Coughlin's Safe Sport Status Changed to Interim Suspension

[GarrAargHrumph]

If they do not have the funding to properly do what they are doing, they should not be doing it.

They've said they don't have enough funding, and thus not enough staff, to handle the volume of complaints they are getting. They have been given a larger budget for 2019, and it will be increased again in the future. Per the NY Times:

SafeSport says it resolves cases as quickly as possible, but acknowledges a backlog from being underfunded and understaffed.

The U.S.O.C. said it had authorized $6.2 million for SafeSport in 2019 (the center’s total budget is about $10 million). Five additional investigators are to be added soon to the approximately 20 already employed and a ramped-up staff of 50 is expected within the next year and a half, Hill said. Eventually, he said, the center’s budget is expected to grow to $25 million or more.

Meanwhile, according to The Associated Press, an average of 85 complaints continue to be filed with SafeSport each month.

Sara Hirshland, the chief executive of the U.S.O.C., said in an interview with The Times last week that “there is no doubt that the capacity of the center is not where it needs to be to handle the volume.”

Per USA Today:

The SafeSport Center now has 24 full-time employees with plans to reach 50 by next fall. It has come under criticism for not processing cases quickly enough.

CEO Shellie Pfohl said funding remains an issue, and also says the center has faced challenges in hiring investigators with backgrounds in looking into sex-abuse cases.

"It's taking us a little extra time to find the right people with the right skillsets," she said.

When the SafeSport Center opened in March 2017, it received 20 to 30 calls a month. Since the onset of the #MeToo movement and the gymnastics assault case involving Larry Nassar, that has increased to about 20 to 30 calls per week.

The majority of their funding comes via the Olympic sports governing bodies in the US, with a bit coming from the USOC. They also have a grant from the US government.


https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...-double-funding-to-safesport-center/37894413/
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/21/sports/coughlin-figure-skating.html

 

[Tavi]

I agree that the list was inflammatory and not at all helpful. However, I respectfully disagree with the idea that it was developed as a way for fans to attack skaters they didn't like or that it is primarily ego-driven. My reading of social media around the list and those who distributed it, is that it was an extreme attempt by those who have been sexually abused or who are friends/family of those who have been, to try to get the attention of a figure skating community that seemed intent on valorising a person they see as an abuser.

If you look at this Twitter account, for example: https://twitter.com/SansaStarkss, you can see that within hours of the news of Coughlin's suicide being known, this individual tweeted: "I wanted to be one of the first to say this because I don’t want the survivors of his abuse to get lost in any discussion that takes place about this. Please be mindful of them, and what they have been through, and are continuing to go through" 10:19 PM - 18 Jan 2019.

This individual was one of the very first to post on social media after the announcement of Coughlin's death and has been a strong presence throughout the discussion. I don't think she is doing this because she is ego-driven or wants a reason to attack skaters she doesn't support. She, and others like her, are reading this through the lens of sexual abuse, the willful refusal to take victims seriously, and the recent exposure of the prevalence of sexual abuse. I personally think it is premature to characterize Coughlin as an "abuser," but I do think we need to take very seriously the fact that there were three allegations of sexual misconduct levied against him, two involving minors. I agree with the sentiment that we should be mindful of the complainants. For me the broader context is thus a society in which sexual misconduct has been show to be far more prevalent than many expected and in which many allegations have been shown to be willfully ignored. Egotism or fandom just doesn't explain the sustained anger, in my opinion.

I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t think that having been a victim of sexual abuse justifies any and all actions, any more than I think that Delilah Sappenfield is justified in all of her actions, simply because someone very dear to her committed suicide. Anyone who composes a list of people who she characterizes as “trash” is advancing an agenda and in her quest to protect the victims, is overlooking the humanity of everyone she placed on that list.

 

[gkelly]

Thread from October about testimony re SafeSport etc. to Congress, including increasing funding

 

[Scrufflet]

When someone you know dies, your first reaction is to say positive things about that person, especially if all your interactions were positive. Unless you live with someone 24/7, you have no idea what demons they are battling, or what impulses they fight everyday or give in to.

After my husband committed suicide, every one told me how wonderful he was, how sweet he was, how gentle he was. That was his public face. They didn’t live with the mental illness, the controlling, the threats etc.

