The earlier ones are even more eye-opening. The number of “concerned citizens” evolved over the weeks to reflect the number of members of the ISWG group.
Week 3 letter. Use (copy) amend or write your own please mail to your Representatives/Senators in Washington & The President.
Also
Sen Moran ( chairman of the committee
overseeing SafeSport)
Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Room 521
Washington, DC 20510
Dear. ;
There are over 7,800 citizens from across America who have grouped together, working hard to get someone in Congress, hopefully you, to realize that Safe Sport policies are deeply flawed. These policies are the opposite of the American justice system, ruining innocent lives, using unproven allegations, issuing LIFETIME BANS and ending a person’s livelihood (of decades) while SS is getting it wrong too often to be ignored by Congress.
Safe Sport procedures are disproportionately slanted toward the victim. There is no consideration that an accusation could possibly be wrong or misguided. In addition, the weak level of “determination” or fact-finding of SS investigations, leaves the SS threshold far below what is required in a court of law.
This capricious standard creates an environment of fear. Unsubstantiated findings are treated as FACTS, made public; removing the falsely accused from their livelihood and the accused has yet to be able to refute alleged allegations. The accused is assumed guilty.
Who thought this much power without checks and balances was a good idea? Concerning the falsely accused, Safe Sport’s INAPPROPRIATE USE OF POWER IS DEVASTATING. The declaration of guilt occurs too frequently, issuing LIFETIME BANS and then reversing the bans after public declaration of sexual misconduct and lifetime ban from sport.
In one case, SS issued a LIFETIME BAN and the fact that the incident occurred when the accused was out of the country was not discovered by SS investigators. A reputation built on a lifetime of success is ruined! Reversal occurred after a costly, strenuous defense. Guilty until proven innocent is not good enough in The United States of America. How could SS polices and procedures be considered responsible legislation in this great country founded on the bedrock of due process?
Can you explain to me or the 7,700 citizens organized for SS reform, your thinking regarding due process or lack of due process with SS? Would these policies be fair if you were falsely accused?
Why Safe Sport was created?
The brand Safe Sport, as you may or may not know, was created as a USOC (United States Olympic Committee) brand (2010) to insure issues of sexual abuse were distanced away from the USOC. The purpose was to protect USOC’s image insuring confidence in its donors and advertisers. Also part of the strategy suggested (watchdog group Deadspin 2018 article), SS as a brand gave “cover” for officials testifying to Congress. Referencing Congressional hearing responses to questions, USOC representatives only responded to sexual misconduct questions with the deflection of “that’s a Safe Sport issue” reassuring Congress, donors and television investments “it“ was being corrected as money and medals continued. In 2015, USA Swimming held its own SafeSport conference. [name redacted], who was abused by her swimming coach in the 1980s, was invited to speak there. She described the experience as having little to do with preventing sexual abuse, and mostly about marketing.
“It was them using me as a victim show pony,” she said. “There was no significant content on actually preventing sexual abuse, and I left the conference going, ‘Why does this even exist?’” (2015)
(7/18 Diana Moskovitz)
Please use this awareness of Safe Sport procedures lacking due process to look deeper into what is really happening. This marketing plan (forced to handle serious issues of sexual abuse from flawed legislation created with the gymnastics scandal of September 2016) is not good enough for the accused or the victims. PLEASE REFORM Safe Sport so substantiated claims are handled by law enforcement and the judicial system, not 9 members of the SS board.
Thank you,
