WAG What's the best way to report an abusive coach?

[Radbay]

I called Safe Sport today. They informed me that if I file with them my case would be transferred to the NGB (USAG) because it's not of sexual nature. So then I spoke with a CPS worker who informed me that they only deal with complaints regarding in-home abuse. Anything that happens outside of the home you must contact the police about.

I contacted the non urgent police line and they said because it's emotional abuse there's not much they can do. I would have to call CPS or contact a lawyer. I called CPS a second time and spoke with another person who gave me the exact same information. They can't do anything because it's outside of the home.

So now what? After reading about Azarian, and @LJL07 's story and now Haney? There's really nothing set up to protect the kids. I also spoke with a fellow coach from another gym in the area and they said that USAG has no way of enforcing anything or what they ask/say to do holds no authority/ground.

Then I started researching how USAG is in bankruptcy court right now. To my understanding after googling a few questions is that no one can sue them right now. Correct me if I'm wrong. So what now? They're untouchable? They can pardon Haney, ignore Azarian, and ruin countless more lives because there's no one who can touch them?

What Do I Do?

 

[bogwoppit]

Leave, tell them why, then just walk away.

 

[raenndrops]

Leave, tell them why, write HONEST reviews online ... don't interpret anything - just say what was observed. Give specific examples. Let people draw their own conclusions.

 

[CuriousCate]

Sadly, the only reliable option is to leave and to hope that parents of the other kids do the same. If no one else if willing to protect these kids, one would sure hope their parents would.

 

[LJL07]

I called Safe Sport today. They informed me that if I file with them my case would be transferred to the NGB (USAG) because it's not of sexual nature. So then I spoke with a CPS worker who informed me that they only deal with complaints regarding in-home abuse. Anything that happens outside of the home you must contact the police about.

I contacted the non urgent police line and they said because it's emotional abuse there's not much they can do. I would have to call CPS or contact a lawyer. I called CPS a second time and spoke with another person who gave me the exact same information. They can't do anything because it's outside of the home.

So now what? After reading about Azarian, and @LJL07 's story and now Haney? There's really nothing set up to protect the kids. I also spoke with a fellow coach from another gym in the area and they said that USAG has no way of enforcing anything or what they ask/say to do holds no authority/ground.

Then I started researching how USAG is in bankruptcy court right now. To my understanding after googling a few questions is that no one can sue them right now. Correct me if I'm wrong. So what now? They're untouchable? They can pardon Haney, ignore Azarian, and ruin countless more lives because there's no one who can touch them?

What Do I Do?

Unfortunately, USAG is pretty untouchable. They didn't actually pardon Haney. They just botched the hearing process so the arbitrator was able to get her suspension reduced for that reason. Also, you are correct about CPS. Our first investigator insisted that I file a report with CPS. Well, in our state CPS has no jurisdiction over gyms. They strictly handle in home abuse and childcare center reports. Gyms don't fall under that. I agree with the poster who said that leaving negative reviews does seem to make an impact. Without knowing the specifics of your situation, the risk you run leaving negative reviews is retaliation from the coach/gym. A few people actually did leave some negative google reviews of our former gym, and it really made the gym owner angry. She then got a half dozen or more compulsory parents to leave glowing reviews to counter the negative reviews. It's a long story, but she also retaliated through social media and targeted the kids of the parents who she suspected had left the negative reviews. Another parent at a gym in another state had a similar experience with the online google reviews.

 

[ReluctantGymMom]

Radbay- the best thing you can do is file a complaint with USAG, which will probably be ignored, tell the owner you have filed a complaint (because they don’t like that, just in case anything amounts of it in the press), take your kid and leave. Then leave an accurate review of what you saw, with the coaches name on Google, Facebook and Yelp - new parents look up gym reviews all the time, and a calm review outlining specific abuse by a coach that states you left because the owners turn a blind eye to it, is one of the biggest kick in the asses you can give the business. Don’t get emotional, make it clear why you left and that you have left, and make it clear your child was on team there (so in replies they can’t be like “this person is no longer here and is just posting negatively” - you have to say yourself why you’re not there, and name names). Naming names in reviews is not libel BTW - that’s your experience with that person.

Owners dumping toxic coaches because it effects their bottom line is probably the closest thing to effectiveness you’ll see.

 

[ReluctantGymMom]

Unfortunately, USAG is pretty untouchable. They didn't actually pardon Haney. They just botched the hearing process so the arbitrator was able to get her suspension reduced for that reason. Also, you are correct about CPS. Our first investigator insisted that I file a report with CPS. Well, in our state CPS has no jurisdiction over gyms. They strictly handle in home abuse and childcare center reports. Gyms don't fall under that. I agree with the poster who said that leaving negative reviews does seem to make an impact. Without knowing the specifics of your situation, the risk you run leaving negative reviews is retaliation from the coach/gym. A few people actually did leave some negative google reviews of our former gym, and it really made the gym owner angry. She then got a half dozen or more compulsory parents to leave glowing reviews to counter the negative reviews. It's a long story, but she also retaliated through social media and targeted the kids of the parents who she suspected had left the negative reviews. Another parent at a gym in another state had a similar experience with the online google reviews.

Agreed - the downside is some owners get crazy about it and do start things like stalking you online. Keep your kid off social media if you go this route, or hopefully they’re too young to be on it. But keep all your reviews calm and professional. Outline only facts, not emotions. Name names, state that you’ve filed a claim against the coach with USAG if you do, but remain as unemotional as possible on a very emotional subject, because otherwise it will be twisted against you. If you can get others to leave reviews if they’re considering leaving, there is strength in numbers.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Leave as much of a paper trail as you can, leave the gym and tell them why you're leaving, leave negative yelp and google reviews.

Not much else you can do, sadly.