Keeping Track of Criminal Cases & SafeSport Suspensions in Skating

[Cant Skate]

Posted on Saltwire...you have to sign up as a registered user for a 30 day free trial in order to read the full article, but this is the gist:

Court rejects N.L. figure skating coach's application to dismiss some of his sexual violence charges. It's defence's turn to call evidence when Matthew Power's trial resumes in June now that the court has rejected his application to have some of the charges dismissed.

 

[Sylvia]

Article via the local AM radio station (VOCM) in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada (May 5):

Trial Continues for Figure Skating Coach Accused of Sex Offences After Defence Fails to Get Snapchat Evidence Thrown Out

The trial for a metro-area figure skating coach accused of sex offences will continue after the defence failed...

vocm.com

The trial for a metro-area figure skating coach accused of sex offences will continue after the defence failed to have some of the charges thrown out last week.
Matthew Power, now 30 years old, faces a total of 10 charges against two girls who were in their early teens and 10 years younger than him when the offences are alleged to have occurred four years ago. [...]
Power remains suspended by the national body pending the outcome of the trial, which is currently on a break and scheduled to resume in late June.

 

[overedge]

Gymnasts for Change (Canada) has restructured itself as Athletes Empowered, and is now advocating against abuse in all sports, at all levels. As part of their mission, they are offering free peer support calls to offer advice to athletes who have been abused. Here's the form to contact them https://www.athletesempowered.ca/peer-support-intake-form

 

[Sylvia]

Centralized Disciplinary Database | U.S. Center for SafeSport

This public database lists adults in the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Movement whose sport participation is restricted based on SafeSport Code violation.

uscenterforsafesport.org

Brendan Kerry

U.S. Figure Skating

Sexual Misconduct - involving a minor; (Subject to appeal / not yet final)

Permanent Ineligibility

No Contact Directive(s)

05/14/2024

U.S. Center for SafeSport

"Safe Sport has finally ruled in the case filed by Gracie Gold and one other named victim. Brendan Kerry is now permanently ineligible (subject to appeal)." https://twitter.com/SkatingLesson/status/1790454277023957379

 

[Rukia]

good

 

[Wyliefan]

So he attacked Gracie AND a minor.

 

[Debbie S]

Good news. I hope this will give Gracie and his other survivor closure.

I assume "permanent ineligibility" applies only to USFS, though? He could still coach in Australia or Europe?

 

[Karen-W]

Good news. I hope this will give Gracie and his other survivor closure.

I assume "permanent ineligibility" applies only to USFS, though? He could still coach in Australia or Europe?

Probably. But he wouldn't be able to receive accreditation for any competition held in the US, right? Like, he couldn't accompany an athlete competing at SkAm or Worlds, etc, I think?

 

[kosjenka]

I am not going to figure skating jail.

 

[Firedancer]

About time

 

[Debbie S]

Probably. But he wouldn't be able to receive accreditation for any competition held in the US, right? Like, he couldn't accompany an athlete competing at SkAm or Worlds, etc, I think?

I guess that's true. But situations like this are why we need some sort of int'l SafeSport.

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Probably. But he wouldn't be able to receive accreditation for any competition held in the US, right? Like, he couldn't accompany an athlete competing at SkAm or Worlds, etc, I think?

Is there any kind of SafeSport reciprocity with other federations? There should be.

 

[Karen-W]

Is there any kind of SafeSport reciprocity with other federations? There should be.

I'm not so sure about that idea. What if some other country decides to "take out" the best coaches, trainers, etc by banning them for fake/alleged "SafeSport" violations against their own skaters?

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

I'm not so sure about that idea. What if some other country decides to "take out" the best coaches, trainers, etc by banning them for fake/alleged "SafeSport" violations against their own skaters?

Interesting point - I suppose an international SafeSport that's independent of the actual federations would be a better idea, but I can see that setting one up would be fraught with so many issues.

 

[Vagabond]

I am confused. There was mention in the other thread about an American. Has Gold said that she was assaulted at two different times by two different men? Or did people incorrectly assume that she waa referring to an American?

 

[MacMadame]

Don't a lot of these organizations have reciprocal arrangements when it comes to banning people?

