Keeping Track of Criminal Cases & SafeSport Suspensions in Skating

[MacMadame]

USA Today has an article about SafeSport and it does not paint a very nice picture of what is going on there:

U.S. Center for SafeSport was created to protect athletes from abuse. But is it working?

Tasked with protecting athletes at Olympic and youth levels, U.S. Center for SafeSport criticized for delayed investigations, lack of transparency.

www.usatoday.com

The main issue I see here is that once a complaint comes before SafeSport, that is it. The NGBs don't have jurisdiction anymore. Then SafeSport is not transparent about what is going on or why certain complaints are closed for administrative reasons. So that makes it hard to challenge them.

I don't think the answer is to give them even more money to hire more investigators but to restructure how this all works. I think that NGBs should be given a chance to clean up their act. NGBs can focus on prevention with guidelines and minimum standards from SafeSport. But an NGB should be able to remove an abuser using their own written standards and rules no matter what SafeSport decides. There should be an ability to take your case to SafeSport if you are unhappy with how the NGB handled things but they shouldn't be the primary investigators for all reports for all sports.

I also think they are too worried about the rights of the abusers to the point that they are willing to re-victimize the victims. So while the SafeSport people say:

“There’s a reason why the Center was given exclusive jurisdiction, and that’s because of decades of mishandling or just not handling allegations that came forward by NGBs,” she said. “So I would not feel comfortable giving NGBs that power back.”

that doesn't mean that NGBs shouldn't be doing anything to keep athletes safe. They should welcome NGBs making improvements to keep abuse out of their sport and work with them, not treating them like the enemy as it seems from this article that they do.

 

[PRlady]

New article by Brennan just posted about USFS hiring Coughlin defender: https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...ng-hires-supporter-john-coughlin/70267401007/

 

[Frau Muller]

Good for Ashley to speak out! And….What a corrupt gang at USFS. Isn’t the influential judge/official Lori Parker - who Dave Lease jokes about as “the one who has to be gifted poinsettias” by skaters before Christmas - related to this newly-hired individual?

 

[NinjaTurtles]

Bless Ash Wagner for keeping up the good fight and sharing her opinion publicly on these issues in skating.

 

[Rob]

New article by Brennan just posted about USFS hiring Coughlin defender: https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...ng-hires-supporter-john-coughlin/70267401007/

Good lord, this is quite the disturbing set of tweets from The Skating Lesson. https://twitter.com/SkatingLesson/status/1651361353737568260

 

[doritos]

Isn’t the influential judge/official Lori Parker - who Dave Lease jokes about as “the one who has to be gifted poinsettias” by skaters before Christmas - related to this newly-hired individual?

It is her daughter. And my sources within the USFS network have stated that she had a role in helping her daughter get this job, and that there were several and reactions when she was hired.

 

[PRlady]

It is her daughter. And my sources within the USFS network have stated that she had a role in helping her daughter get this job, and that there were several and reactions when she was hired.

They have quite the little nepo cabal over there, don’t they?

 

[Trillian]

I’m guessing a lot of them don’t see it this way, but IMO, USFS is lucky to have Ashley Wagner speaking out the way she is. Yes, she’s publicly calling out an obvious mistake, but she’s also leaving open the possibility that they could take corrective action and do better in the future. They have the opportunity to make changes and still retain some credibility as an organization.

I suspect there are other people who have experiences they could share that would reflect a lot more poorly on USFS as a whole and potentially put them in a situation more similar to where USA Gymnastics ended up. They should be glad that their most prominent critic is someone like Ashley, who fundamentally wants to see the organization improve and succeed long-term, and their smartest course of action would be to listen to her and acknowledge the need for meaningful change. Because frankly, as much as they probably view her as a thorn in their side, this could get a lot uglier for them if they don’t address the cultural issues that led to a situation like this.

 

[Debbie S]

It is her daughter. And my sources within the USFS network have stated that she had a role in helping her daughter get this job, and that there were several and reactions when she was hired.

They have quite the little nepo cabal over there, don’t they?

Not surprising and typical of non-profit orgs where volunteers run the show. I see in the article that USFS won't share the date she was hired...if anyone knows how long she's been there, I'm curious (thinking back to something that happened at my club's comp last year)....if you don't want to post, PM me?

It comes across to me that the paid staff is interested in changing the culture, moving the org forward, etc. They hired a D&I director and it sounds like they were receptive to Ashley when she came forward and lobbied for changes to be made to protect minor athletes from abuse. But the volunteers are effectively in charge, and most of them have a long history, sometimes multiple generations as in this case, and when you have people that entrenched who benefit from the status quo, there's not much incentive to change. And if those who basically run the org and set policies don't want the culture to change, it won't.

