Richard Callaghan banned by the Center for SafeSport

[platniumangel]

Likewise when others speak up and say they were abused, maybe Todd didn't know whether they were or not, yet he did make that determination in a public statement.

The statement he made was a long time ago. Who knows if he’s changed his mind since then. I don’t see why people are attacking an innocent party.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Was it really? Even nowadays, corporal punishment at school is still legal in 18 US states. So a coach can’t hit a child at the skating rink, but it is ok the hit the child at school?

I still shudder when I think of the time my sixth grade teacher hit two boys over their outstretched palms with a leather strap in front of the class, for putting chewing gum in each other's hair.

Afterwards, one of the other students asked me why I had tears in my eyes. Not only was it distressing to watch, I lost all respect for a teacher I had previously admired. I believe he would have been ashamed of himself as well, if he had known that, too.

 

[Vagabond]

Oh, really? Thank you for telling me, because without you I wouldn’t have noticed.

I don't know whether you are intentionally obtuse or just plain ignorant, but I have a distinct feeling that spending several years living in the United States would do you a world of good.

There is no plenary right anywhere in the United States for adults to abuse minors, though there are statutes in some states permitting corporal punishment by parents, legal guardians, and teachers. There are no such statutes allowing private sports coaches to beat a child.

Also, tenured public school teachers have constitutional, statutory, and union job protections that a private skating coach, who is an at-will employee, does not have. That is not to say that an abusive teacher cannot be fired, it's just tat it takes more to do so than it takes to fire an abusive skating coach.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

The statement he made was a long time ago. Who knows if he’s changed his mind since then. I don’t see why people are attacking an innocent party.

My post was regarding a public statement he made, so I don't see how it is interpreted as an attack on an innocent party when TE chose to put forth the opinion in the national news. If he has a different opinion now in light of recent developments, he can always update it if he wants. And people like me will comment on his public remarks if we want to when we read them.

 

[Japanfan]

Then how do you know how assault was dealt with 20-30 years ago in skating lessons?

For what it's worth, I was a child more than 30 years ago, I wasn't middle class, and I don't remember a lot of adults assaulting kids or other adults considering such behavior acceptable.

I do think things have changed in terms of emotional and mental abuse--somewhat.

My sister, born in 1948, and a teacher go nuts on her. The teacher basically lost it and hit her. So that would have been in the 50s. I can't imagine that our mom would have let that slide and I'm sure she made a fuss out it. But I do not recall the outcome.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Adam Schmidt speaks about allegations of sexual abuse by U.S. figure skating coach Richard Callaghan

A longtime U.S. figure skating coach accused of sexual abuse was banned for life last week by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, a watchdog for U.S. Olympic sports organizations.

www.clickondetroit.com

Maurizi was removed as assistant coach, which sent a clear message to the children under Callaghan's rule.

"We were basically told he had done something awful and done something very horrible against Mr. Callaghan," Schmidt said. "I better not do anything against Mr. Callaghan in any way because that could potentially happen to me."

Schmidt said he's glad Callaghan is banned from the sport but hopes the walls of silence in the skating world will come crashing down

"We need to move past Mr. Callaghan, and we need to move into the corrupt organization of U.S. Figure Skating who allowed this culture of abuse to go, as I said previously, unchecked for too long."

 

[hanca]

I don't know whether you are intentionally obtuse or just plain ignorant, but I have a distinct feeling that spending several years living in the United States would do you a world of good.

There is no plenary right anywhere in the United States for adults to abuse minors, though there are statutes in some states permitting corporal punishment by parents, legal guardians, and teachers. There are no such statutes allowing private sports coaches to beat a child.

Also, tenured public school teachers have constitutional, statutory, and union job protections that a private skating coach, who is an at-will employee, does not have. That is not to say that an abusive teacher cannot be fired, it's just tat it takes more to do so than it takes to fire an abusive skating coach.

I don’t know if you are being intentionally obtuse or ignorant. Probably a bit of both.
I never claimed that an adult has a right to abuse minors. My point was, it would be quite hard to have someone prosecuted if whatever he was doing was not illegal in that state. It was wrong, clearly, but if it happened in one of the states where it was not illegal, I don’t think there would be much anyone can do about it.

