Jeff and Shelly Campf (non Olympian) are divorced and have been since the SafeSport issue came up. I believe that Rich and Shelly Fellers (Olympian) may still be married because she was a huge supporter of his innocence. This is not rumor nor gossip. It was reported in various outlets.
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This is an important point: you cannot have an extramarital affair with a minor.
Also, some spouses absolutely are aiders and abetters and have even been successfully prosecuted as such when it involves minors.
These are general comments. I don’t know if the woman in this case aided and abetted or knew and looked the other way or whatever.
But I do believe the people who were active in the area at the time who are saying there is zero chance she didn’t know unless you allow people to ‘not know’ b/c they refuse to acknowledge what they know.
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This is me. My maiden name and my husband’s last name are very unique, while my current last name is very bland. Having had a bona-fide stalker, I like the small amount of anonymity a common last name brings me.
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Why are we dragging Jeff and Shelley back into an online debate about this again? Why are we speculating about something that doesn’t matter? The inability of those NOT adjudicated against by either the courts or SafeSport to escape the reputation-killing of these discussions is so frustrating to me. Let the poor woman run her very successful business without nosy folks relitigating the case every time the SS question comes up. Isn’t that what SS is for?? Finding and suspending people who break the SS rules, not casting everyone remotely involved in the situation into the pits of reputation hell. So many are hurt directly by these cases, and even more lose their livelihoods by the court of public opinion never, ever letting up on the speculative attacks.
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Because some crimes (sexual abuse and rape of minors) are so heinous they shock the conscience and people don’t forget?
Because those crimes violate a norm (not sexually abusing and raping minors) that is so fundamental to a functioning society that it is in the best interests of that society not to forget those crimes even when there’s been a settlement or the perpetrator has ‘done their time’?
Because the people who commit those crimes have a very high rate of re-offending so the community pretending that one incident or a known incident that was years ago is no bigs and should be forgotten isn’t in the best interests of protecting vulnerable people (minors in this case) going forward?
Crimes against minors are a special - and specially awful - subset of criminal activity. Continued association with someone who has committed such a crime is a choice, and, like all choices, has it consequences. If people forever associate you with your significant other’s heinous conduct that should be a surprise to no one. They should ‘stand by their man’ if that’s what they want. But I will shed no tears for them. My empathy I will reserve for their husband’s victims. Grown adult spouses, especially once they absolutely know and choose to stay, are not victims here.
The children are the victims.
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Yes, I know the difference. And unless you know something the clients don’t, the Campfs are still married. Last I heard the Fellers were getting divorced, but I’ve not asked recently if that ended up happening or not.
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Let the poor woman run her very successful business without nosy folks relitigating the case every time the SS question comes up.
+1
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In other cases, I totally agree, however, as I said before in this particular one it was such a known thing there is no way she wasn’t aware.
I know another trainer in from the PNW in Canada that recently got a lifetime ban for grooming a minor student. I think in that case everyone (except for maybe people in barn) were shocked and no one was blaming his wife.
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If I knew my husband was screwing with minors I would not only leave him, I would turn him in.
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Why are we dragging Jeff and Shelley back into an online debate about this again? Why are we speculating about something that doesn’t matter? The inability of those NOT adjudicated against by either the courts or SafeSport to escape the reputation-killing of these discussions is so frustrating to me. Let the poor woman run her very successful business without nosy folks relitigating the case every time the SS question comes up. Isn’t that what SS is for?? Finding and suspending people who break the SS rules, not casting everyone remotely involved in the situation into the pits of reputation hell. So many are hurt directly by these cases, and even more lose their livelihoods by the court of public opinion never, ever letting up on the speculative attacks.
……
(I didn’t do the quote thing right- post above is what I’m replying to)
A lot to unpack here. It does matter. If you don’t think it matters, then you are part of the problem
This only all popped up again because USEF decided that this person should be put forward for a pretty prestigious position. Unclear from the posts here and I get that it’s only posts on an online forum whether this person has or has not disassociated herself with an individual that the same organization decided to set down with a pretty significant ban on a federal level for inappropriate behavior towards minor children.
In my opinion, the horse world has enough problems at the moment and optics matter.
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This 100%. He made absolutely zero attempt at hiding it in public at shows etc.
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Again, prior to SafeSport, and after the court decision and settlement (that allowed the victim to open a training business that is now a top one in the PNW), Jeff Campf was free to go about his life. Once SS came on the scene, he was rightfully suspended from the USEF/USHJA for life. He is not involved in his wife’s/ex-wife’s business, nor his son’s business (horse show management) as far as I am aware.
We all have our feelings regarding the wife’s role and what we (g) would do in the same situation.
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In relationships where there’s a power imbalance, it’s often the victim who gets blamed for everything, while the person with all the power gets away with it. The victim is left carrying all the emotional and mental stress, constantly being doubted or disbelieved, while the abuser stays in control and even continues to do just fine. What’s really messed up is that, after all the manipulation and abuse, it’s the victim who has to pick up the pieces—rebuild their life, career, and sense of self—while the person who caused all this damage walks away scot-free.
If Safesport needs to be more effective at getting these victims the help and support they need and protecting them against harm so at least the victim can start to rebuild without the fear of their abuser.
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It sounds like from the Horse Network article linked above, not only do victims need protection from their abusers, but the abuser’s friends and enablers. It does not surprise me at all that a bunch of men were trying to intimidate her into silence. Absolutely disgusting behavior, and they need to be named and shamed.
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I respect that Chloe wants to not name her abuser, but if you have a USEF account, it’s pretty easy to connect the dots.
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I agree completely. I also view the exposure of those individuals as protection for the victim.
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roll back to March 2020 here on this thread and read Katies words. It is not ONLY men who defend behaviors and diss those who are victims
men and women are equally guilty of shaming victims
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You’re absolutely right - lots of women on that “I believe in George Morris” group.
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