Keeping Track of Criminal Cases & SafeSport Suspensions in Skating

I just noticed this on the SafeSport database linked above. In late July, Vassili Mourzine was placed on a temporary suspension, with a "no unsupervised coaching/training" directive and a no-contact directive. Google shows him as the skating director of the Skating Club of Nevada in Las Vegas.
 
Very different sport, and I am not trying to derail this discussion, but also nice to see the SafeSport system really can have teeth. My youngest daughter did equestrian/show jumping and trained mostly in Calgary. Her coach, a 30 something female, worked for and trained with Rich Fellers in Oregon and when he came to Spruce Meadows with his horses/students we always saw a lot of him and his wife. He actually chose a horse for us. He is 61, a tall, nice looking man very respected in his sport. The only questionable thing I heard was that they all used cocaine at his barn. His wife and 2 children worked with him. Anyway, a 15 year old came to work and train with him and by the time she had her 16th birthday Rich was confessing to her that she was the love of his life. He carefully groomed her so that by the time she was 17 they were engaging in intercourse. While away at a show, his wife walked in on them. She threatened the girl and finally the rumours became too much to handle. SafeSport investigated. The sport treated this girl awful, and many should be ashamed of themselves. Both he and his wife were charged and both pled not guilty. Just this summer, Rich changed his plea to guilty and received a 4 year jail term that he will get to spend in medium security in Oregon. Because they travelled out of state to shows, it was a bigger deal as he transported her to other states and to Canada. It is a sad but interesting read as to what she went through and hopefully now that he has pled guilty more eyes will be open as to who the villain is here.
 
puglover said:
Very different sport, and I am not trying to derail this discussion, but also nice to see the SafeSport system really can have teeth. My youngest daughter did equestrian/show jumping and trained mostly in Calgary. Her coach, a 30 something female, worked for and trained with Rich Fellers in Oregon and when he came to Spruce Meadows with his horses/students we always saw a lot of him and his wife. He actually chose a horse for us. He is 61, a tall, nice looking man very respected in his sport. The only questionable thing I heard was that they all used cocaine at his barn. His wife and 2 children worked with him. Anyway, a 15 year old came to work and train with him and by the time she had her 16th birthday Rich was confessing to her that she was the love of his life. He carefully groomed her so that by the time she was 17 they were engaging in intercourse. While away at a show, his wife walked in on them. She threatened the girl and finally the rumours became too much to handle. SafeSport investigated. The sport treated this girl awful, and many should be ashamed of themselves. Both he and his wife were charged and both pled not guilty. Just this summer, Rich changed his plea to guilty and received a 4 year jail term that he will get to spend in medium security in Oregon. Because they travelled out of state to shows, it was a bigger deal as he transported her to other states and to Canada. It is a sad but interesting read as to what she went through and hopefully now that he has pled guilty more eyes will be open as to who the villain is here.
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Unfortunately, the victim was vilified online after when everything first came out.

www.weridetogether.today

Home | #WeRideTogether

We Ride Together, Inc. is a nonprofit organization created early in 2021 to shine a light on the endemic issue of sexual abuse in youth sports, starting with equestrian sport and then broadening to every sport. Our mission is to make the youth and amateur sport environment safer for all athletes.
www.weridetogether.today www.weridetogether.today
 
Sorry if this has been mentioned already, but it looks like Kelsey Parker Gislason's new job at USFS is "senior manager, marketing projects". Since July according to her LinkedIn.

Her background is coaching skating and qualification/experience as a kindergarten and primary school teacher. I guess USFS can explain how that equips her to be a "senior manager" in marketing for a national Olympic-affiliated sport organization.
 
overedge said:
Sorry if this has been mentioned already, but it looks like Kelsey Parker Gislason's new job at USFS is "senior manager, marketing projects". Since July according to her LinkedIn.

