Callaghan suspended over sexual abuse allegations

[Quadaxel2020]

Do you worry about your children with male coaches who like females. no, as they are not pedophiles.

What? There are "male coaches who like females" that are pedophiles. Larry and Stephanie Nasser were married for over 20 years. I don't really see your point here....

 

[LarrySK8]

exactly....I think a lot of the comments come from people who are against homosexuals. Do you worry about your children with male coaches who like females. no, as they are not pedophiles. This was a long term relationship between 2 consenting males who had a difference in age of only 6 years. This was not his coach and he was in no way in charge of him or a mentor. Usually males are far more immature than females at that age but if you are gay you have a lot more shit to deal with and so you grow up much quicker. If he was his coach then I would think that he should have passed him onto another coach but he was not. If it was a situation where the young skater was not gay and there was any point unwanted advances and pressure then again it would be wrong and the USFS should have had more severe punishments. I have not seen anything to indicate this is what happened so I wonder what the motive is to destroy someone's career and name. People should be looking at their motives in making a big stink. People have different sexual orientations...That is life. If people could learn to live without recriminations we would all be happier.

be careful - I posted a similar sentiment and got viciously attacked by the masses who love fake news and sensationalist gossip.

For that, I am changing my Avatar

 

[barbarafan]

be careful - I posted a similar sentiment and got viciously attacked by the masses who love fake news and sensationalist gossip.

For that, I am changing my Avatar

Thanks for the headsup but they can just attack away.I am a 66 yr old who made my choice on this issue when I was 18
when my older brother came out decades before it was in fashion. He is one of the best human beings on this planet and has always been there for me. As a matter of fact he is always the one everyone of family and friends always turns to.I have no problem picking up a sword and shield to defend those who need to be defended and unkind words reflect on the speaker not me.

 

[LarrySK8]

Thanks for the headsup but they can just attack away.I am a 66 yr old who made my choice on this issue when I was 18
when my older brother came out decades before it was in fashion. He is one of the best human beings on this planet and has always been there for me. As a matter of fact he is always the one everyone of family and friends always turns to.I have no problem picking up a sword and shield to defend those who need to be defended and unkind words reflect on the speaker not me.

My thoughts on this matter were compared to NAMBLA by at least one trolling d-bag amongst the FSU crowd/clique that lives on here and feels this is somehow an important website, rather than one for entertainment.

 

[VGThuy]

exactly....I think a lot of the comments come from people who are against homosexuals. Do you worry about your children with male coaches who like females. no, as they are not pedophiles. This was a long term relationship between 2 consenting males who had a difference in age of only 6 years. This was not his coach and he was in no way in charge of him or a mentor. Usually males are far more immature than females at that age but if you are gay you have a lot more shit to deal with and so you grow up much quicker. If he was his coach then I would think that he should have passed him onto another coach but he was not. If it was a situation where the young skater was not gay and there was any point unwanted advances and pressure then again it would be wrong and the USFS should have had more severe punishments. I have not seen anything to indicate this is what happened so I wonder what the motive is to destroy someone's career and name. People should be looking at their motives in making a big stink. People have different sexual orientations...That is life. If people could learn to live without recriminations we would all be happier.

I don't agree that a lot of the comments on this forum are coming from people who are against gay men. I think people now are more cognizant about irreparable harm that happens to underaged persons who are exploited by older people so people are requiring that those in charge with ensuring the safety of the underaged persons take that responsibility seriously and actually pass and enforce codes that prevent that from happening.

I have heard people talk about their own experiences, mainly gay men, who started their relationships with older men when they were about 16 or so and say they did not feel exploited because they don't have the same life experiences as straight people and it's not like they could just have the same initial high school romance experience where they could just openly date somebody from a larger pool of people their age, so by the time they found someone who wanted to initiate some sort of romantic relationship, they felt like it was hitting the lottery even if that person was older. They also felt that the older gay man also did not have a lot of the same opportunities compared to a straight counterpart and had a similar upbringing and thus had a much harder time finding a romantic partner as well and was not actively seeking to find young men to date. To them, it was either enter into that relationship or be celibate or so inexperienced in a way that their straight peers were not forced to be. However, I do wonder if that was another form of exploitation as well and I hate to say it, but I also wonder if there was some romanticization going on even though I try not to doubt people's first-hand accounts. I wonder if there's a generation and regional gap with this among LGBTQ persons.