Thank you for your input! Your knowledge really helps put things into perspective for many who have not experienced anything like it. I do get the reaction to say something positive about someone although you know all kinds of negatives. I had a friend who left her husband and he disappeared on to the streets for years and was found dead in a shelter last year. He had plenty of problems he refused to deal with. Luckily she found a good partner who insisted that they have a memorial so that he could be sent off with dignity and respect. So we did. It was a gift to both the husband and to her so she could move on. A truly moving experience. It certainly helped those who were left behind.
I have had 2 uncles who took their own lives. Both were very flawed, abusive men. And yet, people pitched in to pay tribute to the things they liked and offered comfort to those left behind. In the first, my uncle shot himself in the head at home and his daughter found him. She was angry and hysterical at the funeral and my brother wisely sat with her and let her rage. The second uncle did the same thing although he had no family there to find him. Neighbours found him in his shed. Once again, unexpected people pitched in, took his dogs and found a home for them. I am glad that people want to do this; says something about how people want things to be although I know it is really hard for the one knowing the other side. You must ask yourself if it really happened that way at times. I hope you had people around you who accepted and supported what you said!
Right now, I have a friend whose daughter tried to take her life a few months ago. Very deep depression in that family. They got to her in time and she was in hospital for weeks, now deeply involved in therapy and putting her life back together. We were close to this young woman, met her when she was a day old and were prepared to dote on her and love her unconditionally. She pushed us away years ago, has done the same with almost all of our community and her mother seems to find it difficult to accept support. Sad! I see a score of people wanting to help but cut off. So we all respect and back off and wait for one of them to show they want our involvement.
Long bit but this situation has triggered so much for so many, hasn't it?
I'm hoping for a whole lot of kindness and compassion from everyone this weekend. Everyone needs it.

 

[nlloyd]

I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t think that having been a victim of sexual abuse justifies any and all actions, any more than I think that Delilah Sappenfield is justified in all of her actions, simply because someone very dear to her committed suicide. Anyone who composes a list of people who she characterizes as “trash” is advancing an agenda and in her quest to protect the victims, is overlooking the humanity of everyone she placed on that list.

I agree. I am not arguing that the behavior was justified. I am arguing about the motivation of the person who created the list and those who retweeted it. I personally think that the argument that it was created by a fan to discredit skaters they did not like or that it was primarily ego-driven does not explain the motivation. It does not match what I have read on social media. That does not mean I condone the list, those who created it, or those who distributed it, or that I am seeking to exonerate them on the ground of being survivors sexual abuse or friends/family.

I think it is important to understand the motivation because I think it points to a desperation of individuals in the abuse community to see change. In my opinion, it is why it is important to have the discussion we are having in this thread. I believe most of us are hoping to find better ways to simultaneously respect the complainants, protect the athletes working with the accused, and protect the rights of the accused.

 

[Tavi]

I agree. I am not arguing that the behavior was justified. I am arguing about the motivation of the person who created the list and those who retweeted it. I personally think that the argument that it was created by a fan to discredit skaters they did not like or that it was primarily ego-driven does not explain the motivation. It does not match what I have read on social media. That does not mean I condone the list, those who created it, or those who distributed it, or that I am seeking to exonerate them on the ground of being survivors sexual abuse or friends/family.

I think it is important to understand the motivation because I think it points to a desperation of individuals in the abuse community to see change. In my opinion, it is why it is important to have the discussion we are having in this thread. I believe most of us are hoping to find better ways to simultaneously respect the complainants, protect the athletes working with the accused, and protect the rights of the accused.

Point taken.

 

[2sk8]

When do social media attacks, ever, in any situation, ever help anyone?

So true - and this is a very obvious example.

 

[sam-skwantch]

The problem is that each state will have it's own requirements for reporting, and so the matter has to be dealt with on a case by case basis depending on the laws of the jurisdiction in question.

This is from a separate news report on Safe Sport but contains this quote from a spokesperson at Safe Sport.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Center for SafeSport said the organization does not comment on active matters, but said in cases involving abuse of minors, the organization always reports the matter to law enforcement.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/top-coach-suspended-decades-us-figure-skating-dismissed/story?id=53637051


According to this report Safe Sport reports all cases involving abuse of minors to police. At least at the time of this report.

 

[centerpt1]

To me, the John element of this discussion is over. He made it over. I am not invested in finding out what he did or didn't do. Most suicides in adults are multifactorial, and involve some component of illness- depression, bipolar disorders, substance abuse, chronic pain, and other chronic illnesses. There can be a trigger, or an opportunity/method that presents itself suddenly (one reason guns and other methods must be removed from the home as part of a safety plan ). The point is- the media, social and legit, did not cause the suicide. The victims did not cause the suicide. Safe sport did not cause the suicide.

