Can We Talk About the Abuse of SafeSport?

[lmlacross]

^^Plus, as a teacher, you are a mandated reporter. If you have reason to suspect abuse in the conduct of your job, you are legally bound to report it— without pause for the impact it might have on a potential offender’s reputation if your report is found to be unsubstantiated. It’s the responsibility of investigators to determine if the report is founded or not, and the uncomfortable nature of saying, “I have reason to believe this might be so” necessarily takes a backseat to children’s safety.

It’s not altogether different with SafeSport. While you’re not a mandated reporter in this venue, I would think your profession would make you especially sensitive to priorities here. In order for an investigation to determine whether something sinister has occurred, we must care more about victims’ safety than our own nervousness or potential guilt over reporting, or what the consequences might be to an adult professional should a report be deemed unfounded. If we invert these priorities, the system can never work.

[Midge]

I know someone who was falsely accused, had a hearing, the suspension was overturned and there appears to be no damage to that person’s reputation. As far as I am concerned, the system worked. The false accusation was a horrible thing for them to go through, but it worked almost exactly as a situation would if there had been criminal charges.

[Tackpud]

@fair judy

Your priorities are pretty wonky… you would prefer to protect an adult from Possible damage over stopping the rampant abuse in our sport? Every time someone considering making a report reads crapola like this you shut another mind to reporting their abuse.

Obviously I did not state myself clearly and in re-reading what I posted I notice that. In the case of any abuse against a minor, I am all about reporting and upholding the intentions of Safe Sport. I would report any accusation I hear about.

However, I do not believe than an anonymous accusation by an adult, of an abuse against an adult, should be taken as gospel truth until investigated - which is what Safe Sport has done and damaged the reputation of that person before taking them off the list when the accusation was proven completely unfounded. That is where there is an issue with Safe Sport that needs to be resolved.

I apologize for not stating myself clearly - I would never put a child’s well-being over that of an adult accused of harming them in anyway.

[Midge]

@2bayboys

“There were three complaints alleging sexual misconducted against Coughlin. The first report came from a person over 18 triggering the initial SafeSport action and the first disciplinary action against Coughlin [in December 2018]. Following the first complaint, two additional complaints were also made against him. The other two reports involved minors at the time of the alleged sexual misconduct and went to SafeSport leading to Coughlin’s interim suspension, Thursday night” reported USA Today.

I wasn’t implying he was innocent. I know nothing either way. I was referring to the outrage of people who have to be assuming he was innocent.

[comeoutandplay]

@lmlacross

^^Plus, as a teacher, you are a mandated reporter. If you have reason to suspect abuse in the conduct of your job, you are legally bound to report it— without pause for the impact it might have on a potential offender’s reputation if your report is found to be unsubstantiated. It’s the responsibility of investigators to determine if the report is founded or not, and the uncomfortable nature of saying, “I have reason to believe this might be so” necessarily takes a backseat to children’s safety.

It’s not altogether different with SafeSport. While you’re not a mandated reporter in this venue, I would think your profession would make you especially sensitive to priorities here. In order for an investigation to determine whether something sinister has occurred, we must care more about victims’ safety than our own nervousness or potential guilt over reporting, or what the consequences might be to an adult professional should a report be deemed unfounded. If we invert these priorities, the system can never work.

If you are a mandated reporter you are a mandated reporter at all times, not just when at work. Mandated reporters must report any sign of abuse in any environment, day or night. It’s my understanding that the Safe Sport training also ensures that as far as USEF is concerned, ALL adult members are mandated to report signs of abuse to Safe Sport, even if they are skeptical about it. That is why I encourage the OP to report the trainer in her second hypothetical example. If you suspect or have knowledge of child abuse happening, even 40 years ago, you MUST report it if you are an adult USEF member. If you have knowledge of a trainer sexually harassing another professional (example #1) you must report that as well. Attempting to blackmail a pro into certain behavior by threat of false claims of sexual impropriety is harassment and should absolutely be investigated by Safe Sport.