That said, we know people of all orientations have been and will be predators who seek out unequal power dynamics and get off on the power. So I think people are concerned about that when commenting on a situation like this as they should be.

 

[barbarafan]

What? There are "male coaches who like females" that are pedophiles. Larry and Stephanie Nasser were married for over 20 years. I don't really see your point here....

Read it again and this time think of what you are reading. Stop thinking with your fingers.

 

[barbarafan]

My thoughts on this matter were compared to NAMBLA by at least one trolling d-bag amongst the FSU crowd/clique that lives on here and feels this is somehow an important website, rather than one for entertainment.

Unless blood is drawn just rise above it. (These are my mothers words- she was a wonderful woman who couldn't hurt a fly) I only take after her a little bit. I often have mean thoughts run through my head. If you wish to change- change, but do not let others force you to be someone you are not.

 

[berthesghost]

People think it's ok for an adult to have sex with someone who can't legally be trusted to have a checking account, but then cry fake "homophobia" when countered with a difference of opinion.

 

[nlloyd]

Senator 'appalled' at U.S. Figure Skating's response to coach-skater relationship:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...response-coach-skater-relationship/575654002/

Here's what I take away from this article:

1) The relationship did not violate Delaware law
2) It was considered “inappropriate and unethical” by the PSA and Pottenger was suspended for six months
3) When questioned about the relationship the USFSA spokesperson noted that it did not violate Delaware law
4) Senator Blumenthal (D-Conn) believes that response is "appalling" because the USFSA is condoning a sexual relationship between a coach and a skater

Then, there is the broader context in which these events, which took place seven years ago, are now being viewed by the senator, USA Today, and some figure skating fans, namely, the systematic and extensive abuse of underage gymnasts by Larry Nassar.

Figure skating fans are also aware of:

1) allegations of sexual abuse by long-time coach Richard Callaghan
2) the existence of ethically questionable but not illegal relationships between a coach such as Morozov and his of-age students

Given that the relationship between Pottenger and the student was legal, and that to this day, the USFSA does not have ethical guidelines in place for relationships between a coach and student (not to mention any coach and any student -- Pottenger was not coaching this student, but simply a coach at the rink where he trained), I am not sure why there is such an extreme response by skating fans and parents of skaters who objected to his officiating at a recent competition.

Is there any evidence that Pottenger has engaged in:

1) sexual relationships with underage students?
2) relationships with of-age students as a coach?

In other words, is there any evidence that he is actually a threat to students? Because, without such evidence, it seems to me that the current Nassar context has informed the opinions of figure skating fans in a way that is overweening, inaccurate, and unfair.

Equally important IMO is that resources are taken from cases of abuse for which there is evidence and that the latter are trivialized by instances that are not in fact sexual abuse. Where allegations are allowed to carry the same weight as evidence, an ethos of alarmism develops, and the reputations of those who are accused on public fora such as this are seriously damaged.

This is not to say that when there are allegations of sexual abuse, they should not be investigated. Not at all. The individuals impacted should report them to the sports' governing bodies and to the police as soon as possible. Such allegations should be vigorously investigated and where sufficient evidence exists, possible perpetrators should be charged as soon as possible. However, until such time as there is clear evidence, fans should exercise caution IMO.

Beyond that, I agree with @VIETgrlTerifa that the USFSA needs to put into place ethical guidelines regarding relationships between coaches and students.

 

[MacMadame]

However, the USFS should probably adopt a policy that its member rinks have to follow that any romantic relationship between any member of staff and any student regardless of age should be prohibited and anyone failing to comply would lose membership, just to nip this situation in the bud.

I don't think that's remotely practical and here's why:

There are many skaters who also "coach" on a very casual basis. It's often not their main job, sometimes they get paid, sometimes not. Most are adults. There are also many adults who skate recreationally. A rule that would prohibit two 30-something people who skate, one of whom does some casual coaching as well from dating is not going to be followed. It would also be hard to enforce because the definition of a coach is fuzzy.

And creating rules that can't be enforced and will be ignored is not a good way to deal with this problem.