There are many things I am concerned about: Will the victims be supported and protected from backlash? Did the skating culture in Pairs skating create an environment that was unsafe? How will the skating community go forward to do better? How will Safe sport address the questions about what is fair and appropriate to all the parties involved? I hope the discussion continues.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I have long wished that US Figure Skating had a broader scope but as a non-profit, US Figure Skating is required to stick to its mission, and providing transition assistance to athletes once they are done with the sport is not within their mission.

The Vision and Mission of Pacific Northwest Ballet is:

Vision
Enriching lives in the Pacific Northwest, considered a national treasure and acclaimed worldwide, PNB epitomizes excellence in the performing arts.

Mission

• Set new standards for artistic excellence, innovation and creativity.
• Attract the most talented dancers, choreographers, musicians, collaborative artists, staff and volunteers.
• Educate and develop dance artists as well as enthusiasts.
• Captivate a devoted, supportive, continually growing, and diverse audience.
• Strengthen our financial and organizational foundation.

Despite no explicit mission to address the transition from dance, one major PNB program, Second Stage, which attempts to address just that, is a joint program between the company, the dancers (who donate one performance's salary annually), and the public. This program has been in place since the '90's and includes students in the Professional Division, who, like college athletes, are one career-ending injury before their professional careers have started.

While there aren't enough of these programs in ballet companies, PNB's is not the only one, and it's not the only one not explicitly addressed in the Mission's bullet points.

 

[puglover]

I am not trying to muddy the water any further by talking about a totally unrelated and essentially different situation but I think it does illustrate what can happen to those who come forward. In 2013 a female reporter for a little known show on country music television wrote an article about a "bad date" she had with an unnamed, male, famous, well-respected radio host and Canadian personality. She did state she did it to warn other women but it went viral (not what she expected) and people quickly seemed to realize that the unnamed personality was Jian G. the very popular host of CBC's show "Q". Some people in skating may remember a youtube post of him (in his late 40's and kind of creepy) talking to Tessa Virtue at a function and asking to get together with her - with Patrick making a face in the background

Sadly, writing this article came very close to totally ruining this woman's life. She speaks of an ocean of horrible posts directed at her calling her bitch, slut, opportunity whore, trying to ruin a good man's name, hoping for the end of her career, love life, life life. A video calling her a scumbag and calling for her to commit suicide was seen 545,000 times. One person even said God invented menstrual pain for a bitch like you. Friends turned on her and sent messages like "not cool, I love that guy". She lost jobs, turned to alcohol and anxiety pills. Although she was somewhat vindicated which I won't go into, as it is not relevant, I just feel such a sense of dread for how polarizing this has become and how easy hysteria can overcome common sense.

 

[sam-skwantch]

To me, the John element of this discussion is over. He made it over. I am not invested in finding out what he did or didn't do. Most suicides in adults are multifactorial, and involve some component of illness- depression, bipolar disorders, substance abuse, chronic pain, and other chronic illnesses. There can be a trigger, or an opportunity/method that presents itself suddenly (one reason guns and other methods must be removed from the home as part of a safety plan ). The point is- the media, social and legit, did not cause the suicide. The victims did not cause the suicide. Safe sport did not cause the suicide.

There are many things I am concerned about: Will the victims be supported and protected from backlash? Did the skating culture in Pairs skating create an environment that was unsafe? How will the skating community go forward to do better? How will Safe sport address the questions about what is fair and appropriate to all the parties involved? I hope the discussion continues.

I completely agree with almost all of your post but I think it’s a dangerous precedent to set that if an accused commits suicide that the details, extent, and nature of their accusations go unreported. In a way this creates an incentive for those accused to take this tragic route if it hides the truth. I also think it can be seen as yet another assault on the victim.

If Safe Sport doesn’t complete their investigation (for better or for worse) then I’d argue that it is a pretty poor reflection on them. I believe it is ok to say they can be better and need to improve their procedures. We NEED them to do this job!! We also need to protect ALL involved in their investigations and see every action taken within reason to promote an honest and successful completion of that process.

 

[mollymgr]

Figures... USFSA showing only one side of the story.
https://twitter.com/USFigureSkating/status/1087773951609262080
https://twitter.com/USFigureSkating/status/1087773952418738176

 

[sam-skwantch]

Figures... USFSA showing only one side of the story.
https://twitter.com/USFigureSkating/status/1087773951609262080
https://twitter.com/USFigureSkating/status/1087773952418738176

Hmm...I’m not seeing anything to roll eyes at here. They took the notification down and seemed to say their thoughts and prayers are with John’s family regarding his passing.