I'd say it may take several generations of athletes/officials to make true change, but with this latest nonsense, that might be too optimistic.

ETA: I found my answer as to when she was hired by checking LinkedIn (duh ). She started the job in January. And prior to working at USFS, she was an elementary school teacher. So she would have been a mandatory reporter while posting the tweets defending Coughlin.

 

[Sparks]

Update: Sen. Richard Blumenthal just called after reading my USFS story. “I am deeply troubled and astonished by this and I want an explanation for how it could be possibly justified. I will consider measures Congress could take after talking to some of my colleagues.”

https://twitter.com/cbrennansports/status/1663595486400348177

 

[overedge]

Good lord, this is quite the disturbing set of tweets from The Skating Lesson. https://twitter.com/SkatingLesson/status/1651361353737568260

I don't see what Lorrie Parker's allegedly questionable judging calls have to do with her daughter defending Coughlin, but the rest of the information is indeed disturbing.

 

[Debbie S]

If a U.S. senator is questioning your being hired, your job might not be the best fit for you.

 

[Alilou]

More from Sen. Blumenthal on the hiring of a supporter of John Coughlin for a key role in U.S. Figure Skating: “It seems to fly in the face of all the reforms we have discussed and studied and really contradicts all the reforms that athletes have championed so heroically.”
Update:

https://twitter.com/cbrennansports/status/1663597957847941120

 

[B.Cooper]

Parker-Gislason shares the role with Kyleigh Gaff, as senior managers of high performance at USFS.

I am not taking either side in this discussion, but what I want to do is to say that perhaps Kelsey Parker-Gislason spoke to her experiences with Coughlin while they were skating partners and that was what she posted about on her social media accounts. They had a friendship for a number of years and that is what she reflected upon. She, like many folks, were deeply saddened by the circumstances of what transpired, and I am giving her the benefit of the doubt, in that she was in disbelief and saddened by the accusations, Coughlin's death, the statements made by accusers including Wagner, and what has since transpired in the media coverage.

That being said, her statement does not equate to her ability or skill set to do her job and to report effectively to Safe Sport.

If a mirror can be held up to any individual during their life, many folks would love to walk back statements they have made in an emotional moment.

 

[MacMadame]

They have quite the little nepo cabal over there, don’t they?

It's a small world and, as @Debbie S said, it's almost entirely run by volunteers. That's how volunteer organizations work -- someone already in ropes in their friends and family to help do the work.

ETA: I found my answer as to when she was hired by checking LinkedIn (duh ). She started the job in January. And prior to working at USFS, she was an elementary school teacher. So she would have been a mandatory reporter while posting the tweets defending Coughlin.

Setting aside her problematic past on the issue of sexual abuse, she has absolutely no qualifications to be a High-Performance manager as far as I can tell.

I am not taking either side in this discussion, but what I want to do is to say that perhaps Kelsey Parker-Gislason spoke to her experiences with Coughlin while they were skating partners and that was what she posted about on her social media accounts. They had a friendship for a number of years and that is what she reflected upon. She, like many folks, were deeply saddened by the circumstances of what transpired, and I am giving her the benefit of the doubt, in that she was in disbelief and saddened by the accusations, Coughlin's death, the statements made by accusers including Wagner, and what has since transpired in the media coverage.

Did those folks harass the people reporting on the news about Couglin? Because Kelsey sure did. Did you read the tweets by TSL where her bullying messages were shown? Has she ever walked those tweets back? No, of course not.

If you did read that tweet and those messages and can still give her the benefit of the doubt, I suggest you look deep inside yourself and figure out where your misogyny is coming from.

 

[overedge]

Parker-Gislason shares the role with Kyleigh Gaff, as senior managers of high performance at USFS.

I am not taking either side in this discussion, but what I want to do is to say that perhaps Kelsey Parker-Gislason spoke to her experiences with Coughlin while they were skating partners and that was what she posted about on her social media accounts. They had a friendship for a number of years and that is what she reflected upon. She, like many folks, were deeply saddened by the circumstances of what transpired, and I am giving her the benefit of the doubt, in that she was in disbelief and saddened by the accusations, Coughlin's death, the statements made by accusers including Wagner, and what has since transpired in the media coverage.

That being said, her statement does not equate to her ability or skill set to do her job and to report effectively to Safe Sport.

If a mirror can be held up to any individual during their life, many folks would love to walk back statements they have made in an emotional moment.

She also had the option of deleting those past social media posts, once the other information about Coughlin emerged. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think she's done that.