We need more targeted rules that get at the actual problem. Two adult skaters dating, even if one of them also coaches, is not a problem. Even a full-time coach dating an adult skater whom he doesn't coach is not a problem. The problem is young people being exploited by adults who have power over them. This is what the rules should be about.

 

[VGThuy]

How are we defining young? Under the laws of DE, unless it was 18, then age of consent was 16 and no laws were broken and yet people are up in arms about it. Should the cut off be 18 regardless of the forum state’s age of consent laws? If somebody starts openly dating a student the moment they turn 18, how would that solve the problem of grooming?

ETA: I said member of staff, not just coach. So anybody receiving some sort of paycheck or is getting paid to teach would be prohibited from dating a student even if that person is also a student. There may be an enforcement problem, but the same issue happens by making rules to prohibit adults from exploiting young people. Any of these rules are dependent on somebody reporting it.

 

[berthesghost]

I live in such a bubble. I’ve worked for over 3 decades and have never so much as been on a date with a coworker, yet never had any trouble finding partners, a husband etc. I just can’t get passionate about this idea that telling people they can’t sleep with the children at work is unrealistic or a burden.

 

[gkelly]

Here is the current USFS SkafeSport Handbook:
http://www.usfigureskating.org/content/safesport handbook.pdf

http://www.usfigureskating.org/clubs?id=84197

It was not in effect in 2010.

 

[barbarafan]

I live in such a bubble. I’ve worked for over 3 decades and have never so much as been on a date with a coworker, yet never had any trouble finding partners, a husband etc. I just can’t get passionate about this idea that telling people they can’t sleep with the children at work is unrealistic or a burden.

Maybe you are confused as to what a child is.

 

[Quadaxel2020]

Maybe you are confused as to what a child is.

Is 16 legally an adult now?

 

[barbarafan]

Is 16 legally an adult now?

In most places for consensual sex yes.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Page 6 from the SafeSport Handbook defines the terms that would apply if this case was initiated today. There is not enough information available in Brennan's reports to determine whether the case applies to only one or several of these areas.

Blumenthal may have jumped up on the soapbox, but I don't take much issue with him calling out USFSA about it. The comment in question seemed like bad form to me considering PSA suspended the coach. USFSA for years punted to PSA to deal with some of these uncomfortable or questionable cases. Now when PSA actually takes action & doesn't pass the buck, USFSA sounds like they don't support their sister organization.

I don't believe what we're seeing has to do with vilifying gay coaches but I believe it does have a lot to do with people being fed up with the complaints over the past twenty years that have been dismissed too soon on technicalities, overlooked & minimized. For example, Bob Young generated complaints with new athletes while other cases about him were closed because they weren't reported soon enough, etc.

Likewise, there has been such a breakdown in the notification process & it still hasn't really been fixed yet. Skaters & parents learn about criminal pleas (& even jail time) for coaches when they are lucky enough to read the daily newspaper but the information is not clarified for them by the federation. Not enough has been done to protect the athletes & sports community, so people now want to see the processes actually being put into place & working successfully.

 

[Vagabond]

exactly....I think a lot of the comments come from people who are against homosexuals. Do you worry about your children with male coaches who like females. no, as they are not pedophiles.

@barbarafan, you should look up the meaning of loaded terms before posting anything like this.

Definition of pedophilia

sexual perversion in which children are the preferred sexual object; specifically : a psychiatric disorder in which an adult has sexual fantasies about or engages in sexual acts with a prepubescent child[/URL]

A pedophile is a person of either sex who fantasizes in or engages in sexual acts with a prepubscent child of either sex.
Adults who engage in sexual acts with sixteen-year-olds are something different.

Thanks for the headsup but they can just attack away.I am a 66 yr old who made my choice on this issue when I was 18

Sixty-six is not too old to use a dictionary.

 

[antmanb]

Thanks for the headsup but they can just attack away.I am a 66 yr old who made my choice on this issue when I was 18
when my older brother came out decades before it was in fashion.

In fashion?? Bizarre choice of wording for someone claiming to be an ally....

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Regarding Brennan's muck rake, it was good to see friends of Pottenger jumping to his defence on the TSL Facebook Page.

 

[berthesghost]

Maybe you are confused as to what a child is.

Not in the least. And if I were, the law is quite clear on what privledges and rights a 22 year old can be trusted with, and all the ways a 16 yo old minor can not.