 

[Simone411]

My post was regarding a public statement he made, so I don't see how it is interpreted as an attack on an innocent party when TE chose to put forth the opinion in the national news. If he has a different opinion now in light of recent developments, he can always update it if he wants. And people like me will comment on his public remarks if we want to when we read them.

Touche, and anything posted here is considered public remarks including what I post. Therefore, anyone that's a member can comment on public remarks made here. You're also correct in saying that Todd can always update if he has a different opinion. If he chooses to do so, he has that right to comment or not to comment. Todd is an innocent party, and it's his right whether he wishes to comment or not.

That's just like me making this post, and anyone can respond or comment to what I have posted. We know that comments will be discussed if we decide to post and make public remarks. That's how we communicate with each other. And when I hit the post reply button, this will become a public remark.

 

[Vagabond]

I don’t know if you are being intentionally obtuse or ignorant. Probably a bit of both.
I never claimed that an adult has a right to abuse minors.{My point was, it would be quite hard to have someone prosecuted if whatever he was doing was not illegal in that state. It was wrong, clearly, but if it happened in one of the states where it was not illegal, I don’t think there would be much anyone can do about it.

Here is Artistic Skaters' post.

Just for clarification, 20-30 years ago at the rinks where I lived, hitting a minor with a foreign object was considered child abuse and investigated. Managers at municipal rinks had to report it when they or rink employees witnessed it or parents witnessed it and complained. I have direct knowledge of at least two incidents with skating parents resulting in court appearances. I don't know where you lived during this time, but it was certainly not considered "normal discipline" in many areas.

You included the first sentence when you replied with this.

Was it really? Even nowadays, corporal punishment at school is still legal in 18 US states. So a coach can’t hit a child at the skating rink, but it is ok the hit the child at school?

While @Artistic Skaters may have something else in mind, I do believe that you have misunderstood the post and assumed that it referred to a criminal investigation. Among other types of investigation that could have been meant were (1) a private investigation by the rink to determine whether to allow the coach to continue to work at or have access to the rink, (2) an investigation by the local child protective services, or possibly (3) an investigation by the USFSA or some other organization.

I have no idea in which state Artistic Skaters was living back in the 1990's or what the law was like in Colorado and New York at the time. I do know, however, that if someone today reported recent child abuse to the pertinent local child protective agency in California, that agency would be obligated to investigate and, unless the allegations were outright disproved, would be obliged to list the subject of the investigation on a central index that would be available to authorized people doing deep background checks (e.g., law personnel, certain school administrators and administrators of adoption agencies). I don't know, however, whether that would include rink owners or skating officials.

 

[kwanfan1818]

My point was, it would be quite hard to have someone prosecuted if whatever he was doing was not illegal in that state.

And, as Artistic Skaters pointed out, the statutes allowing corporal punishment apply to teachers, parents, and legal guardians, not to coaches, so it would have been possible to pursue criminal action as well as civil action and procedural action(s) when a coach physically abuses a skater.

The reasons for not doing so intersect the reasons sexual abuse victims stay quiet, including not wanting to become a whistleblowing pariah and loving the sport, but there are far fewer parents who can be convinced that sexual abuse is an acceptable coaching technique, while many parents still dismiss physical discipline in sports as acceptable -- ie, the coach must know what they are doing -- a positive thing. Getting your parents to back a criminal complaint, especially as a minor, is generally critical: the father of one Nasser survivor, whose mother and father were friends and neighbors of the Nassers, threatened to disown her if she didn't apologize to Nasser to his face for falsely accusing him, because the father was too fragile to accept the truth (and it was all about him). Without that, a minor is flying solo.

If your parents think it's fine, or don't want there to be trouble, or think it's all for naught, or don't have resources (financial or psychological) or, alternately, if the athlete thinks they are the only one and/or no one will believe them, or there is peer pressure to STFU, or they feel guilty about their family's investment in them, or if they fear their parents will yank them out of a sport if they tell their parents, athletes (and dancers and musicians and scientists, etc.), will suck it up unless their perception of the abuse > wanting the sport.

That is why it's the responsibility of the alleged adults in the room, to do something, and why there are mandatory reports, who should be sanctioned when they put other interests over that responsibility.

