He’s appealing. If he’s found guilty he stays banned.
If what he did is true, then I’m very disappointed in him.
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Lol. Okay, I’m a law student therefore I think logically and not emotionally. Stop. The two aren’t inherently related.
You may think logically in your field but it’s not up to you to determine what evidence is “solid” in this case. That’s what I was referring to.
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I think the point everyone is trying to make is he is not suspended. A thorough investigation HAS happened. And it has been determined that the offenses were egregious enough to warrant lifetime suspension.
As we’ve learned in the Rob Gage thread, the SafeSport process is exacting. Because of the sensitive nature of the allegations, it is not possible for us to have the names and all the details. I don’t think we are entitled to those any way.
Either you trust in the process after educating yourself on how it works or you don’t. Lots of folks here have learned about the process and accept the decisions without getting gory details. It’s true that the tone of the RG thread changed when we learned of Hilary Ridland coming forward after a competition in CA to answer questions on her abuse. So maybe that’s just what it takes for some to believe. It’s problematic bc I don’t feel if you’ve been abused at any age that you should have to come forward to a crowd to make people believe you. And then get verbally assaulted on FB. That’s NOT a good system.
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This type of mindset is what makes sexual misconduct so hard to prosecute in our current court system. It’s why sexual predators skirt the law, sometimes for their entire lives.
The “solid evidence” can be challenging to produce, highly traumatizing for the survivors, and opens them up to vicious blame-placing and attacks, which have already occurred on this thread (and were thankfully removed by the mods).
SafeSport got it right by confidentially handling these allegations to provide a layer of safety for the athletes involved.
I don’t know how many times this has to be repeated, but SafeSport does not hand down the “permanently ineligible” sanction frequently or lightly-- it is reserved for the most serious of allegations. As of July, only 292 “permanently ineligible” sanctions had been handed down across all sports, out of thousands of reports. At that time, only 18 of them were equestrian.
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Hes a gross person imo
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Wait. What? That doesn’t even make any sense.
The Boy Scouts has a code of conduct that adult volunteers must abide by. If they don’t, they are removed from the organization, i.e. banned from any direct involvement with the private organization. Exactly like violations of Safe Sport rules can get an equestrian professional banned from any direct involvement with USEF. It’s the same thing.
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That article also is a bit disingenuous in minimizing the conduct of Jimmy Williams with respect to Anne Kursinski and failing to mention the number of other accusers.
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Well then you agree with a lot of misinformation.
For example, @Tiramit says:
Since I’m not part of the investigation process and privy to the case’s details, I’ll wait until the final verdict before issuing a personal ruling.
and
I’d hate for this claim to be true, but there’s a chance it is. Hopefully we’ll be given a clear answer at some point.
The final verdict is IN. We have gotten a “clear answer.” SafeSport conducted an investigation, in which the respondent, claimant, and witnesses were involved, and found that there was enough evidence for George Morris to deserve a permanently ineligible sanction. It is currently open to appeal, but SafeSport gave us their answer based on their comprehensive investigation process.
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We’re not at the stage that SafeSport has determined that “there’s a reason to investigate the claim”. The SafeSport investigation has been done, and SafeSport has determined that the violations warrant a lifetime ban.
GM can, and apparently will, appeal the SafeSport decision.
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Off topic, but I’m reading a book about society in the very South of France in the very early part of the 14th century, and one section discusses homosexuality in the Catholic priesthood. The author makes it sound as if boys in Catholic institutions were groomed and trained to be homosexual from as early as the age of five; this is based on witness testimony records. 800 years ago in that area at least, the Church was not only a haven for homosexuals, but its monasteries and schools were places where young, even very young boys, were not only molested but got training that lasted for their whole lives in that environment.
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Who teaches horses to jump using metal pipes that sometimes kill them. Yeah, absolutely brilliant.
I believe USEF did suspend him after he was convicted of those charges.
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I just want to jump in and say I appreciate every single person on this thread who has continued to push back hard against the carefully crafted pr campaign, bizarre outcry on Facebook, and astonishing amount of misinformation that gets spread each time a new name gets a permanent lifetime ban and put on the Safe Sport list.
After the RG thread… and subsequent unfolding of that situation and revelation that it was NOT just about one girl with a grudge from 35 years ago who he dated when she was 17… it’s a shame to see another pr campaign gaining momentum.
I hope the NYT reporter does a solid job on this, and puts out something that honors and tells the victims’ side of this matter. Morris wouldn’t have been banned if it wasn’t serious.
Please folks… read the RG thread, watch “At the Heart of Gold” and check out the Outside the Lines report from ESPN on Conrad Mainwaring. Read about Ashley Wagner’s story. Go back and read the NYT article from last year about Jimmy Williams.
I am going to spend today with my kids engaging in a couple different activities. And remembering that sports are about good health and developing character and resilience, and children are precious. I am grateful to the people who came forward and are creating a different future for young people. Enough is enough. Stop focusing on the past and sucking up to power… have a soul and care about the future, and be a positive part of change.
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I meant post-appeal. If the appeal fails, then that is the FINAL verdict.
This isn’t Rob Gage where he killed himself. GM is going to fight it, which is his legal right. It probably won’t go his way, but because there’s still that chance, we have to say that Round 1 found him guilty and Round 2 may or may not. The appeal is the end of the process.
Also, when you say “a lot of misinformation” in relation to my post, please give an example beyond the above. I gave opinions in the rest.
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Not the subheading.
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To me it is. I can see evidence and determine. It’s pretty cut and dry. Either he did it or not. Either the plaintiff is telling the truth or lying.
If you could break it down more since you are studying law, I would appreciate it. PM me if you want.
A lot of people seem to misunderstand the whole “appeal” thing. The appeal is not a part of the initial process. The initial process is the investigation, interviewing witnesses, allowing both sides to present evidence, and an evaluation, by Safe Sport, of all the evidence. Safe Sport then makes a final decision and hands down whatever sanction they decide is warranted. End of story. Verdict reached. Decision made. Answer clearly stated.
This is where the GM case stands now.
The appeal comes afterward. GM has an opportunity to appeal the Safe Sport finding. But it doesn’t mean that there is anything unfinished or unsettled in the Safe Sport investigation.
I read a few of the comments on the COTH Facebook page this morning. Once again, I find myself asking, “WTH is wrong with people?” It’s kind of disheartening. And, as I said during the Rob Gage discussion, certainly illustrates just how badly this sport needs Safe Sport.
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Homosexuality is completely separate from pedophilia. Also, you can’t “raise a homosexual.” You are or you aren’t.
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I believe he was suspended by the USEF for quite a long time. If he was off the suspension list recently, I was not aware of it. I think he was still teaching/training at a barn somewhere, but could not attend USEF shows during that period.
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It wasn’t just an accusation - there was a very thorough investigation. I believe @poltroon posted a few of my comments from the Rob Gage thread about SafeSport. Sarah Nir has been investigating the allegations against GM for months. She’ll probably be releasing the first article very soon.
For anyone who has specific questions about SafeSport, please DM or @ me. This is the first time in days I’ve been free since the news articles about John Coughlin’s case were released.
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