to the end.

I get that one doesn't want to ruin lives based on hearsay but in reading the article, the cheerleader who filed for a restraining order against him is pretty first hand, isn't it? Also his own letter of resignation after being confronted? ...I totally think USAG had enough info to act in at least investigating this McCabe fellow...and it seems like the person who is left holding the bag, so to speak, is USAG Administrator Kathy Kelly , who was notified multiple times, in writing, about this guy...and did nothing.

 

[bookworm]

And when Kathy Kelly finally DOES respond to FBI requests for information,she totally throws CEO Steve Penny under the bus by saying "according to our by laws, the CEO is responsible for member misconducts. Our by-laws outline the procedures that we must follow regarding complaints" ...well maybe that is part of the problem...if your head honcho is the only one who can do this , but everyone else knows and can't act, maybe a new system should be looked at?