Joel Elber of Indiana and Collin Crismon of South Dakota have been added to the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s disciplinary database and are ineligible to coach.
Several other coaches have had temporary sanctions added to the database, or upgraded to full bans. Jeff Russell, Bobby Yribarren, and Robert Sturman now have temporary sanctions. Kylie Lippiatt, Mark Miles and John Casillas have all had previously-reported temporary sanctions upgraded.
Joel Elber
Elber had previously coached at the Southeastern Swim Club and for Lawrence North High School. His entry in the SafeSport database lists Indianapolis, Indiana as his city.
Elber is listed as “ineligible,” which typically means an individual is permanently banned from coaching, but the window for an appeal with the U.S. Center for SafeSport remains open. Elber was ruled ineligible as of March 2021. His entry lists several pieces of misconduct, including sexual harassment, physical misconduct, and inappropriate conduct.
Collin Crismon
Crismon was added to the SafeSport database in May. An 18-year-old Collin Crismon competed for the Watertown Area Swim Club as recently as February of 2021.
Crismon is listed in the SafeSport database with Watertown, SD as his city. He is “ineligible” (as above, that typically means a ban where the window for an appeal remains open) with the misconduct listed as criminal disposition – sexual misconduct. Under the SafeSport Code, individuals can be sanctioned for facing criminal charges for sexual misconduct, even if the legal process is still ongoing.
USA Swimming lists Crismon on both its permanent and temporary ban lists. He was listed with an interim suspension as of April, but was then added to the permanent list as of May for criminal disposition – involving a minor.
Upgraded Sanctions: Kyle Lippiatt, Mark Miles, John Casillas
Individuals are often first added to the database under interim or temporary suspensions while the Center continues its investigative process. Those individuals can have their bans changed to permanent bans later on, as is the case with three names we’ve previously reported:
Kyle Lippiatt was a part-time coach member who pleaded guilty to sexual battery in 2020. He was listed with a temporary suspension as of February, but his entry in the SafeSport database has now been updated to “permanently ineligible.” He also has a no-contact directive. His misconduct is listed in the database as criminal disposition – sexual misconduct and physical & emotional misconduct.
Mark Miles, a former high school and club coach in New York, was given a temporary suspension in early 2020. His ban has also been upgraded to “permanently ineligible.” His ban entry in the database includes several pieces of misconduct, including abuse of process, criminal disposition – involving a minor, sexual harassment, and social media & electronic communication. He is also under a no-contact directive.
Former club coach John Casillas of California was banned in the summer of 2020 after he was charged with child stealing. A teenage girl whom Casillas had coached went missing and was later found hiding in Casillas’ bedroom. He was quickly added to the SafeSport database under a temporary suspension, but that has now been upgraded to “ineligible.” As we’ve noted above, ineligible often means the Center for SafeSport has handed down a permanent ban, but the window for an appeal remains open.
Temporary Sanctions: Jeff Russell, Bobby Yribarren, Robert Sturman
Three more new names are listed in the database with temporary sanctions.
Jeff Russell (listed in the database as Jeffrey “Jeff” Russell) is under a temporary restriction for allegations of misconduct. Russell was affiliated with both USA Swimming and USA Water Polo, according to the database, and was based out of Portage, Michigan.
His entry in the database lists a no-contact directive, travel/lodging restrictions, a ban on unsupervised coaching/training, and contact/communication limitations. His name does not yet appear on USA Swimming’s banned list, which is often the case with temporary restrictions that are not full bans.
Bobby Yribarren (listed in the database as Robert “Bobby” Yribarren) is under a suspension for what the database lists as intimate relationship – involving a minor, and for violating NGB policies/bylaws. Yribarren is listed with the city of Cambridge, Massachussetts.
His entry is a suspension, including probation, a no-contact directive and educational requirements.
USA Swimming’s list of temporary bans lists more specific dates on his suspension: a three-year suspension from May of 2021 until May 18, 2024.
Robert Sturman of Blue Springs, Missouri is now listed with temporary restrictions. They include a no-contact directive, travel/lodging restrictions, coaching/training restrictions and contact/communication limitations. His addition to the sanction list came in December of 2020 for allegations of misconduct.
Elber has been on the banned list since the spring. This man coached at multiple clubs and the Indiana Zone team. Why hasn’t Indiana Swimming notified the membership? Is this a coverup or is it just plain negligence from ISI Director, Tony Young, who was criminally indicted and lost his job a couple of decades ago for not reporting sexual abuse in his own program that he coached????
When are Richard Shoulberg and Murray Stephens going to be added to this list? Just because they were on the USA Swimming Board doesn’t mean they shouldn’t join their buddies, Rick Curl, Mitch Ivey and Joe Bernal, on the banned list.
Shut up.