I’d imagine USFSA has been asked by Safe Sport and Law Enforcement not to comment on the investigation itself so they probably won’t make posts about anyone involved with it.

Are you saying they should tie the announcements and their condolences of John’s death and their thoughts regarding the victims in the same post? I kind of think those things aren’t related. YMMV.

 

[BittyBug]

Despite no explicit mission to address the transition from dance, one major PNB program, Second Stage, which attempts to address just that, is a joint program between the company, the dancers (who donate one performance's salary annually), and the public. This program has been in place since the '90's and includes students in the Professional Division, who, like college athletes, are one career-ending injury before their professional careers have started.

While there aren't enough of these programs in ballet companies, PNB's is not the only one, and it's not the only one not explicitly addressed in the Mission's bullet points.

Ok. Since U.S. Figure Skating is a member organization, and very little happens without the initiative of member committees, maybe you and/or others will take this idea forward to drive change. Policy is largely driven by member committees, not HQ, so maybe now will be the time that members organize to take action.

 

[Frau Muller]

Figures... USFSA showing only one side of the story.
https://twitter.com/USFigureSkating/status/1087773951609262080
https://twitter.com/USFigureSkating/status/1087773952418738176

How convenient. I hope that, at the very least, safeSport continue a general investigation into the alleged widespread culture of sexual abuse, intimidation, bullying, alcohol/drug abuse related to sexual intimidation, etc. in US figure skating, including crap that goes on in hotels during events. John may be gone but those who observed and didn’t report on different cases are still around as rink managers, coaches, choreographers, skating partners, parents of skaters, p.r. agents, etc.

 

[skatfan]

Hmm...I’m not seeing anything to roll eyes at here. They took the notification down and seemed to say their thoughts and prayers are with John’s family regarding his passing.

I’d imagine USFSA has been asked by Safe Sport and Law Enforcement not to comment on the investigation itself so they probably won’t make posts about anyone involved with it.

Are you saying they should tie the announcements and their condolences of John’s death and their thoughts regarding the victims in the same post? I kind of think those things aren’t related. YMMV.

This is a pretty calm set of statements. It does not whitewash anything, and I'd imagine at this point, US Figure Skating is trying to walk a difficult line.

 

[mollymgr]

Hmm...I’m not seeing anything to roll eyes at here. They took the notification down and seemed to say their thoughts and prayers are with John’s family regarding his passing.

I’d imagine USFSA has been asked by Safe Sport and Law Enforcement not to comment on the investigation itself so they probably won’t make posts about anyone involved with it.

Are you saying they should tie the announcements and their condolences of John’s death and their thoughts regarding the victims in the same post? I kind of think those things aren’t related. YMMV.

Yeah, it is a flawed way of communicating. This leads people to believe that the charges were false. Safesport removed it because John is dead and there is no threat, not because the investigation is complete. This is not a sign of a transparent organization that cares about people. Just pretends to do so by ending with condolences. Hence the eye roll.

ETA:As the Center continues to have exclusive authority in this matter, U.S. Figure Skating promptly followed the Center’s action and
AKA trying to wash their hands off this as quickly as possible and holding SafeSport responsible for all of this.

 

[el henry]

I completely agree with almost all of your post but I think it’s a dangerous precedent to set that if an accused commits suicide that the details, extent, and nature of their accusations go unreported. In a way this creates an incentive for those accused to take this tragic route if it hides the truth. I also think it can be seen as yet another assault on the victim.

If Safe Sport doesn’t complete their investigation (for better or for worse) then I’d argue that it is a pretty poor reflection on them. I believe it is ok to say they can be better and need to improve their procedures. We NEED them to do this job!! We also need to protect ALL involved in their investigations and see every action taken within reason to promote an honest and successful completion of that process.

Sam, I hear what you are saying, but this trivializes the pain of suicide for survivors *so* much.

Darn it, you can't commit suicide to escape shame. No, no, no we'll shame you anyway! Really? With all the anger that suicide survivors already feel to their loved ones? No, just no.

John Coughlin is beyond the jurisdiction of the USFS, Safe Sport and any secular law enforcement authority. Should any of the allegations be true, we do not NEED those entities to pursue this because 1) there is no one to punish and 2) there is no chance of re-offense.