 

[Rukia]

Parker-Gislason shares the role with Kyleigh Gaff, as senior managers of high performance at USFS.

I am not taking either side in this discussion, but what I want to do is to say that perhaps Kelsey Parker-Gislason spoke to her experiences with Coughlin while they were skating partners and that was what she posted about on her social media accounts. They had a friendship for a number of years and that is what she reflected upon. She, like many folks, were deeply saddened by the circumstances of what transpired, and I am giving her the benefit of the doubt, in that she was in disbelief and saddened by the accusations, Coughlin's death, the statements made by accusers including Wagner, and what has since transpired in the media coverage.

That being said, her statement does not equate to her ability or skill set to do her job and to report effectively to Safe Sport.

If a mirror can be held up to any individual during their life, many folks would love to walk back statements they have made in an emotional moment.

Speaking your truth doesn't equate to harassing other people through dm. She's also had plenty of time to come out and say something to the effect that she was speaking her truth but still supports the victims that have come out. Or even just delete her past posts. She has done none of that.

 

[her grace]

I expect a tepid PR statement any day now.

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

I expect a tepid PR statement any day now.

Will it include "thoughts and prayers", do you think?

 

[thvu]

Parker-Gislason shares the role with Kyleigh Gaff, as senior managers of high performance at USFS.

I am not taking either side in this discussion, but what I want to do is to say that perhaps Kelsey Parker-Gislason spoke to her experiences with Coughlin while they were skating partners and that was what she posted about on her social media accounts. They had a friendship for a number of years and that is what she reflected upon. She, like many folks, were deeply saddened by the circumstances of what transpired, and I am giving her the benefit of the doubt, in that she was in disbelief and saddened by the accusations, Coughlin's death, the statements made by accusers including Wagner, and what has since transpired in the media coverage.

That being said, her statement does not equate to her ability or skill set to do her job and to report effectively to Safe Sport.

If a mirror can be held up to any individual during their life, many folks would love to walk back statements they have made in an emotional moment.

Just to add to the well deserved pile on:

Parker-Gislason is a rape apologist. She's a sexual abuse apologist. She's a groomer apologist.

None of us need a mirror on this. We aren't the ones defending the unrepentant and unapologetic.

 

[VGThuy]

And even if you excuse her grieving process and her behavior during that process, it all still tells me she is NOT the right person for this position. She is already in so deep into the community and will become closer to people due to this position and if this is how she acts when she hears news of wrongdoing committed by somebody she became friends with, well, she'll be confronted with that more with this position as a mandatory reporter.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

Sadly I am not expecting much to change with all of this coming out but it would be nice if we heard news that she was stepping down and they were going to rehire.

 

[overedge]

Will it include "thoughts and prayers", do you think?

At the very least it will contain the usual bafflegab about being committed to providing a safe environment for all athletes and having a rigorous process to ensure that blah blah blah.

 

[Habs]

Parker-Gislason shares the role with Kyleigh Gaff, as senior managers of high performance at USFS.

I am not taking either side in this discussion, but what I want to do is to say that perhaps Kelsey Parker-Gislason spoke to her experiences with Coughlin while they were skating partners and that was what she posted about on her social media accounts. They had a friendship for a number of years and that is what she reflected upon. She, like many folks, were deeply saddened by the circumstances of what transpired, and I am giving her the benefit of the doubt, in that she was in disbelief and saddened by the accusations, Coughlin's death, the statements made by accusers including Wagner, and what has since transpired in the media coverage.

That being said, her statement does not equate to her ability or skill set to do her job and to report effectively to Safe Sport.

If a mirror can be held up to any individual during their life, many folks would love to walk back statements they have made in an emotional moment.

Everything that's been said since this apologist post, but also - she asked Dave Lease if he killed someone. How gross.

 

[Sparks]

Everything that's been said since this apologist post, but also - she asked Dave Lease if he killed someone. How gross.

Yes, for simply publishing that there was a SafeSport restriction against JC.

 

[Frau Muller]

…

Parker-Gislason is a rape apologist. She's a sexual abuse apologist. She's a groomer apologist.

….

— THIS.

 

[MacMadame]

Yes, for simply publishing that there was a SafeSport restriction against JC.

Something that was publicly available information.

 

[Sparks]

In fact, I think I heard about it here on FSU

 

[MacMadame]

In fact, I think I heard about it here on FSU

Christine Brennan broke the story. I wonder what horrible DMs she got.

 

[puglover]

There is such an important lesson in all this though. Because you know someone, maybe very well, really feel close to them, have never seen even a hint of inappropriate behaviour, you need to realize other people may have very different experiences than you with them. Just shut up and make it clear you would never support an abuser.