Her background is coaching skating and qualification/experience as a kindergarten and primary school teacher. I guess USFS can explain how that equips her to be a "senior manager" in marketing for a national Olympic-affiliated sport organization.
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Well....I moved from teaching to marketing, but I didn't start out as a "senior manager." ;) And the job was at a education publishing co.

Remember, Kelsey's mommy is a big-name judge. The only way Kelsey is leaving USFS is if she resigns.
 
Debbie S said:
Well....I moved from teaching to marketing, but I didn't start out as a "senior manager." ;) And the job was at a education publishing co.

Remember, Kelsey's mommy is a big-name judge. The only way Kelsey is leaving USFS is if she resigns.
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I was thinking of that in relation to earlier comments in this thread - the comments that suggested USFS would stick her in a position she was so unqualified for that she wouldn't last long. If that's their strategy, I hope she won't do too much damage while she's stuck there.
 
Sini05 said:
euro.dayfr.com

Teen sexual abuse: From star skating coach to pizza chef, but he has support to maybe get back in the business

A former star figure skating coach who sexually abused a 14-year-old athlete now works at a pizzeria, but he may be able to return to the business, according to a former Skate Canada president who praised him despite crimes that continue to haunt the victim. • Read also: Figure skating: ex-star...
euro.dayfr.com euro.dayfr.com
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So Gauthier's expertise is more important than him being a convicted abuser? That is really messed up and sends a very bad message, especially coming from a vice-president of the ISU.
 
Is there a thread or discussion on this board that discusses the role and actual effectiveness of of Safe Sport? Our child was sexually assaulted by a fairly prominent skater who continues to have access to skaters of all ages while maintaining a prominent and thus powerful position in the figure skating world. We are weighing the decision of reporting it now to the police and/or safe sport in hopes of preventing something similar from happening to another young and vulnerable skater or even an adult. It's complicated and weighs on us heavily and the potential consequences are grave no matter what we choose to do. We also know of one other victim.
 
IHH0628 said:
Is there a thread or discussion on this board that discusses the role and actual effectiveness of of Safe Sport?
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USA Today article by Nancy Armour that was posted in this thread on May 2023:
MacMadame said:
USA Today has an article about SafeSport and it does not paint a very nice picture of what is going on there:

www.usatoday.com

U.S. Center for SafeSport was created to protect athletes from abuse. But is it working?

Tasked with protecting athletes at Olympic and youth levels, U.S. Center for SafeSport criticized for delayed investigations, lack of transparency.
www.usatoday.com

The main issue I see here is that once a complaint comes before SafeSport, that is it. The NGBs don't have jurisdiction anymore. Then SafeSport is not transparent about what is going on or why certain complaints are closed for administrative reasons. So that makes it hard to challenge them.

I don't think the answer is to give them even more money to hire more investigators but to restructure how this all works. I think that NGBs should be given a chance to clean up their act. NGBs can focus on prevention with guidelines and minimum standards from SafeSport. But an NGB should be able to remove an abuser using their own written standards and rules no matter what SafeSport decides. There should be an ability to take your case to SafeSport if you are unhappy with how the NGB handled things but they shouldn't be the primary investigators for all reports for all sports.

I also think they are too worried about the rights of the abusers to the point that they are willing to re-victimize the victims. So while the SafeSport people say:

“There’s a reason why the Center was given exclusive jurisdiction, and that’s because of decades of mishandling or just not handling allegations that came forward by NGBs,” she said. “So I would not feel comfortable giving NGBs that power back.”

that doesn't mean that NGBs shouldn't be doing anything to keep athletes safe. They should welcome NGBs making improvements to keep abuse out of their sport and work with them, not treating them like the enemy as it seems from this article that they do.
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I'm very sorry to read this :( and I hope you can seek good legal advice:
We are weighing the decision of reporting it now to the police and/or safe sport in hopes of preventing something similar from happening to another young and vulnerable skater or even an adult. It's complicated and weighs on us heavily and the potential consequences are grave no matter what we choose to do.
Click to expand...
 