No law enforcement agency that I know of would continue an investigation with the death of the primary suspect and Safe Sport IMHO should not be held to any higher standards.

 

[babayaga]

How convenient. I hope that, at the very least, safeSport continue a general investigation into the alleged widespread culture of sexual abuse, intimidation, bullying, alcohol/drug abuse related to sexual intimidation, etc. in US figure skating, including crap that goes on in hotels during events. John may be gone but those who observed and didn’t report on different cases are still around as rink managers, coaches, choreographers, skating partners, parents of skaters, p.r. agents, etc.

What goes on in hotels during events??

 

[overedge]

@el henry I understand what you are saying. But IMO there should be an investigation of the systems, or the failures in the systems more exactly, that multiple alleged incidents occurred across time without any complaints being filed or any intervention to stop future recurrences.

I also share @mollymgr 's concerns about how this looks from the outside, i.e. that someone was accused of abuse and the organization is refusing to investigate it. I don't think "out of respect" or words to that effect explain the decision well enough. And ending the sentence with "condolences to the family" or similar words really sounds like they are siding with the family's side of the story, even if that's not what they are doing.

 

[sam-skwantch]

[

Yeah, it is a flawed way of communicating. This leads people to believe that the charges were false. Safesport removed it because John is dead and there is no threat, not because the investigation is complete. This is not a sign of a transparent organization that cares about people. Just pretends to do so by ending with condolences. Hence the eye roll.

I guess we see what we see. To me they decided to remove the notification and were offering up the reasoning because I suspect if they just removed it without a formal statement of some sort people would begin to speculate. Here they are saying that it is because the investigating body has taken similar action.

I guess people are free to read beyond the lines and assume that “this must mean the investigation is over” or “this means John is innocent” but that’s just speculation. To be frank...I’m not sure people who function this way needed a reply to reach those conclusions.

 

[Prancer]

And what about all the anguish and probably suicides that come from abuse? When the number abused people who are not believed, harassed, re victimized etc drastically falls to even twice the number of false accusations the cause more than discomfort and inconvenience I will start to worry about false accusations.

I don't see how accepting false accusations helps abuse victims.

If 99 out of 100 accusations are true and one out of 100 are false, it does not make an accused person 99% guilty or even 99% likely to be guilty.

It's one thing to address a systemic problem, IMO, but another to say that you have no concerns for the unjustly accused because they represent such a small statistical sample that who cares?

The list means you are an evil monster.

None of that innocent until proven guilty or shades of gray nonsense for you, eh?

 

[babayaga]

To me, the John element of this discussion is over. He made it over. I am not invested in finding out what he did or didn't do. Most suicides in adults are multifactorial, and involve some component of illness- depression, bipolar disorders, substance abuse, chronic pain, and other chronic illnesses. There can be a trigger, or an opportunity/method that presents itself suddenly (one reason guns and other methods must be removed from the home as part of a safety plan ). The point is- the media, social and legit, did not cause the suicide. The victims did not cause the suicide. Safe sport did not cause the suicide.

There are many things I am concerned about: Will the victims be supported and protected from backlash? Did the skating culture in Pairs skating create an environment that was unsafe? How will the skating community go forward to do better? How will Safe sport address the questions about what is fair and appropriate to all the parties involved? I hope the discussion continues.

I actually would like to know whether Coughlin was guilty or not. I know we are likely to never find out, but I would like to know for sure before asking a question like "Did the skating culture in Pairs skating create an environment that was unsafe".

I've been reading the posts in both Coughlin's threads for a while and it seems that many believe he was guilty because there is some kind of general agreement that there is toxic culture in figure skating community. Is this true? Is this something everybody who has close ties to FS in the US knows, but nobody says anything? Is it really true that young boys and girls are harassed pretty commonly by coaches, partners, and officials?

 

[kwanfan1818]

Minor is not, by definition, age of consent, unless the age of consent in a jurisdiction is 18, and there can be other moving parts to consent.

While SafeSport may unilaterally notify law enforcement whenever minors are involved, it can end there if the behavior is legal in that jurisdiction.

If SafeSport has other, administrative standards, they can pursue them, but not through law enforcement.

 

[mag]

It's one thing to address a systemic problem, IMO, but another to say that you have no concerns for the unjustly accused because they represent such a small statistical sample that who cares?

