The recent suicide of the figure skater who had been suspended by SafeSport got me thinking. I personally know of a situation in our community (not in my state, however) wherein a female trainer appears to be using SafeSport to intimidate male trainers. She recently had an exodus of clients from her barn. Somehow she felt/heard/was told that several clients were interested in going to a male trainer’s program. She told the male trainer that if he accepted those clients she would wage a social media campaign telling everyone he slept with her in the hopes that it would get reported to SafeSport. It is unclear whether he did or not, but clearly, even if he did, it did not rise to abusive if she is just using it for blackmail purposes. He did not accept the clients. This info cam from the male trainer himself. Now the female trainer is bullying one of the former clients on social media.
The point is - it seems that SafeSport - which can be a wonderful tool and weed out the true predators in our sport - can be abused and used against innocent people, especially men. I have a male trainer (different one) who is terrified at the idea that anyone can make up an accusation and he is considered guilty until someone decides he not. Any opinions out there, or is it just me?
Right off the top of my head, I can think of several situations over the years that probably would have fallen under the heading of safe sport violations if such a program had existed at the time. There have been a few high profile people who have spoken up about their own experiences, but no doubt there have been many, many more who have kept quiet for reasons of their own.
I don’t know the solution for the issue of false accusations, either for business or personal reasons. But I do think we need to find an approach that involves going forward to protect participants in the sport. Not backwards.
I’m pretty sure there is an investigation process, it’s not just one person saying something happened and BAM, someone’s suspended or banned forever.
I don’t think some parts of Safesport are perfectly applicable to riding. I’ve done the training and maintain that belief. But I agree with @MHM that any approach needs to be moving forward - not backward to having nothing there to protect people.
This is my concern as well, and not just in SafeSport. An individual, whether male or female, needs to be respected as innocent until proven guilty by a court of law. It is too easy today to ruin someone’s reputation for reasons other than sexual harassment/assault. Now, that is not to say that predators shouldn’t experience the full extent of justice - they absolutely should. But we should make very sure that a person is in fact a predator before exposing them to the court of public opinion.
I am a mother of two, and when it comes to the adults my children spend time with, I err on the side of paranoia. If DH or I could not be present, they usually didn’t take part in extracurricular activities. We have personally known of two sexual predators in groups we were involved in and removed ourselves from the groups asap. I say all this to say that I am not unaware that predatory behavior exists, but believe that there need to be some safeguards for all involved - participants and people who may be falsely accused out of spite/jealousy, etc… I don’t have the answers as to how all of the innocent can be protected in this imperfect world, but I think we should be constantly seeking to do the best we can.
Is the female trainer a minor? Was she at the time? Why would it violate safe sport for one adult trainer to sleep with another?
This seems like a bit of a non-unique problem because a lot of what Safe Sport requires be reported/investigated was ALREADY criminal behavior.
So if the female trainer is/was a minor she could always have threatened to report the male trainer for statutory rape etc. I’m not sure how Safe Sport really makes the situation of “false reporting” any different in that regard.
The problem is how to balance protecting victims, especially minor victims, while also protecting the innocently accused. It is a tough one, and not unique to sports. I am a retired K-12 educator with 50 years of education experience (yes, 50). I have seen innocent children saved from predators, and those predators removed from education and punished. However, I have also seen excellent teachers had their careers destroyed through false accusations. (Yes, some children do lie.).
And in order to protect children, the rule is usually “Suspend first, then investigate”.
There must be a thorough, prompt, unbiased investigation process. And if the accusation is false, the falsely accused must be reinstated, and that reinstatement publicized.
Instead of railing against safe sport maybe the trainer trying to use it as a weapon should be outted. Amazing that you are aware of someone doing this and are seemingly staying silent because it’s not the trainer that’s the problem, it’s Safe Sport.
Statistics show that the number of false claims are low.
First of all, SafeSport is for minors. An adult trying to slander another adult - well, the person being slandered has a host of legal options available to them. A trainer of my acquaintance had to get a cease and desist letter to manage a similar situation, just to give an example. SafeSport doesn’t even enter into this kind of situation.
It’s just a convenient thing to throw out and play on people’s lack of knowledge about how it all works.
This tale, OP, doesn’t have a thing to do with safe sport because they are both adults. The accusations only work if one party is a minor. The USEF acknowledges that parts of the online training are not directly applicable to horse sports. It is a federal requirement and they used the generic form to train everyone. It should become more specific over time.
If one kid is saved from abuse, then the training is worth it. As a veteran teacher, I’ve made calls to law enforcement citing suspected abuse— none caused by teachers. We are trained yearly so yeah it was repetitive but I’m ok with that.
Make a report electronically to the U.S. Center for SafeSport or call (720) 524-5640, if you have a reasonable suspicion of sexual misconduct such as child sex abuse, non-consensual sexual conduct, sexual harassment, or intimate relationships involving an imbalance of power.
