It is difficult to believe that it takes 18 months to determine whether the age of the reporter was over or under 16 at the time of the incident.
When you’re riding a horse, you don’t pick a fight unless you’re pretty sure you’re going to win the argument. For the usual confidentiality reasons, I don’t know what evidence SsgeSport has. However, this early in their life, when they still need to create a track record of legitimacy, they would need to be absolute morons to pick a fight with GM unless they were 99% sure they could withstand an appeal. They are only required to prove their case by a preponderance of the evidence, but I’m guessing that they can clear the preponderance bar like a Grand Prix jumper clearing a cavaletti. I don’t think they’re morons.
Re all the well known trainers showing their support for GM publicly: it’s not as public as it could be. ISWG, SafeSport The honest conversations, and SafeSport Overhaul are all closed groups. If you proudly SWG and want to shout it from the rooftops, wouldn’t you make the group public? What is the point of an echo chamber in which a large group of people pre-certified as GM supporters swap posts about what a travesty his ban is? If you truly SWG, wouldn’t you want to attempt to persuade those who don’t SWG, or the undecided, to your side? I think the ISWG group is closed in part because they need to maintain a certain level of willful ignorance in order to support GM and continue to cast SafeSport as the villain, and they don’t want anybody putting a damper on their self-righteous rage by bringing in any nasty facts.
Wait, because it was a free wheeling time, it was okay to bang children???
As the participants in this thread have thinned out after 90+ pages, it’s quite noticeable that a majority of the remaining claim personal childhood abuse. Without in any way diminishing the experience of ANY victim, it must also be noted that such would be automatically excluded from jury selection in a case like this because any objectivity is impossible.
I also dodged the child abuse bullet, so no. I keep posting because even after the raft, no Ocean Liner!, of explanation on how Safe Sport works, people like you STILL don’t get
A case needs to affect competition to lodge a viable Sherman Act claim. At this point it is premature to make predictions as to whether a party could do so as to pass a motion to dismiss or for summary judgment. Maybe. Maybe not. But if it doesn’t, the whole thing would the thrown out. Keep in mind this is a dynamic area of law and I can’t accurately read the tea leaves. I do think it isn’t a frivolous claim. Beyond that, the facts and procedure of SafeSport and the skill of the attorneys all play a huge part.
With the bill passing extending the Statute of Limitations for sexual abuse, it will be interesting to see if any victims file a civil suit against GM. If abused as a minor, the victim now has until their 55th birthday (or seven years from the time they become aware of the injury, whichever is later) to file a civil suit.
And the response by Sara is as unprofessional as the original story. She still does not understand how SafeSport works and continues to state the the accused does not know who reported (wrong), that they are unable to defend themselves (wrong). Some people refuse to believe that GM and the other banned individuals were well aware of the situation long before they are banned for life.
E. Aiding and Abetting
Aiding and Abetting is any act taken with the purpose of facilitating, promoting, or encouraging the commission of Prohibited Conduct by a Participant. Aiding and Abetting also includes, without limitation, knowingly:
Allowing any person who has been identified as suspended or otherwise ineligible by the Center to be in any way associated with or employed by an organization affiliated with or holding itself out as affiliated with an NGB, LAO, the USOC or the Olympic Movements;
Allowing any person who has been identified as suspended or otherwise ineligible by the Center to coach or instruct Participants;
Allowing any person who has been identified as ineligible by the Center to have ownership interest in a facility, an organization, or its related entities, if that facility/organization/related entity is affiliated with or holds itself out as affiliated with an NGB, LAO, USOC or the Olympic Movements.
Providing any coaching-related advice or service to an Athlete who has been identified as suspended or otherwise ineligible by the Center.
Allowing any person to violate the terms of their suspension or any other sanctions imposed by the Center.
In addition, a Participant also violates the Code if someone acts on behalf of the Participant to engage in Aiding or Abetting, or if the guardian, family member, or Advisor of a Participant, including Minor Participants, engages in Aiding or Abetting.
(As to who they’d go after, I imagine they’d be starting with letters of reprimand and their actions would probably be contextual. The old friend who goes and rides a horse with a suspended person in the vicinity is probably not going to get the same treatment as someone who hosts an equitation clinic for juniors. They’re busy folk, alas. But they might go after an elite figure skating athlete, say, who made known he was training with BNT, and was encouraging others to do so. However, insurance companies may put the kibosh on all of it of their own accord.)
It is meant, explicitly, to end the influence of big name coaches who are found to have created dangerous conditions for athletes. People like Don Peters, who also helped win a lot of (gymnastics) Olympic medals. BNTs that a lot of people would justify training with. The intent is super clear.
You can’t hire a doctor for your practice or hospital who loses a license, either.
I enjoy the lawyer talk but I’m a little surprised at this particular line you’re taking.
Adam Schmidt, 34, a former skating student of Mr. Callaghan’s, filed a lawsuit in San Diego saying that Mr. Callaghan had repeatedly abused him from 1999 to 2001, beginning when Mr. Schmidt was 14 years old. Mr. Schmidt became the fourth male skater to have publicly accused Mr. Callaghan of improper behavior during a period from the early 1990s to the early 2000s.