I think the level of concern should at least be within a reasonable margin of the level of risk. The chances of someone being falsely accused and having the accusation ruin their life (which is something that seems to be brought up over and over every time someone is accused of sexual abuse or misconduct) are infinitesimal compared to the number of abuse cases that ruin people’s lives that go unreported, unbelieved, and or unpunished. Of the small percentage of false accusations most fall into a few very specific categories and are cleared up long before a life is ruined - and this is especially the case when the accused is a well loved white male. Heck, even those found guilty are often let off with a slap on the wrist.

The only cases I have been able to find where a man’s life has been ruined by false accusations are when black men have been accused by white women. I am fairly sure there is another dynamic at play there.

 

[Tinami Amori]

What goes on in hotels during events??

Nothing different than what is simulated on the ice and in practices... i am sure... It must be tough to determine what is "inappropriate touching" lately..

https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/b84ba6163a7df3b5d1dfec67d6267280?width=650
http://cdn-www.cracked.com/articleimages/brockway/342470348_o.jpg?nc=583
https://cdn.acidcow.com/pics/20140217/odd_figure_skating_fails_that_are_semisexy_01.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/AHuLPBo.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/CXCA2Tj.jpg
https://bilder.bild.de/fotos-skaliert/oksana-domnina-11321172-7139922/3,w=993,q=high,c=0.bild.jpg
http://dwjx78790mroz.cloudfront.net...figure_skating_fails_that_are_semisexy_06.jpg
https://img.memecdn.com/Some-parts-are-sensitive_o_24099.jpg
https://im.indiatimes.in/photogallery/2013/Nov/1352514_1419915531.jpg
https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/2010/02/07/5/301/3019466/8a9339c43c44793b_96800698.jpg

 

[sam-skwantch]

Sam, I hear what you are saying, but this trivializes the pain of suicide for survivors *so* much.

Darn it, you can't commit suicide to escape shame. No, no, no we'll shame you anyway! Really? With all the anger that suicide survivors already feel to their loved ones? No, just no.

John Coughlin is beyond the jurisdiction of the USFS, Safe Sport and any secular law enforcement authority. Should any of the allegations be true, we do not NEED those entities to pursue this because 1) there is no one to punish and 2) there is no chance of re-offense.

No law enforcement agency that I know of would continue an investigation with the death of the primary suspect and Safe Sport IMHO should not be held to any higher standards.

I get you too and while I have compassion for his friends and family my concern is far greater than that. I have zero interest in shaming anyone BTW. This to me is about our sport and not John anymore.

There have been heavy accusations made and suggestions that this was a cultural thing that people within USFSA should have prevented. I’m not saying I agree with that or that it is true or not but it needs to be examined. This case may shed light on that. There are even some folks suggesting that members within the judging and skating community plan to exact revenge on the accuser(s). That is a VERY serious charge to make publicly.

In order to prevent future accusations/incidents we absolutley need to know what is true and what is speculation to the best degree we can and most importantly what steps can be taken to lessen the probability of something similar occurring. The way it stands we don’t even really know what we’re looking for because we don’t know the nature of what he was accused of.

I hope that Safe Sport is able to assist USFSA in this process and is bringing to light anything relevant that the organization needs to address. I hope it isn’t just done in private either but I also respect that it may take time.

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

Is it really true that young boys and girls are harassed pretty commonly by coaches, partners, and officials?

Not in my experience, no. It's rare enough that when we hear something, it's shocking. That doesn't mean that others' experiences are the same as mine, of course.

 

[el henry]

@el henry I understand what you are saying. But IMO there should be an investigation of the systems, or the failures in the systems more exactly, that multiple alleged incidents occurred across time without any complaints being filed or any intervention to stop future recurrences.

I also share @mollymgr 's concerns about how this looks from the outside, i.e. that someone was accused of abuse and the organization is refusing to investigate it. I don't think "out of respect" or words to that effect explain the decision well enough. And ending the sentence with "condolences to the family" or similar words really sounds like they are siding with the family's side of the story, even if that's not what they are doing.

I agree that any failures of the system (did mandatory reporters report? Did others observe misconduct at the rink? Were the proper procedures followed?) could be investigated, and should be if they occurred.

But that is not the investigation involving John per se. So it should be labeled “investigation of XYZ skating club”, or whatever.

I might use the example of murder suicides. The family of the murder victim is grieving. The family of the murder victim may want “justice” or “closure” whatever that means to them. (Not trying to belittle it, just saying it has different meanings). But the state will not prosecute the person who committed suicide and is not going to leave that investigation open.

The wording of the announcement is another issue and not the best, I agree.