A decades-long series of coverups, concerns, and ignoring claims of sexual abuse at various levels of competition by USA Swimming is the focus of a new investigative report by The Orange County Register.
USA Swimming covered up hundreds of cases of sexual abuse, according to report
There are 590 alleged victims at various levels of swimming.
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The abuse detailed began in the 1980s with a swimming coach who sexually assaulted a 12-year-old female swimmer, but who was still endorsed by USA Swimming in recent years, including giving the coach’s club more than $40,000 in grants.
The entire report is worth reading to understand how many levels USA Swimming operated on, as well as how many people inside the sport raised concerns only to see them ignored. The focal point of many of the issues is the late Chuck Wielgus, who was a USA Swimming executive until his death in 2017. Here are some of the key elements of the piece.
“For example, three U.S. Olympic team head coaches, and a USA Swimming vice president were told in the 1980s that a world-renowned coach has sexually abused a female swimmer beginning when she was 12. Wielgus was informed of allegations against the coach at least three times in recent years. But not only did USA Swimming not pursue a case against the coach, it allowed him to continue to have access to USA Swimming facilities, U.S. Olympic and national team events, and the Olympic Training Center. USA Swimming even awarded the club owned and operated by him more than $40,000 in grants. The coach was only banned after pleading guilty to sexual assault, more than a quarter-century after the abuse was first brought to the attention of the Olympic coaches.”
The number of people involved is staggering, and yet USA Swimming only has 32 on a “flagged” list.
“In the more than 20 years since Wielgus took charge of USA Swimming in July 1997, at least 252 swim coaches and officials have been arrested, charged by prosecutors, or disciplined by USAS for sexual abuse or misconduct against individuals under 18. Those coaches and officials have a total of at least 590 alleged victims, some of them abused while attending pre-school swim classes.”
USA Swimming went so far to protect their brand that they tried to alter legislation in California.
“USA Swimming has also paid $77,627 to lobbying firms to lobby against legislation in California that would have made it easier for sexual abuse victims to sue their abusers and the organizations they worked for or represented in civil cases.”
A Bay Area attorney representing several swimmers accusing coaches of abuse and USA Swimming for not protecting them believes changes need to be made, now.
“At this time I am convinced that the only way to effectively eradicate childhood sexual abuse in swimming is to, as we are seeing now with USA Gymnastics, completely ‘clean house.”
These allegations against USA Swimming are not new, but details surrounding them are. Key officials remain in the same positions without change, and as more lawsuits come to light, parallels to the case of Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics are becoming more apparent.
Details could emerge in the coming months as lawsuits against coaches and USA Swimming come to light and it remains to be seen what changes USA Swimming will make in response to this report.
See More:
