Piedmont Family YMCA Chief Operating Officer Chris Carr recently issued an update to Cavalier Aquatics club parents following the news that head coach Gary Taylor was currently serving a two-year probation period was reported earlier this month.
As first reported by Chris Graham of the Augusta Free Press, Taylor received the two-year probation from the U.S. Center for SafeSport after an investigation concluded with him admitting to emotional misconduct while coaching swimmers from 2015 until 2022 at NC State, Auburn and Cavalier Aquatics.
In the message to club membership, Carr told parents that after Taylor’s arrival at the club in 2021, three families issued complaints to SafeSport that same year, and the complaints were investigated by both the YMCA and SafeSport, and they found no wrongdoing.
Full Message:
Good Afternoon Cavalier Aquatics Parents,
Our leadership team is aware of the articles and comments regarding Gary Taylor and our Cavalier Aquatics Program. While we have spoken to several of you regarding these comments, we wanted to address our full team to provide additional information.
Gary Taylor arrived at the Piedmont Family YMCA in 2021 as our Head Coach for Cavalier Aquatics. In 2021, SafeSport received three (3) complaints from Cavalier Aquatics Families. These complaints were investigated by the YMCA, and then independent of the YMCA by SafeSport. In each of these cases, we found no wrongdoing, and SafeSport dismissed the complaints. Throughout any SafeSport investigation, SafeSport requires confidentiality from all parties (including the YMCA). To respect this process, the YMCA did not release the full details of the complaints to the team.
The YMCA remains committed to ensuring the safety of all participants in our organization. Incidents that arise out of Cavalier Aquatics, Camp, Afterschool, Youth Sports, or incidents within our facility at the Brooks Family YMCA will be investigated. Members and program participants can speak directly to myself as the Chief Operating Officer of the Piedmont Family YMCA with any concerns regarding our operations and programs.
The YMCA is proud of the accomplishments of our Cavalier Aquatics program. Notably, our club won the overall team championship at the 2022 and 2025 National Meet. We have also received Gold Medal Recognition from USA Swimming’s Club Excellence Program in 2023 and 2025, marking the program as one of the Top 20 clubs in the nation in each of these respective seasons. These successes have allowed our premier swim club to grow to over 235 youth throughout Charlottesville and the surrounding counties. We are incredibly thankful to you, the parents and athletes, who have supported us over the years. It is your dedication and support, along with our talented coaches, that have allowed for this success.
Thanks,
Chris Carr
Although the complaints mentioned all came in 2021, Taylor’s probation came after admitting to emotionally abusing athletes from 2015 until 2022.
Shortly after the news of Taylor’s probation was reported, he was removed from the Cavalier Aquatics website and is currently not listed as a coach with the club. However, he is still listed as an associate head coach at the University of Virginia, a role he took in addition to already being the Cavalier Aquatics head coach in May 2024.
According to The Augusta Free Press, the club’s first acknowledgement of Taylor’s probation came in a different message to club parents, where Carr told them Taylor “has been primarily at UVA for the last year, continuing at the Y to mentor coaches Conor Hassard and Jason Swaim through their transitions to Head Senior Coach and Head Age Group Coach.”
On June 17, The Augusta Free Press reported that Lauren Suggs, the wife of UVA head coach Todd DeSorbo, stepped down as a member of the Board of Directors at Piedmont Family YMCA.
Taylor’s wife, Jessica Taylor, is still listed as the CEO of Piedmont Family YMCA, however.
Read more on the allegations that led to Taylor’s probation here.
If there’s lots of smoke, the suspicion for fire increases.
Can’t automatically draw the conclusion, but the optics aren’t great.
FYI, this deceitful response from the YMCA constitutes Abuse of Process under SafeSport Code (section IX.H.a: “Falsifying, distorting, or misrepresenting information, the resolution process, or an outcome”) Where is the Center for SafeSport on this? Will it sanction the YMCA/Cavalier Aquatics? And will it publicly correct the record here? (see SafeSport Code section XI.S: “If any person or entity misrepresents the process, the underlying facts, or the outcome of a matter, the Center reserves the right to publicly correct the record.”) The Center and Virginia Swimming LCS Safe Sport Coordinators need to speak up here. The secrecy afforded a serial abuser is a great disservice to swimmers in Charlottesville and at UVA.
Hey GA—RYYYYYY! Thank youuuuuu!!! NOW you can go back to your lousy RAT RACING dimension
I hope the snakes eat your rats, Gary Taylor
They might be fast, but I know they snake racer at Epitaph Bounty College of Self Expression and Weapons Lobbying for Snakes
(EBCSEWL for Snakes)
There’s an Angler fish campus where they get taught the same thing. Need different campuses for obvious reasons
May your rats get slower and the snakes eat them
It’s time hang up the bit buddy
He’s no Randy
TL,DR: “Hey guys! Sorry about y’alls complaints. But a random board said he did nothing wrong. Also our team is really good because of him, so that’s what we’re gonna focus on!”
FYI, this deceitful response constitutes Abuse of Process under SafeSport Code (section IX.H.a: “Falsifying, distorting, or misrepresenting information, the resolution process, or an outcome”) Where is the Center for SafeSport on this? Will it sanction Cavalier Aquatics? And will it publicly correct the record here? (see SafeSport Code section XI.S: “If any person or entity misrepresents the process, the underlying facts, or the outcome of a matter, the Center reserves the right to publicly correct the record.”) The Center and Virginia Swimming LCS SafeSport Coordinators need to speak up here. The secrecy afforded to a serial abuser is a great disservice to swimmers in Charlottesville and at UVA.
Eighteen swimmers exit Auburn. A “mutual” coaching departure. Three SafeSport filings within 120 days at the new job. Over 30 swimmers leave the club in year one. This isn’t random — it’s a pattern. When the head of oversight marries the coach later found to have abused 11 athletes — including two under her watch — credibility collapses. Having a COO, uninvolved at the time, issue a reactive letter admitting undisclosed allegations isn’t transparency; it’s PR damage control. Parents deserve truth, not deflection. And youth athletes deserve protection, not institutional complicity.
But he won Y Nats! All indiscretions forgiven!
Nobody in the comments section actually knows what’s going on here (neither do I). But the rush to judgement is still fascinating.
Sounds like safesport actually knows and decided that he should be on probation
Okay, why don’t you post the specifics of the safe sport findings about his time at cavalier aquatics.
Sounds like a bunch of parents who got butt hurt when there kids where held accountable for their actions… Drama in swimming?? Shocking.