Why did you minimize the extent of the scandal to nassar?
by cj (2018-03-12 18:57:51)
Edited on 2018-03-13 14:43:32

In reply to: IT was referenced in one of the articles I have read  posted by Vairish84


I’m not sure if that was deliberate or an oversight.

Vairish84 “Some of it should have been stopped. There were clearly adults who knew, but none of them really challenged any of it. Nassar manipulated the adults as much as he abused the girls.”

Do you know when criminal background screening was required by the USAG?

Hint 2007

So, the USAG and swarbrick not only sat on hundreds of complaints involving 50 plus coaches they did so over decades coupled with no background checks.

The USAG in 1990 – "Permanently Ineligible Membership List Established List of persons who are permanently banned from membership and consequently any role in a USA Gymnastics‐sanctioned competition"

"Further, the USA Gymnastics’ practice of “banning” (adding to the Permanently Ineligible list) and suspending offenders may be flawed.  At 
least in past years, according to an article in The Indianapolis Star 
following the release of voluminous documents by a court in Georgia in a pending case, it was possible to be convicted criminally of child 
sexual abuse but not banned by USA Gymnastics.  Documents reviewed by 
the Star also reportedly revealed that USA Gymnastics has in the past  sometimes temporarily suspended an offender but has not made the publicaware of that fact. 

"And despite its efforts to provide more and more information and 
guidance to clubs, individual members, and parents of athletes, the 
external appearance in the eyes of many observers has been that the 
primary focus of USA Gymnastics is on the competitive side, culminating in the U.S.winning medals at the Olympic Games and other international competitions."

Lastly, the 2 policies followed by the field and noted by past USAG presidents involved "hearsay" and allowing the accused to change venues without any legal follow up or warning.

Robert Colarossi (President and Chief Executive USA Gymnastics 1998-2005) said he inherited an executive policy of dismissing complaints as “hearsay” unless they were signed by a victim or victim’s parent — a policy that experts said could deter people from reporting abuse."

“What we’re talking about,” Colarossi said, “is a policy that was a policy of the executive office.”

Michael Athans, an attorney representing USA Gymnastics, told IndyStar those policies go back to at least the 1990s and “really haven’t changed.”

Spare me that swarbrick was at the forefront of anything positive here. The whole thing is an HQ clusterf*** not some back office screw up.

Had swarbrick been on the USAG staff as an employee he'd have been jettisoned/forced to quit along with everyone else. In addition, every legal problem that occurred under his watch falls at his feet as GC. Yeah, he'd like to hot potato it and that is not going to work.

Wash DC "So mr swarbrick, we see that you implemented a robust set of policies and guidelines to protect the gymnasts under the USAG's watch." (chuckle)

js "Yes, and I am quite proud of the work we did."

Wash DC "At what point did you determine that those policies weren't working? Was it the 20th coach athletes accused of being a pedophile 28th, 35th, 50th? Seriously, at what point would you deem these policies a failure?"

js "Uh, I don't know.."

Wash DC "Okay I'll try to make the math easier and this question will be a little longer. When the 20th girl, 50th girl, 75th girls 100th girl 150th girl, 175th girl, 200th girl, 235th girl 260th girl, 290th girl, 320th girl, 340th girl, 350th girl 360th girl complained that they were being sexually assaulted by USAG employees/coaches what did you do?"

js "I didn't know there would be math."

Wash DC "hiding your head in the sand and hiding complaints in a drawer and protecting molesters via your hearsay policy is an abomination...."

PS Didn't swarbrick also suppress the circulation of a safety brochure? Methinks he did just that...