[Pennywell_Bay]

@comeoutandplay

If you are a mandated reporter you are a mandated reporter at all times, not just when at work. Mandated reporters must report any sign of abuse in any environment, day or night. It’s my understanding that the Safe Sport training also ensures that as far as USEF is concerned, ALL adult members are mandated to report signs of abuse to Safe Sport, even if they are skeptical about it. That is why I encourage the OP to report the trainer in her second hypothetical example. If you suspect or have knowledge of child abuse happening, even 40 years ago, you MUST report it if you are an adult USEF member. If you have knowledge of a trainer sexually harassing another professional (example #1) you must report that as well. Attempting to blackmail a pro into certain behavior by threat of false claims of sexual impropriety is harassment and should absolutely be investigated by Safe Sport.

Bolding mine. People who are so mad at the USEF about Safe Sport don’t seem to realize that it is a 2017 law passed by Congress (not you directed at you COAP). Additionally- you don’t get reported (I am a broken record on this) and immediately go on a public list. If you read the Safe Sport procedure- it is reported, facts are collected from both parties. Then a decision is made as to an intermediate suspension until the process is decided. If you get reported and there is no evidence of wrong doing, nothing gets out to the public.

[BLBGP]

Why isn’t this trainer who is allegedly harassing the other trainer and using SafeSport as a weapon being reported?

[lmlacross]

@comeoutandplay

If you are a mandated reporter you are a mandated reporter at all times, not just when at work. Mandated reporters must report any sign of abuse in any environment, day or night.

In my state, Illinois, this is actually untrue. Mandated Reporting legally requires certain individuals to report whenever they have reasonable cause to suspect neglect or abuse of minors known to them “by virtue of their professional or official capacity.”

This would not be the case for a teacher competing at a horse show or riding at a boarding stable where suspected abuse was occuring. That’s NOT to say it shouldn’t be reported, just that a teacher would not be legally bound to report in that instance.

[poltroon]

I am in the camp that I am skeptical that false allegations are our biggest problem here.

SafeSport is an investigation process. They don’t suspend people based on anonymous phone calls. They collect evidence and do an investigation. An anonymous phone call might substantiate other allegations or might help uncover other evidence of abuse but it’s not going to be something they do on a triviality. This is all documented - and again this process is mandated by federal law.

Further, I see this as an assist to the criminal justice process. Yes, it is terrible that while under investigation someone who is not actually guilty might miss a horse show. But in the criminal justice process, that same accusation might land him in jail and paying a lot of money to a criminal defense attorney. Those are the options. (And of course both can happen in parallel.)

Sexual relationships with your minor students or work subordinates I know are common in this industry, and maybe people never learned that they’re not okay. So anyway, now you know: not okay. If this person is the love of your life, wait until they turn 18 and/or get them a job with someone else, so the relationship can be real and not tainted with power.

We need this process. But, it’s not our decision to make anyway - Congress already did because gymnastics and swimming and wrestling and many other sports could not solve this problem on their own, of sole proprietor coaches preying on athletes, drifting from town to town in the unlikely event they were caught.

[541hunter]

To people worried about incorrect reports to SafeSport ruining someone’s life without due process, I want to provide my experience. A while ago I witnessed something questionable at a horse-related event. What I saw COULD have been just an odd interaction rather than a truly nefarious incident, but it left me feeling deeply uncomfortable. I don’t want to give too much detail but it did involve a minor, so I felt I needed to report it. So I did. I couldn’t have lived with myself if I hadn’t spoken up and later something came out.

SafeSport opened an investigation. Nothing was made public. The person I reported has not been suspended or announced as being under investigation or anything. I don’t know the status of the investigation now. Could have been closed, could still be open. In this case at least, reporting something did not automatically lead to consequences for the “accused.” Just one small bit of anecdata for those of you who are worried that false accusations can ruin someone’s life.

[glenburn]

@Didi

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?

As someone who has four lawyers in the family, it will probably cost you about six figures to prove your innocence against “allegations”. Unfortunately, the allegations are enough to initiate suspensions and with or without Safe Sport, the behavior, when proven, is illegal anyway. Safe Sport seems to change the system to, “guilty until proven innocent”, which is not the way the American or British legal system was intended to work.

[Pennywell_Bay]

@glenburn

As someone who has four lawyers in the family, it will probably cost you about six figures to prove your innocence against “allegations”. Unfortunately, the allegations are enough to initiate suspensions and with or without Safe Sport, the behavior, when proven, is illegal anyway. Safe Sport seems to change the system to, “guilty until proven innocent”, which is not the way the American or British legal system was intended to work.

Incorrect. Read the procedures. See my above post.