Reporting Misconduct to Local Authorities
Contact your local authorities if you have a reasonable suspicion that child sexual abuse or neglect has occurred. All reports of child abuse or sexual assault of a minor must be reported to local authorities and the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Reports of abuse not involving a minor may also be reported to local authorities.
Reporting Other Misconduct
USEF handles all reports of non-sexual misconduct, including harassment, hazing, bullying, physical, or emotional misconduct. Report to safesport@usef.org, or e-mail/call a representative on the Athlete Protection Team.
Well, female trainer is clearly a piece of work. On the other hand, this seems to be hearsay at a distance, not something the OP experienced first hand. The male trainer and the clients should be documenting this stuff. Perhaps she is violating the harassment aspects of Safesport?
As to how men working with minors avoid false claims of sexual interference, this is a question that everyone in schools, colleges, health care, etc. and fathers too, have figured out decades ago.
I would say number one is don’t sexualize the situation at all. That means no “innocent” flirting, no comments on appearance, no personal favorites. Teen girls get crushes, students in general get crushes on teachers, and you need to figure out how to channel that energy back into the subject matter at hand and not acknowledge any subliminal feelings in the girls.
Because if you did get a false claim, I still think almost always it would come from some sexual impulse being awakened and then snubbed.
Behave in a way that makes it impossible for a false claim to have weight, including keeping the door of your office open, not taking a teen alone on a long drive, not drinking or doing drugs with teens, etc.
Also so far I don’t think there has been a suspension for false claims?
Why does the suicide of the figure skater raise the question of the impact of false claims? To get a major suspension like that there must have been strong evidence. Did he or his team launch an appeal?
I’m guessing this female trainer would have found another way to spread lies and be unprofessional to try to keep her clients without SafeSport. I’m sure she has done similar things before SafeSport came along. People like this will use any tools they have to hand.
According to the USEF, claims of a sexual nature go immediately to Safe Sport - USEF doesn’t handle
them at all. They can be of any sexual nature as MHM listed above - it’s not just about minors. These claims are taken very seriously and usually involve some sort of interim suspension during the claim/appeal process. Is it a perfect process? Nope but then again, when has anything been perfect when Congress is involved?? However, sexually based claims have a much higher rate of involving a temporary suspension before the process is complete and the process has been seen to be flawed.
Hatassment and bullying claims are investigated by USEF. They have a slightly different process which does allow for temporary suspensions if they deem the complaint credible and believe there will ultimately be a harsh penalty. But that hasn’t really been tested and I’m sure USEF is concerned about backlash given how Safe Sport has come under a microscope since everyone has been required to be compliant with the education.
There is a a lot of concern about how anyone can report anyone else and get them suspended - USEF is working through the process and trying to lower the chance of this happening. They aren’t going to jump on the suspension wagon for he said/she said squabbles. They need (preferably physical) evidence of harassment or bullying that would stand up to scrutiny. It seems like they’re taking a higher road on this than The Center for Safe Sport which isn’t getting it right.
Sorry, my bad. Mixing up boy scout stuff and this. However, if neither party was a member of USEF, SafeSport does not apply. Also, looks like the male trainer could report the female trainer to SafeSport for harassment. And he still could go after her using other legal means.
I can’t speak for others, but for myself it’s simply a concern that a good tool not be misused. A hammer is a great tool if you’re building a house, but it can also be used as a weapon to knock somebody in the head. The violence inflicted with it does not make the hammer itself bad. It is absolutely necessary to protect vulnerable individuals from predators, and to express outrage and work for justice and healing for them. Not wishing to see other innocent people (and their reputations) harmed is not a failure to care for the victims. It is simply extending to every innocent person, of whatever age or sex, the same concern and courtesy.
Thanks for the responses so far. A lot of good information and some people are learning more about SafeSport, including myself. As I stated, I do have first-hand knowledge as both the male trainer and the trainer of the girl being harassed for moving barns both told me. It is my understanding that SafeSport suspends first, asks questions later. By that time, the damage is done to the reputation. As we all know, in our sport reputation is everything. I am a survivor of abuse (not in the sports realm), so I am very much for predators being outed and punished, don’t get me wrong. I just think that if false or vindictive accusations are rewarded, it will ultimately hurt all of us. Kind of like a “Boy Who Cried Wolf” effect in the long run. I don’t want any victims - both truly and those unfairly accused and ruined.
Here is another situation, but more of a hypothetical. I know a couple where he was a trainer. He, an adult, began dating, and sleeping with, a 17 year old client. They later married and have been married for over 40 years. This is a true couple. Now - what if they were divorcing (not true) and she decided to “do him in” by reporting the SafeSport? Technically, he is in violation and his career would be ruined. Don’t get me wrong, I am not eroding any point or another, just things that have been on my mind. Interested in what others are thinking.
