Girls. Are. Not. Believed.
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It’s such a completely horrific and heart wrenching case.
I don’t think I was aware Tom Navarro has a wife with a young daughter? She was just commenting on a thread about wulf crest and laugh reacting that I suggested I wouldn’t take my child there, or anywhere that convicted sex offenders regularly go. Seems to be an unpopular opinion. Go figure.
Edit: maybe her husband Tommy isn’t Tom? Maybe his son?
actually these people are experts at manipulating adults as well. Many of the victims in the notorious gymnastics debacle had parents present, some right in the room during the so called medical therapeutic procedures
they are truly frightening humans. Even with todays helicopter parents they get away with it.
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I saw that post and sent a DM to the original poster. Pretty sure it’s his sons wife if a younger kid. I’ve seen them around.
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And let’s not forget that a lot of people who are finally getting their comeuppance were the subject of “rumors” for ages. Some are getting their comeuppance, from what I have read, because someone finally spoke up about the “rumors”. So, to dismiss rumors as being “just what they are” is pretty horrific to me. Victims of abuse, particularly minors who are subjected to abuse by powerful people they look up to, often don’t come forward for myriad reasons. If we dismiss the “rumors” of things like that happening, we are part of the problem.
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Leah Navarro?.. is that who you saw post the from? If so she is married to one of Tom’s sons.
I’m guessing this is regarding the NOVA Equestrian Facebook page.
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Oof that Nova Equestrian post has me frustrated. The Wulf Crest crew needs to get their story straight. Luis Cortes is listed as the only owner on their website , but this woman Emma claims she is one of three owners. They have repeatedly been asked on FB if Luis is at all still connected with River Chase, since he’s been Tom Navarro’s (convicted sex offender and lifetime SS ban) long time barn manager at River Chase. She will only say that Wulf Crest is not affiliated with River Chase, which isn’t really answering the question regarding if Luis still works for Tom and is at both barns. According to River Chase’s public FB group, Luis was coordinating spring vaccinations at River Chase four weeks ago, so I think it’s safe to say he’s still there. My friend saw Tom and Luis trailering in students together at a Red Gate Farm show last November.
This is all like splitting hairs, when the real issue is Tom and his associates (Luis and I guess Emma too) are marketing their farms to children (including summer camps - shudder) knowing they are associated with a known sex offender. How the current boarders at River Chase can tolerate this is beyond me.
I’m pretty sure Leah Navarro is married to Tom’s oldest son, also named Tom.
End rant. Good night.
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Yep, and Emma seems to have been boarding with Tom last year per their public group? Or working there? The weird “not affiliated with” thing without actually disclosing the nature of the past relationships and how they are ongoing makes me less inclined to believe it, even if I hope it’s true.
I elected to shut up, figured I said enough that anyone who wanted more detail knew where to find me.
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Both threads are closed and it ended seeming like there is zero affiliation unless you read between the lines.
Someone commented that Tom Navarro lives on site at Wulf Crest.
It’s amazing how much the NoVa community protects shitty people like them.
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I tried finding the Facebook posts again this morning but it seems they have been taken down. Why people protect Tom blows my mind. It’s sick.
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More Canadian athletes testifying about abuse in sport - this one is a trampoline gymnast: https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/gymnastics/sports-canada-hearing-ryan-sheehan-gymnastics-1.6792755?fbclid=IwAR3inpHkvizQHHitRSCtTfOakY0h8srzxFjKIhp3vOllE-fK0d_IDNmK5rI
From the article: "After recounting his abuse and his despondence over Gymnastics Canada’s handing of it in a social media post in 2021, Sheehan said a conversation with the organization’s welfare officer Gretchen Kerr left him feeling suicidal.
“She claimed I had never filed a formal complaint so I had no reason to be upset, and if I was careful about what I posted there would be an outcome that both she and I would be happy with,” Sheehan said." (bolding mine)
WTF?!
The part that blows my mind is the number of people who will accept “well X says that’s not really what happened” and leave it there in the face of those kinds of allegations. For my kid, I’d need even a wild rumor to be taken seriously md addressed seriously if it was on the topic of a child molester being around my child. Sadly I’m all too aware that there could be predators at half the other barns I go to and I just have no idea, but it seems so simple to at least rule out the ones convicted in a court of law.
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Unless you believe the victim, then there is plenty
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Not really, not when it comes to SS. Indiscretions with a partner is not the same as sex abuse.
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@BITSA
Ah, there you are again, telling us what to believe despite our first hand knowledge of PNW issues under discussion . I support Safesport when it is used properly. I don’t support the rumor mill grinding good people up as fodder for egos and righteousness, all the while wallowing in the hypocrisy of shunning barns while simultaneously dropping thousands at TeamNW shows.
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(Calvinc…this isn’t directed at you, I just don’t know how to put a new message in!) Jumping here because I can’t help it when I start seeing my friends dragged into the conversation. It seems like there are parallel conversations happening in this thread. One about SafeSport suspensions, allegations, etc. And a narrowed thread of PNW riders sniping at one another over the same.
I’m in the PNW too. I care about SafeSport, I really do support its mission and the intent is good. Based on what I see written about people I know in this thread - combined with knowing people subject to SafeSport investigations - I speak with a degree of confidence that there is so so so much more grey area to accusations, investigations, and suspensions than the public ever gets to see. Rumors fly free - there are MANY in this thread - and the truth doesn’t get to see the light of day. Shadowed truth is even true with SafeSport, which doesn’t make their conclusions public (and I completely understand that it is to protect the victims, but that does not change that they keep the findings confidential).
Looks like there are about ~5 people here from the Northwest, seemingly on opposite sides of some barn affiliations(?) or SS accusations(?) I can’t quite tell. These few people do not represent us all. I support Imagination Lane and Oz and Quiet Rein and Flipside and Swan Training and Someday and Stellar and so so so many other barns in our small community. Don’t get me wrong, I have strong critiques of SafeSport’s processes, but we’ve all agreed to abide by it. Our best option is to let SS do their thing while we work to call out violations, defend against allegedly untrue accusations, improve the code and process, all while we keep riding, taking care of our horses, and supporting our community in the best way(s) we can.
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Thank you for the deep breath and the reset bottom
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I think that some people forget that USEF has nothing to do with the ins and outs of Safe Sport. USEF has to abide by the law that The United States Center for Safe Sport oversees. It is the U.S. Center for Safe Sport that is responsible for protecting minors who participate in all sports under their purview.
Safe Sport does not respond to “rumors”. Their oversight is not confined to equestrian sport, though it seems that more equestrians seem to be whining about Safe Sport than do many other sport participants that are now regulated (they just buck up and follow the rules), which makes equestrian sport look quite bad.
Too many athletic governing bodies have turned a blind eye to child abuse. When U.S. Gymnastics, USEF etc… have been left to their own devices, you see what has happened, it’s horrific and it is just the tip of the iceberg.
Take the training and use common sense. There are huge issues regarding the abuse of minors. Do your part to stop the abuse. It’s not that difficult.
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There was a sports journalist who participated on a different SafeSport related thread about two years ago. She was collecting information as part of her research process for a broader national report she was working on, I believe. I recollect who her saying that riding and figure skating were unique in terms of participants’ push back against SafeSport. I’m not sure if riding is still high in terms of the numbers of sanctions relative to the numbers of total participants, but I believe it was back then.
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