 

[Winnipeg]

I had a teacher in Grade 8 who used to get frustrated with the class in general or at an individual and then he would simply throw something usually a book.

 

[skatesindreams]

When my mother was still teaching, she was asked to "witness" corporal punishment in her public school.
Afterward, she said, "never again"; saying that the man who delivered it, enjoyed and took pleasure in the blows given with his paddle!

 

[Artistic Skaters]

And, as Artistic Skaters pointed out, the statutes allowing corporal punishment apply to teachers, parents, and legal guardians, not to coaches, so it would have been possible to pursue criminal action as well as civil action and procedural action(s) when a coach physically abuses a skater.

The law would have also applied to a coach, another such person of authority, or really any adult. I was giving examples so there wouldn't be anymore back and forth about it. (i.e. "So the teacher can't hit the student with a brush but it's alright for the parents to give him the belt at home?" ) The rinks reported such incidents to social services and in some cases the park police.

 

[canbelto]

Very often abusers have a star student who isn’t abused and can be used to attract more victims. Todd was a star student and Callaghan may have treated him differently knowing that many parents would want their child coached by Todd’s coach. Same with Tara Lipinski.

ETA: Larry Nassar did the same with Nastia and Shawn. It just seems that over time he got more and more reckless and hungry and started going after the stars like Simone and Aly.

 

[AxelAnnie]

My sister, born in 1948, and a teacher go nuts on her. The teacher basically lost it and hit her. So that would have been in the 50s. I can't imagine that our mom would have let that slide and I'm sure she made a fuss out it. But I do not recall the outcome.

My mother would have let it slide. In Catholic School the nun used to rap on people all the time with her ruler. Made a lot of noise.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Touche, and anything posted here is considered public remarks including what I post. Therefore, anyone that's a member can comment on public remarks made here.

I'm not sure what "Touche" has to do with it, but I'll clarify my disagreement with platniumangel's post and then leave it at that. When people speak to the press, there are a number of ways they phrase their comments. Here are a couple I regularly read:

#1 - "I have know Coach X for twenty years and have always found him to be a great and hardworking coach as well as completely professional with all the skaters, so I really can't imagine him doing such things."
#2 - "Anyone who complains about Coach X is a loser, only wants money, attention, or job offers etc., has a pathetic career or is just plain jealous of his outstanding success."

I prefer method #1, because the individual speaks about his own direct experience with the coach. When I see method #2, it looks like it's done to deflect away from the coach and blame others. I recognize there will be instances with made up allegations, but it contributes only to a small percentage, particularly when there are so many speaking up and providing similar scenarios. So I often comment when method #2 is used. It's not an unreasonable POV and it is not an "attack" on TE, but an analysis of what was said by a reader interested in details, root causes and solutions, not misdirection.

If a poster quotes my comment I do take issue with it when I'm included in some vaguely defined attack group, since this is sometimes used in an effort to minimize discussion of the abuse issues or dismiss credibility. The "unfair" comments in this thread against the "innocent party" seem to be along the lines of TE in the closet, what he did or did not do privately with RC, etc. I certainly did not make any of those comments and there are none in my posting history because I don't discuss serious issues that way. The posts with the unsubstantiated rumors can easily be selected and questioned directly rather than make one of mine the umbrella for all of them.

 

[Simone411]

@Artistic Skaters, I won't comment on the rest of your post since that was directed or addressed to @platniumangel to clarify your disagreement in what was stated.

What I will comment about, however, is the fact that you only quoted part of what I posted. Therefore, the whole meaning of what I posted wasn't presented in full context. It wasn't anything that hard to understand nor was I trying to be sarcastic in any way.

If you're uncertain about what I meant or you don't understand, then by all means, you're more than welcome to go back and read it in full context.

 

[giselle23]

Was it really? Even nowadays, corporal punishment at school is still legal in 18 US states. So a coach can’t hit a child at the skating rink, but it is ok the hit the child at school?

That's right--a coach can't hit a child. It's battery. Child abuse statutes may apply, too.