IHH0628 said:
Is there a thread or discussion on this board that discusses the role and actual effectiveness of of Safe Sport? Our child was sexually assaulted by a fairly prominent skater who continues to have access to skaters of all ages while maintaining a prominent and thus powerful position in the figure skating world. We are weighing the decision of reporting it now to the police and/or safe sport in hopes of preventing something similar from happening to another young and vulnerable skater or even an adult. It's complicated and weighs on us heavily and the potential consequences are grave no matter what we choose to do. We also know of one other victim.
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Honestly, it is not complicated. Keeping your child safe is your first priority, not repercussions in skating. Skating is small over the course of a lifetime, even if it seems big now. Report it to BOTH the police and to SafeSport. SafeSport has no teeth and won't do much and definitely not in a timely manner.
 
I am so sorry this happened to your child.

From (at least mostly) the outside, many of us here have discussed how ineffective Safe Sport has been, with the main criticisms being the backlog, the amount of time it takes for resolution once the case is taken up, the lack of transparency allowing the accused to continue to be in the sport while the case is being investigated, and the likelihood of the case being overturned on appeal.

You might be interested in this thread:

Hearing: The Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics​

There's a link to the YouTube video of the proceedings and a link to the transcript, which is long, but quite informative, in @B.Cooper's October 4 post.

The transcript is 118 pages long, but it is well worth the read. Safe Sport tries to put its best spin on it, but it's not pretty.

For reporting to law enforcement side of things, in the Nasser case, how many police and the FBI pushed this under the rug, before there was finally a police woman who took the case seriously plus diligent Indianapolis Star reporters? There may be people or organizations who were part of the hearings who might be able to guide you or recommend other people or organizations who had to make or supported people in making the same decision. You shouldn't have to do this alone or without knowing the possibilities of what to expect, and you might get practical advice on how to report, present a case, and follow up to have the best chance for success.

In addition, there have been ongoing Congressional hearings in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the latest being on October 18:
https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/chairs-rodgers-and-griffith-announce-oversight-hearing-on-u-s-center-for-safe-sport-and-preventing-athlete-abuse
 
IHH0628 said:
Is there a thread or discussion on this board that discusses the role and actual effectiveness of of Safe Sport? Our child was sexually assaulted by a fairly prominent skater who continues to have access to skaters of all ages while maintaining a prominent and thus powerful position in the figure skating world. We are weighing the decision of reporting it now to the police and/or safe sport in hopes of preventing something similar from happening to another young and vulnerable skater or even an adult. It's complicated and weighs on us heavily and the potential consequences are grave no matter what we choose to do. We also know of one other victim.
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Please report it at once to both the police and SafeSport. The only way to stop abuse is to shine a light on it. And please look into getting therapy for your child now. The earlier that you address it, the better for all concerned.
 
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Thank you for your considerate and thoughtful replies - esp because this was my first post. I registered under a new user name due to fear and the incredibly difficult topic. One person commented above that it's not that complicated. It actually is - you wouldn't understand unless you were in our position.

Our child is no longer in danger because this skater now trains in a different country (and we suspect the timing is not entirely coincidental . . . ) So that also makes things difficult to prosecute - at least I suspect so. I'm doing a lot of research outside of this board and I will read through every helpful recommendation listed above.

My advice to all skating and sports parents. Do NOT trust anyone with your child. In fact the more you think you trust them, the more careful you should be because your trust inherently gives the perpetrator more access.
 
Vagabond said:
Please report it at once to both the police and SafeSport. The only way to stop abuse is to shine a light in it. And please look into getting therapy for your child now. The earlier that you address it, the better for all concerned.
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My child has been weekly intense multi faceted therapy since 6 months after it happened (when we found out about it). But it will stay with them for a lifetime.
 