 

[Karen-W]

I am confused. There was mention in the other thread about an American. Has Gold said that she was assaulted at two different times by two different men?

I thought the Kerry kids had dual citizenship with both the US and Australia???

 

[PRlady]

I am confused. There was mention in the other thread about an American. Has Gold said that she was assaulted at two different times by two different men? Or did people incorrectly assume that she waa referring to an American?

I think she said someone training and or coaching in the U.S.

 

[Willin]

My memory was that she said it was a foreign skater who was somewhat popular that was training in the US at the time of the incident.

There was a lot of speculation, but all were foreign skaters.

 

[tony]

I am confused. There was mention in the other thread about an American. Has Gold said that she was assaulted at two different times by two different men? Or did people incorrectly assume that she waa referring to an American?

Nah, Kerry was the one from the start. As noted, she didn’t mention that it was an American.

 

[IHH0628]

Gosh this is encouraging. I'm going to ask our child to reconsider making a report. Also I love that Gymnasts for change in Canada has a hotline. That is a wonderful idea.

 

[Colonel Green]

Is there any kind of SafeSport reciprocity with other federations? There should be.

Since every country has different setups for this sort of thing with varying degrees of government involvement, it's different from place to place.

When the complaint was filed in the US against Sorensen, for instance, SafeSport said that they had no jurisdiction over Sorensen, but that if he applied to coach in the US in the future they would consider, among other things, any actions taken against him by organizations in other jurisdictions.

 

[Alilou]

Centralized Disciplinary Database | U.S. Center for SafeSport

This public database lists adults in the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Movement whose sport participation is restricted based on SafeSport Code violation.

uscenterforsafesport.org

Brendan Kerry

U.S. Figure Skating

Sexual Misconduct - involving a minor; (Subject to appeal / not yet final)

Permanent Ineligibility

No Contact Directive(s)

05/14/2024

U.S. Center for SafeSport

"Safe Sport has finally ruled in the case filed by Gracie Gold and one other named victim. Brendan Kerry is now permanently ineligible (subject to appeal)." https://twitter.com/SkatingLesson/status/1790454277023957379

Yes! I've known who it was for a while, as have a few of us here I think, and I was so shocked! Anyway I'm so happy to hear this result.

 

[Aussie Willy]

In Australia have our own Member Protection policies and Professionals Association which will be the ones to manage this. Unfortunately I am not in a position to speculate or even comment as this is news to me. Also there would be a process for this here.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

I hope her book helped push this forward and made them take action.

 

[Trillian]

I am confused. There was mention in the other thread about an American. Has Gold said that she was assaulted at two different times by two different men? Or did people incorrectly assume that she waa referring to an American?

I think this is why there was a discussion regarding SafeSport jurisdiction in the other thread. Some people were assuming she had to be talking about an American for that reason, even though she specifically mentioned a different investigation involving an international skater.

Without having any “insider” knowledge at all, Kerry is the only one who ever made sense to me. A lot of people were speculating about the event where the assault occurred, but her descriptions of how they knew each other and other social interactions were much more revealing IMO.

I know this ruling has limited reach and can be appealed, but I hope it’s a step toward keeping other girls safe.

 

[overedge]

So he attacked Gracie AND a minor.

It's never just one, is it?

 

[parkence]

In Australia have our own Member Protection policies and Professionals Association which will be the ones to manage this. Unfortunately I am not in a position to speculate or even comment as this is news to me. Also there would be a process for this here.

Is Monica McDonald still president of the Professionals Association?

 

[Aussie Willy]

Is Monica McDonald still president of the Professionals Association?

Yes.

 

[puglover]

Is the Jamie McGrigor listed there the 70's pair skater, former Director of Development of Skate Canada British Columbia and the ISU technical specialist (who called Pair event at Junior Worlds last month)?

Any further word on this? He, and I believe his wife, were coaching at the Oak Bay Figure Skating Club on Vancouver Island up until fairly recently. She appears to be coaching elsewhere and it seems Jamie retired following his role at Junior Worlds. He coached in Manitoba and was influential at the section level and he was coaching his future wife at the time they left for B.C. I know he has appeared on broadcasts with Ted and they seem to be good friends. He has been entrusted with a lot of responsibility.