 

[meggonzo]

I'm not sure what "Touche" has to do with it, but I'll clarify my disagreement with platniumangel's post and then leave it at that. When people speak to the press, there are a number of ways they phrase their comments. Here are a couple I regularly read:

#1 - "I have know Coach X for twenty years and have always found him to be a great and hardworking coach as well as completely professional with all the skaters, so I really can't imagine him doing such things."
#2 - "Anyone who complains about Coach X is a loser, only wants money, attention, or job offers etc., has a pathetic career or is just plain jealous of his outstanding success."

I prefer method #1, because the individual speaks about his own direct experience with the coach. When I see method #2, it looks like it's done to deflect away from the coach and blame others. I recognize there will be instances with made up allegations, but it contributes only to a small percentage, particularly when there are so many speaking up and providing similar scenarios. So I often comment when method #2 is used. It's not an unreasonable POV and it is not an "attack" on TE, but an analysis of what was said by a reader interested in details, root causes and solutions, not misdirection.

If a poster quotes my comment I do take issue with it when I'm included in some vaguely defined attack group, since this is sometimes used in an effort to minimize discussion of the abuse issues or dismiss credibility. The "unfair" comments in this thread against the "innocent party" seem to be along the lines of TE in the closet, what he did or did not do privately with RC, etc. I certainly did not make any of those comments and there are none in my posting history because I don't discuss serious issues that way. The posts with the unsubstantiated rumors can easily be selected and questioned directly rather than make one of mine the umbrella for all of them.

I don't think response #1 is great either. Just because the individual didn't have that experience with the coach certainly doesn't mean that others could not. It's also one of the ways that Dalilah Sappenfield defended John Coughlin.

 

[scooter]

There is a Russian coach at our rink who trains with a hard guard in his hand. He has been banned by USFS, but is still allowed to teach at our rink. The owner is all about $ so he lets him continue to train there. His wife and training partner is the official coach. It amazes me that the parents will tolerate it.

Emotional abuse is still pretty terrible. I was at the competition at Moran las weekend. There was a coach berating a kid of about 11-12 that she "Hadnt spent all that time training you to have you come here and shit your pants at this competition". I turned to my husband and within earshot said "That would be a firing offence for me. Right here at the completion. Out".

 

[Winnipeg]

I recall Grade 1 I went to a Catholic school. The nuns used the ruler on the hands all the time...........

 

[overedge]

I don't think response #1 is great either. Just because the individual didn't have that experience with the coach certainly doesn't mean that others could not. It's also one of the ways that Dalilah Sappenfield defended John Coughlin.

Response #1 would be better if it was just "I have known Coach X for twenty years and have always found him to be a great and hardworking coach". As soon as a response gets into "completely professional with all the skaters" and/or "I can't imagine him doing such things" it starts to cast shade on the credibility of anyone who didn't have positive experiences. Describing one's own experiences objectively is fine, and someone can be a hardworking coach and still be an abuser.

 

[MacMadame]

Response #1 would be better if it was just "I have known Coach X for twenty years and have always found him to be a great and hardworking coach". As soon as a response gets into "completely professional with all the skaters" and/or "I can't imagine him doing such things" it starts to cast shade on the credibility of anyone who didn't have positive experiences. Describing one's own experiences objectively is fine, and someone can be a hardworking coach and still be an abuser.

I would even say the speaker should add "I can't speak to other people's experiences which very well may be different from mine" to both make it clear they are only commenting on their own experiences and they are open to other people having different experiences.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

That would be the optimal response MacMadame. "No comment" would be a good choice too.

 

[Artistic Skaters]

If you're uncertain about what I meant or you don't understand, then by all means, you're more than welcome to go back and read it in full context.

I read it in context previously. Thanks.

 

[Simone411]

You're welcome.

 

[The Observer]

Now USFS has some explaining to do, as to why it turned a blind eye to his behaviour for so long, and possibly put other skaters at risk by doing so.

I assume what happened in the sports world happened for the same reasons it happened in Hollywood and in politics.

Women, children (and some men) were afraid to speak out because until recent years, abuse survivors weren't believed, those in power were predominantly men, and the culture of the times was different.

It's only been in the last few years that large numbers of actresses have started to talk about being sexually harassed in Hollywood and that women in politics have started to speak out against politicians who have sexually harassed them.

And in athletics it can happen to both boys & girls. Eg. boys were the victims in the Jerry Sandusky football sexual assault trials a few years ago.