Also named as defendants were U.S. Figure Skating, the sport’s national governing body, and a skating facility in suburban Detroit where Mr. Callaghan taught Mr. Schmidt.
…
Mr. Callaghan, 73, is best known for coaching Tara Lipinski to a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and coaching Todd Eldredge to a world championship, six United States titles and three Olympic appearances.
‘‘For whatever reasons I don’t understand, people love me or hate me,’’ Callaghan said. ‘‘I have no clue why. In almost 30 years, I’ve taught about 500 kids. I don’t understand this. The allegations are awful. I can’t believe I worked my butt off for kids to be successful in skating to be better people and this stuff happens.’’
😱😳😂
Not stupid. Narcissistic. Personality. Disorder.
Wait and see. There are many names missing too. Those who stood by RG were wrong.
Actually, there are others who know parts of the truth outside of Safesport. Those who spoke to Safesport. There are a number of us on here with first hand experience with Safesport and who personally know people who were involved in the GM investigation.
Feel free to keep drinking the Kool Aid.
Can any of you lawyers weigh in on the verbiage of this petition please? Are they essentially asking for Safe Sport to be in civil court as opposed to what it is now? Wasn’t the whole point of SS to keep these people from being eligible to compete or coach even if they did were not eligible to be tried for whatever reason?
Yassssss! I’d like to personally thank everyone in this thread that shared their experiences. I have cried multiple times reading through this thread because it brings all of those feelings right back to hear someone else’s pain… even all these years later. You are my tribe. I’ll stand with you, and all the others that have lived through the horrific mental anguish the abuse causes, and all those that have known someone else that has been through something and had the courage to stand with them.
For those who are ignorant and making excuses for why someone should be allowed to peacefully go about the rest of their lives after wrecking the life of a child… “F” you too. Thank your lucky stars you were never sexually abused, because I guarantee if you were, you wouldn’t be talking about sweeping abuse under the rug, you wouldn’t be using your cute little air quotes when you talk about #metoo or abuse, and you wouldn’t just casually post your insensitive, uneducated, willfully ignorant BS on a forum full of people that have experienced that kind of abuse. You’d know sleepless nights, you’d know waking up in a cold sweat thinking you can still smell an abuser’s cologne, and you’d probably shed more than a few tears every time you read about one of these trusted figures being found out, yes decades later. Think about it. Do you think he abused one kid and then stopped for the next 50 years? God only knows how many may eventually come forward. God only knows how many may take the lifelong suffering to their graves.
I honestly think that SS knew what they were stepping into when they investigated GM. They probably knew that they had to have a 100% SOLID case in going after the biggest name in the world for horse sports. They did not take this likely. They did not just hear a rumor from 50 years ago and say “Oh wow, he was naughty! Let’s BAN this guy!” And anyone who thinks that needs to wake up and smell the poo that has been stinking in the horse world for MANY years. They are all sounding like a bunch of rabid, uneducated wankers.
Jonathan Soresi also knew what he was stepping into. He knows his conviction, and he knows that a lot of people would question his motives and veracity due to his conviction. I feel bad for him that his life has been so screwed up, and that he ended up this way. I do not in any way condone him having kiddie porn, I think it is atrocious (look! I used that word again!) But I also think that his life has gone so awry because he was abused. I believe him. I think it was incredibly brave of him to come forward and try and take down his abuser who is world-renowned and beloved. Again, do not take what I am saying as defending JS for the things that were found on his computer.
What I DO know is that on FB and IRL an impressive list of horse pros of stature have put their names (and therefore reputations and businesses) on the line coming out in public defense of George. People who’ve known him personally all their lives and worked alongside him all the way back to that time, vs.concern trolls who have no connection whatsoever.
To me, that speaks volumes, and drove my insufficient attempt to provide a more balanced perspective here.
A more balanced perspective? Mmmmmkay. #eyerollworthyofanexasperateded14yearold
Most of the people who have defended him - those “horse pros of stature” that you are starry-eyed about… have heard all the whispers and rumors and tsk-tsks over the years… and some know they are true. What I DO know is that I have heard them - and I am a Nobody. I even sat in the exhibitors bar at Spruce Meadows and heard the “horse pros of stature” at the next table sharing such a story about GM. Many have just refused to (as you have) actually bother looking at the SafeSport procedure and are falling all over themselves to raise an indignant hue and cry and not piss GM off. Many of those voices will go quiet as the initial phase of WTF eases off… and reality sets in.
He has not been falsely accused. A two year investigation by former FBI and SVU experts let to this ruling.
They apparently have evidence of misconduct as far back as 50 years and as recently as the 1990s.
Even if it were just once case from 50 years ago (which it was not) the time frame does not matter. Nazi war criminals were still being brought to trial as recently as 2016. Should they just be given a pass now because of their age or because WWII was so long ago?
Why are you defending a guy who by his own admission in his autobiography drugged, poled, and otherwise abused horses, attempted to influence judges, put students and horses in dangerous situations, lied to friends and family members to get what he wanted, and took pleasure in bullying / humiliating others? Even if you don’t believe he is a sexual predator - despite decades of stories - you surely must acknowledge that he has repeatedly violated the USEF’s standards in many ways, and that ineligibility for USEF membership is a reasonable consequence?