[NoSuchPerson]

I don’t understand all the posters who continue to insist that a person’s life and reputation are ruined when someone names them in a report to SafeSport. We have had more than one person familiar with how SafeSport works and with first-hand experiences who indicate that the first step is an investigation. As best I can determine, based on my own research after reading this thread, no one gets named publicly or put on any list until the claim has been investigated and substantiated to the satisfaction of SafeSport and no one gets any “interim suspensions” unless the initial investigation turns up good evidence that there is a concern.

The more I read, the more convinced I become that many of those who are so vehemently opposed to reporting a potential abuser to SafeSport are opposed because they fear that they, or someone they want to protect, are at risk of being reported for questionable behavior.

And I’m not saying that I think SafeSport is perfect. But I will note that when I did some research, I came across more articles claiming that SafeSport isn’t aggressive enough and fails to take action when they should, than articles claiming that SafeSport is ruining the reputations of innocent people.

[Midge]

@glenburn

Safe Sport seems to change the system to, “guilty until proven innocent”,

You should ask the lawyers in the family if this is correct. HInt: they’re going to say, “No.”

[vxf111]

There is almost never any doubt in my mind as to who the alters on SafeSport (or drugging, or USEF hearing) threads are. I don’t know why anyone would seriously enter into a dialog with “those people.”

[Pennywell_Bay]

@vxf111

There is almost never any doubt in my mind as to who the alters on SafeSport (or drugging, or USEF hearing) threads are. I don’t know why anyone would seriously enter into a dialog with “those people.”

I know, I know. I need to disengage. My fear is that real but uneducated people (there is a long thread on Dressage forum stating the same thing- all the innocents will suffer and everyone will be falsely accused) will latch on to “YOUR NAME GETS IMMEDIATELY OUT IN THE PUBLIC”.

It goes further and (paraphrased) “I never am around kids so I don’t have to take it”. Dear- it isn’t the USEF- it is the law.

People need to step off the BB and GO READ Safe Sport procedures and even attempt to muddle through the 2017 bill.

But yes- no need to engage. Sigh.

[TheMoo]

@Pennywell Bay

I know, I know. I need to disengage. My fear is that real but uneducated people (there is a long thread on Dressage forum stating the same thing- all the innocents will suffer and everyone will be falsely accused) will latch on to “YOUR NAME GETS IMMEDIATELY OUT IN THE PUBLIC”.

It goes further and (paraphrased) “I never am around kids so I don’t have to take it”. Dear- it isn’t the USEF- it is the law.

People need to step off the BB and GO READ Safe Sport procedures and even attempt to muddle through the 2017 bill.

But yes- no need to engage. Sigh.

This is the actual problem. Not the alters but long time members of this BB getting wrapped around the axle for one reason or another.

[BeeHoney]

Pennywell Bay I appreciate real people getting on these threads and responding. Historically, rule-breakers, their high-profile lawyers and their loyal friends as well as “houseguests” have actively participated in the COTH Forums on threads like this to try to create “controversy” where there is none. Social media, including this bulletin board, is a great place to spread misinformation and inflammatory arguments. I wouldn’t care except that probably there are readers who are reading along who are not fully cognizant of the highly biased and inaccurate nature of some of these posts.

In any case, no one needs to take my word for it. Go to the USEF website and watch the videos and read the policy. You will quickly be able to tell that there are many posts on both this thread and on the dressage forum thread that are riddled with misinformation.

[vxf111]

@Pennywell Bay

I know, I know. I need to disengage. My fear is that real but uneducated people (there is a long thread on Dressage forum stating the same thing- all the innocents will suffer and everyone will be falsely accused) will latch on to “YOUR NAME GETS IMMEDIATELY OUT IN THE PUBLIC”.

It goes further and (paraphrased) “I never am around kids so I don’t have to take it”. Dear- it isn’t the USEF- it is the law.

People need to step off the BB and GO READ Safe Sport procedures and even attempt to muddle through the 2017 bill.

But yes- no need to engage. Sigh.

The “people” posting on these threads know full well that they’re making straw man arguments. They do it because it helps their BUSINESS to fan the flames like that

[vxf111]

@BeeHoney

Historically rule-breakers, their high-profile lawyers and their loyal friends as well as “houseguests” have actively participated in the COTH Forums on threads like this to try to create “controversy” where there is none.

Groups I like to refer to as “Defendants and their Dependents”