 

[mackiecat]

Christine Brennan's latest article includes a new quote from Craig Maurizi.

*** Coach suspended nearly two decades after U.S. Figure Skating dismissed abuse allegations :
https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...han-figure-skating-coach-suspended/410663002/

That is not entirely correct- members of the tech panel do interact with coaches AND skaters if critiques are given after the event. Granted it is not a one on one situation with the TS/skater so there shouldn’t be risk, but there are interactions.

The protocol is that the Technical Control speaks to the coach/ skater. Yes USFS sets up critiques but usually that person is not the TS ( who takes no notes) but in a normal manner when a coach asks for feedback, it is on,y the TC who gives that feedback

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Eugene (Gene) Heffron ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Heffron ) was recently suspended, as published on USFS' website:

Here is a new article about Eugene Heffron that states he now faces charges.

*** Rockford ice skating coach, former Olympian charged with sexual abuse :
http://www.rrstar.com/news/20180529...ach-former-olympian-charged-with-sexual-abuse

A longtime ice skating coach and former Olympian has been charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
Eugene N. Heffron, 78, bonded out of Winnebago County Jail on Tuesday. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 28.

Heffron faces three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony punishable by three to seven years in prison followed by two years of mandatory supervised release. The court has ordered Heffron not to have contact with any children under age 17.

 

[CaliSteve]

Thanks for the headsup but they can just attack away.I am a 66 yr old who made my choice on this issue when I was 18
when my older brother came out decades before it was in fashion. He is one of the best human beings on this planet and has always been there for me. As a matter of fact he is always the one everyone of family and friends always turns to.I have no problem picking up a sword and shield to defend those who need to be defended and unkind words reflect on the speaker not me.

And I will provide back up!

 

[Artistic Skaters]

*** Former U.S figure skater and Rockford ice skating coach pleads Not Guilty to sexual abuse charges :
https://www.mystateline.com/news/fo...not-guilty-to-sexual-abuse-charges/1312923752

A former U.S. figure skater and Rockford Park District ice skating coach has pleaded Not Guilty to an accusation of sexual assault on Friday. The Illinois State Police say Eugene Heffron inappropriately touched two of his students. The alleged incidents go back as far as 2002.

Two of Heffron's female ice skating students have come forward to accuse him of inappropriate touching, but the investigators say there may be more victims.

Heffron faces three counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse.

In a court hearing on Friday, Heffron's attorney entered a Not Guilty plea and petitioned the court to lower his bail, currently set at $250,000, but the judge denied it. Heffron was ordered to have no contact with minors; his lawyer petitioned to have that changed, since he lives with underaged children, but that also was denied by the judge.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

*** Former Eden Prairie Skating Coach Pleads Not Guilty to Criminal Sexual Conduct Charges :
https://kstp.com/news/former-eden-p...-guilty-plea-criminal-sexual-conduct/4897327/

A former Eden Prairie figure skating coach accused of sexually abusing a teen figure skater pleaded not guilty Tuesday to five counts of criminal sexual conduct.

Forty-seven-year-old Thomas Incantalupo entered the pleas in Hennepin County court. A jury trial is scheduled to start on Sept. 10.

 

[Sylvia]

*** Former Eden Prairie Skating Coach Pleads Not Guilty to Criminal Sexual Conduct Charges :
https://kstp.com/news/former-eden-p...-guilty-plea-criminal-sexual-conduct/4897327/

This is his news thread started in January 2018: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...th-criminal-sexual-conduct-with-minor.102939/

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Sorry Sylvia, I forgot there was a separate thread for that case.
Trial starts Sept 10, so I wanted to post a reminder to monitor next month.

 

[tony]

US Figure Skating allowed allegedly abusive coach Richard Callaghan to stay on the ice. He abused again: Lawsuit

Another former competitive figure skater says that he was sexually abused by once-celebrated Olympic coach Richard Callaghan.

abcnews.go.com

New complaint against Callaghan

 

[Theoreticalgirl]

Opening lines. There are no words to convey my disappointment and anger at USFS right now.

During the 2018 Winter Olympics, at a hotel on the outskirts of Pyeongchang, a pair of high-ranking U.S. Figure Skating officials met with an alleged sexual abuse victim who was preparing to tell his story to the media. He says they made him an offer he believes was intended to secure his silence.