It sounds like you are doing the right thing, but yeah definitely get the police involved and report to safesport. Even if it's difficult to prosecute, at least you will have the paperwork trail and reporting there. And thank goodness that your child has a parent like you to support them.
 
Posted on Oct. 17, 2023: https://twitter.com/JudgeThree/status/1714400992098218279
Shawn Do of Independence, MO has been declared Ineligible by the Center for SafeSport due to Criminal Disposition (Sexual Misconduct) and Criminal Disposition involving a minor.
Do is a figure skating coach who has participated in all ages theatrical on-ice productions.
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He had been placed on a temporary suspension on March 20 and this is "(Subject to appeal / not yet final)": https://uscenterforsafesport.org/response-and-resolution/centralized-disciplinary-database/
 
I don't think this has been posted yet, but Luke Munana (former intl ice dancer for Mexico) was temporarily suspended as of Oct 2, for allegations of misconduct. He coaches in Brentwood, California.
 
overedge said:
I don't think this has been posted yet, but Luke Munana (former intl ice dancer for Mexico) was temporarily suspended as of Oct 2, for allegations of misconduct. He coaches in Brentwood, California.
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Are you sure that Luke Munana coaches in Brentwood, CA? There is no rink in Brentwood. There is a Luke Munana who is in construction and lives/works in Brentwood, CA. Maybe the same person, but I would verify before posting. JMHO.
 
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IHH0628 said:
Thank you for your considerate and thoughtful replies - esp because this was my first post. I registered under a new user name due to fear and the incredibly difficult topic. One person commented above that it's not that complicated. It actually is - you wouldn't understand unless you were in our position.

Our child is no longer in danger because this skater now trains in a different country (and we suspect the timing is not entirely coincidental . . . ) So that also makes things difficult to prosecute - at least I suspect so. I'm doing a lot of research outside of this board and I will read through every helpful recommendation listed above.

My advice to all skating and sports parents. Do NOT trust anyone with your child. In fact the more you think you trust them, the more careful you should be because your trust inherently gives the perpetrator more access.
Click to expand...
I'm not in your position but I have been interviewed multiple times for more than one Safesport investigation as a witness. It truly is not complicated. The needs of the child your child come first. Period. You are their advocate and protector. You do whatever needs to be done to protect your child. Just because the skater in question is training in another country doesn't mean that that person is "safe" or "beyond the law" - nor is your child "no longer in danger." Your rink management may have liability. Your skating director may have liability. Whoever might have known and did not step forward is an issue. You need to lawyer up, contact the authorities, and file with Safesport if there is a verified sexual assault against your minor child.
 
Vark said:
I'm not in your position but I have been interviewed multiple times for more than one Safesport investigation as a witness. It truly is not complicated. The needs of the child your child come first. Period. You are their advocate and protector. You do whatever needs to be done to protect your child. Just because the skater in question is training in another country doesn't mean that that person is "safe" or "beyond the law" - nor is your child "no longer in danger." Your rink management may have liability. Your skating director may have liability. Whoever might have known and did not step forward is an issue. You need to lawyer up, contact the authorities, and file with Safesport if there is a verified sexual assault against your minor child.
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Thank you for this. We do very much need legal counsel - I need to figure out what kind. The Rink, the Skating Director, a prominent coach, the club parents and skaters - no one believed us. The local Police dept even had kids in the club and seemed unlikely to believe us at the time and we were reeling in panic for quite a while. These people all absolutely adore the perpetrator.

The perpetrator now tours the world on USFSA's dime and enjoys fame and adulation (and access to people of all ages over whom they have a power differential).

Our skater lost their close knit community and left the sport entirely and is likely emotionally traumatized for life - even with extensive ongoing therapy. They are also as of recently a legal adult and have the most say in our next steps forward if any.

I know I will personally have regrets for the rest of my life for any steps we have and have not taken. It is so very difficult.

I will say it feels nice to at least say these things out loud and feel heard.
 
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